3SPEED AUTOMATIC

Biography
3Speed Automatic (3SA) is formed in 2003. After having played together in various bands like the bikerrockbandTaildragger, Stefan Persaud, Willem Stevense and Guido Debrichy decide to build a sound of their own. 3Speed Automatic is ona mission, Stefan explains. We make music that will ignite a new revolution of raunchy rock 'n roll. A sound that is sorelymissing from the music landscape nowadays. A lot of inspiration comes from famous rock trios of the past. Bands like GrandFunk Railroad, Cream and Hendrix' Band Of Gypsies, how they created their sound and used the advantages of thefact that they were just with the three of them. We use that as a starting point and incorporate elements of the 80's and90's music, because that's the music we grew up with.
In their headquaters Villa Rocka (a 150 year old villa on the shores of the Maas in Rotterdam) the library is converted into a rehearsel studio. There they wrote a dozen songs which resulted in the recording of the album Nomans Land (CG Records), with Milan Ciric as co-producer. The album displays a large array of music; it explores the outer edges of sleazy hardrock, stonerrock, blues and the psychedelic territory. Regarding the raving reviews from the international press, 3SA is on the right track in accomplishing their mission.
In order to support the release of their first album in 2004, 3Speed Automatic tours through Holland to play on main stages like Tivoli and the Melkweg. Throughout the year they get noticed in the United States, which makes them opening acts for Five Horse Johnson (US) and The Atomic Bitchwax (US). This tour was followed in spring 2004 by one through Germany and Belgium, sharing the stage with other critically acclaimed bands like Generous Maria (SE) and Speedfreaks (SE).
The ' Nomans Land ' album and the accompanying tours did not go by unnoticed. In the summer of 2004, 3Speed Automatic signs a distribution deal with the German label Nasoni Records, resulting in the release of the album Villa Rocka (The B-side of this vinyl release features the 23 minutes psychedelic adventure "Who Knows What Evil Lurks In The Hearts Of MenThe Shadow Knows"! The Dutch cult movie 'Horizonica' showed their interest and took the first chapter for the soundtrack). In spring 2006 the release of a Dual Disc is a fact: the Villa Rocka album on CD and two music clips on DVD (Freebird Records).
Info
3Speed Automatic
Schaardijk 434
3064 AM Rotterdam
The Netherlands
[email protected]
www.3sa.nl
www.myspace.com/3speedautomatic
Booking Office
Booker T Agency
Tjalling Fransen
Binnenwatersloot 25a
2611 BJ Delft
The Netherlands
[email protected]
Tel.: +31 (0)651 96 50 33
Fansite!
The fansite, for additional pictures and movieclips, can be found here:
http://threespeedautomatic.web-log.nl/
Maintained by:
Hilbrand Bodewes
The Netherlands
Reviews Noman's Land CD
Hellride Music, USA
3SA has delivered an excellent collection of heavy, well-played rock with serviceable vocals, and a recording where attention to tone was obviously the order of the day. After getting a little worn out on acts throwing too many layers of redundant overdubs and unintelligible, bloody-throat vocals into every song, this 3SA disc is a welcome listen that damn near bullseyes my rock and roll sweet spot.
Strickle, Belgium
3Speed Automatic pops up with smooth flowing raw rock on their first record. 'NoMans Land' features 9 tracks with high quality musicians in control of their instruments. It's AC/DC with a Hammond organ, if you're asking what the sound leans on. The soft flow in the music makes the touch more cosmic and spacial.
Sleazegrinder, USA
3SA sound like Gaye Bikers on Acid trying to outrock Nebula (which they totally would, by the way), heavy on the phase-shifted guitars and the arena-rattling blues howls, and even if they do get kinda 'jammy', Guido Debrichys cosmic superriffs keep things rollin' like Bolan.
