Ataxia

Ataxia was a short-lived project that came together in 2004 with John Frusciante on guitar and vocals, Josh Klinghoffer on drums, and Joe Lally from Fugazi on bass. They recorded just one album, 'Automatic Writing,' that same year. The songs on it, like 'The Sides' and 'Attention,' have a raw, experimental quality that feels more like a private session than a polished studio release.

Frusciante had recently left the Red Hot Chili Peppers, and the music reflects a period of personal upheaval. The playing is loose and exploratory, with Frusciante's guitar weaving through noise and psychedelic textures over Klinghoffer's steady rhythms and Lally's distinctive bass lines. It's not an easy listen, but it has a certain directness that appealed to fans of their other work.

After 'Automatic Writing,' the group didn't record or tour again. The album stands as a single, concentrated document of that particular collaboration, capturing a specific moment when these three musicians were working through ideas outside their main bands.