Autobahn tell us about new album The Moral Crossing as they get ready to tour the UK

BEST FIT: How does this album move on from what you did with your debut, Dissemble?
Autobahn: It feels like we’re showing a bit more emotion on this record. It builds on that feeling of sorrow and torment the first album leant on, but brings it to a heightened level. It feels like the record has more individuality and the songs are more accomplished. Leeds is still bleak though.

What do you explore?
Autobahn: We started off wanting the music to sound like an industrial machine, each part moving in sequence. The engine being the abrasive repetitive drum loop. I think the songs are built out from that idea. The strings really changed a lot, they bring an amazing melancholy sound to the record. The lyrics were influenced by that, I guess, and our surroundings.

You built a studio this time around to have total control - why was that important?
Autobahn: I don’t feel creatively fulfilled doing the same thing over and over. Every record, I push us to do something different, which really benefits the end sound. For some reason building a studio and recording the record ourselves was the next next.

How did it affect the overall album?
Autobahn: It pushed us to write differently and move away from conventional song structures. It gave us time to develop a sound and to take control of our own destiny.

What was the hardest thing about the whole process?
Autobahn: Spending every day working on it becomes pretty tough. It’s also pretty hard listening to the same thing over and over. You need to remember how it felt when you first wrote the song or part; it’s hard to get that euphoric feeling back.

What was easier than you expected?
Autobahn: Getting the music recorded to a standard where it could be worked in the mix was easier than we thought. The drums were totally winged. At no point did I kid myself I knew what I was doing, it just seemed to fall into place. Ben Greenberg transformed the songs in the mix, so all credit to him.

What was the most important lesson you learned?
Autobahn: There’s no rules, just do what sounds good. If you’re happy with a take, draw a line under it and move on.

You streamed the album on the dark web - what was the process behind getting that together like?
Autobahn: It just appeared from nowhere.

Why did you do it?
Autobahn: I thought it would be funny, a dark album for the dark web. But in all seriousness I feel strongly amount anonymity in the digital age. Unless you buy a record in a shop, your identity is being stored and in most cases profiled. You’re being force fed what to listen to and what records to listen to. Companies use your streaming data, shopping data, whatever to quite simply make money. People should make their own choices.

What's next for Autobahn?
Autobahn: A UK tour this month, which we’re really looking forward to! It feel like a long time since we’ve played a lot of shows in the UK. Then next year we’ve got an EU run of dates scheduled. Followed by some dates over in the USA, if they let us in.