Bright Eyes - Metal & Hardrock Magazine, Germany
Genau so viel alter Spirit, um glaubhaft zu bleiben und exakt die richtige Brise neuer Einflüsse, um selbst einem Traditionalisten wie mir nicht sauer aufzustoßen. Hier gehen auf eigenartige Weise Rose Tattoo mit Monster Magnet konform, oder AC/DC mit Hellacopters. "NoMans Land" spaltet Schädel auf die erträglichste Art und Weise, die man sich nur vorstellen kann. Diese Combo aus den Niederlanden ist heiß, heiß, heiß!!!
Lowcut Magazine, Denmark
3 Speed Automatic (3SA) are a new Dutch band that like to ROCK! The band come flying out of the speakers in heavy form with the opening number, Splitting The Atom, and you can tell they mean business with ripping fast Eddie Clarke like wah solos and in your face ROCK. No Mans Land is next. I like the heavy in your face guitar sound of this band. Guido loves his wah. Painkiller has a very spacey wah guitar sound and hard driving groove. These guys rock out in the same way as Nebula do. Fans of Nebula would probably enjoy this as Guido goes for the throat with his guitar soloing as well. Does Somebody Know brings things down with some spaced out slow going beginnings and is a slow heavy song with some Hammond organ as well, way in the background. 2nd Coming starts slow but then attempts to rip your head off with its nasty guitar riff and 70s style Motorhead influence. The CD ends with Walk On The Sun and is an excellent heavy psychedelic rock song. Wow. A really cool band and I look forward to hearing more from these guys!
The Surreal Soundz Organization, USA
In the modern hard rock and metal scene their is a new trend to hearken back to the days of yore and take the stylings of the psychedelic bands from the late 60's/early 70's. 3 Speed Automatic is no exception. laden with enough heavy blues influenced power trio sound to even turn the ear of the most die hard Cream, Blue Cheer, and fans of the other gods of the hippie rock past as well.
To be totally honest, this is a reasonably generic slab of the modern stoner rock genre (that sounds harsher than it is meant), with the most noticeable point of reference being Karma To Burn, but 3 Speed Automatic are no mere imitators. Hailing from Rotterdam, Holland, they're a relatively new band, having recently released this, their first independent CD "noMans Land".
"painKILLer" is one of the main highlights of the album(although the way they spell out the names annoys the pc nerd in me). With obvious salutes to bands like Sabbath, Clutch and Leadfoot, this song is a winner.
"strANDed" is another highlight, harking back to the early (good ) days of Queens Of The Stone Age", Guido Debrichy is an excellent slop guitarist, belching out psychedelia laden riffs with much ease, while Stefan Persaud bombs your aural senses with his fretless basswork, while Willem Stevenes holds the songs together with his bonzo-esque free form stylistic drumming . Also from time to time the use of the Hammond Organ and Sitar is thrown in to brighten the song and add to the overall psychedelic flavor of the album. All in all this debut ep is better than the glut of what I am hearing these days on the radio and I highly recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the genre.
Reviews Villa Rocka LP
Glitterhouse, Germany
Das Trio aus Holland reißt jede antrainierte, moderne Hörschule in Fetzen und soliert sich mit Gitarre und Sitar zurück in 70er Ekstasen. Insbesondere die konzeptionelle Seite 2, die in das extensive Schlußstück Men...The Shadow Knows mündet, das Stück ist auch Soundtrack für einen Film namens Horizonica. Absolute Ekstase zum Finale, die in wildem Kopfwedeln und Luftgitarre spielen endet.
Also Fransenjacke und Pfeifchen bereit gelegt. Die Stoner Magazine ziehen reichlich honorige Vergleiche, so mischt man mal Rose Tattoo mit Monster Magnet oder AC/DC mit Hellacopters. Wer länger dabei ist, wie Nasonis Hans-Georg, sagt, dass er sich an Group 1850 Agemos Trip To Mother Earth erinnert fühlt. Da bin ich mit ihm.(ICC)
Stonerrock.com, USA
The starting point of 3Speed Automatics music can be found in the southern hardrock blues genre played by Five Horse Johnson, Lynyrd Skynyrd and Dixie Witch and also in the primitive, savage whip-rock n roll of Motorhead and AC/DC. But the band interprets it all with an Atomic Bitchwax-attitude marked enough, especially when Guido launches himself in very good burning Ed Mundell-like psych-blues solos. The overall guitar tone of Guido Debrichy ranges from loud and gritty to surprisingly melodic. Bassist Blind Gumbo sounds akin to Lou Gorra (Halfway To Gone) at times. 3Speed Automatic wake the "outlaw" that sleeps in all of us, a record for people who are born, live and die with their boots on.
I hear a mix of old and new rock like Kyuss, Mudhoney, Dio, Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and Grand Funk. If you dig the dirty guitar sound of AC/DC or Mudhoney, then your gonna dig the sound of 3Speed Automatics guitar sound. It rolls and bounces right where you expect and where you do not.
Reviews Songs from Tijuana
Metal-Nose, Belgium
De band bracht eerder al wat materiaal uit, zoals ‘Nomans Land’ in 2004 en dit jaar nog het ‘Villa Rocka’ album met extra DVD met twee clips. Op deze mini cd prijken vier nieuwe nummers. ‘Do It Again’ en ‘Hey Man’ zijn stuwende rock tracks, eigen aan het genre, met gedreven zang en geïnspireerd gitaargeweld. Maar mijn aandacht gaat vooral naar het intense ‘Breaking Down’ en het lange ‘Tijuana’ dat ik hierbij uitroep tot favoriet nummer. ‘Breaking Down’ laat flarden Ten Years After, Cream en Led Zeppelin versmelten tot een compositie met blues allures en licht zelfvernietigende levensstijl. Het rock ‘n’ roll leven verpakt in vlammend, spetterend gitaarwerk en sensuele zang. Nog meer beklijvend is het lange ‘Tijuana’. Het middenstuk is erg Kyuss achtig, het jamsessie karakter komt volledig tot ontplooiing en hier worden er zelfs blazers bij gehaald. Dit top nummer wordt ultra lijzig gezongen en heeft psychedelische trekjes. Al bij al kunnen we besluiten dat 3Speed Automatic een beloftevolle “nieuwkomer” is in het stoner rock genre. We kijken alvast uit naar het volgende volledige album.
Review by Vera
Style: vintage rock / stoner rock
Rating: 8,5/10
The band has released some material earlier, such as ‘Nomans Land’ in 2004 and this year’s ‘Villa Rocka’ album with extra DVD containing two clips. On this MCD one may find four brand-new songs. ‘Do It Again’ and ‘Hey Man’ are vigorous rock tracks, typical for the stoner rock genre, with high energy vocals and inspired guitar skills. But most of all I was struck by the intense ‘Breaking Down’ and the extended ‘Tijuana’ that turned out to be my favourite one. ‘Breaking Down’ blends excerpts of Ten Years After, Cream and Led Zeppelin to a composition with blues allures and a slightly self-destructive way of living. It is rock ‘n’ roll life transformed into flashing, stunning guitar work with sensual vocals. Even more compelling is the lengthy ‘Tijuana’. The centrepiece is very Kyuss allied, the jam session nature comes to full bloom right here, even some horns are interpolated. This top notch song is sung in an ultra drawling way and has some psychedelic penchants. All and all we may conclude that 3Speed Automatic is a seminal “newcomer” in the stoner rock scene. We do look forward to their next full-length album.
Videos
Video: Who Knows What Evil Lurks In The Hearts Of Men
Performing Artist: 3SPEED AUTOMATIC
Video Art Director: Jason Janetzki
Camera: Hilbrand Bodewes, Pascal Ter Laak, 3SA
Video Editing: DPI
Note: This video shows the first 9 or so minutes of the 23 minute long Who Knows What Evil Lurks In The Hearts Of Men... The Shadow knows!
Video: I'm All Right
Performing Artist: 3SPEED AUTOMATIC
Camera: Pascal Ter Laak
Video Editing: Mookamoo
Note: This video was shot on 6th of july 2007 in Sondershausen (Germany) on the Stoned from the Underground Festival.