Autolux explores the six-year cycle of creativity that spawned its recent album

Like the life-cycle of a rare species that blossoms at odd intervals, the Los Angeles trio Autolux arrived with its recent album, “Pussy’s Dead,” after six years of germination.

But however glorious its spring arrival may have been, dozens of other records, tracks, remixes and mixtapes by hot new acts have come and gone since then, a truth that the three band members acknowledged during a recent conversation at Grand Central Market in downtown Los Angeles.

“It didn’t jump to No. 1 like Drake’s record, obviously,” said percussionist Carla Azar wryly, adding that such a bounty of music creates a sense of chaos. The group’s third record in 15 years earned a decent share of attention and got some good write-ups, but three months later the musical conversation has moved on to the newest stream or Snapchat moment.

“Everyone’s scrolling down, and by the time that they get to the top there’s a new thing that’s happening,” said Azar, who, along with multi-instrumentalists Eugene Goreschter and Greg Edwards, comprise Autolux. They issued the album through a new arrangement with 30th Century Records, the Sony-distributed imprint recently formed by noted producer Dangermouse.

“We’re in this era where you just want to keep getting the next thing, turning it around and around and around. It’s crazy,” said Azar, who spent some of the past half-decade drumming for rocker Jack White. “A lot of that stuff does not stick. Four years from now, nobody’s heard of that, but for that moment it’s the biggest thing.”

Which is to say, though the new album is a distinctly Autoluxian affair, its arrival was akin to one particularly impressive daisy blossoming amid a thriving meadow. It was easy to miss, but no less striking.

Ten songs that, by design, combine to clock in at a little under 40 minutes — the average length of a classic LP — the new record mixes Azar and Goreschter’s mesmerizing rhythms and Edwards’ inventive guitar and keyboard accents to continue its exploration of rock, synthesizer music and post-punk.

Wearing reflective sunglasses that hid his eyes, Edwards, best known for his work as part of cult L.A. rock band Failure, said that since the band’s last album, “Transit, Transit,” in 2010, the landscape has so shifted that it’s tough to even define what constitutes the commercial success of a recording.

“There used to be a time when you knew what a certain kind of band at a certain level should be doing,” he said. “I just don’t think that anybody really knows those numbers now.” Edwards added that he knows musicians in much-hyped bands that have, by today’s standards, a solid label deal and a high profile, and they’re just as baffled.

Autolux is coming off of a long tour that started at the beginning of the year, one that arrives at the El Rey Theater on Saturday. On Thursday, the band will perform at Lollapaloooza in Chicago. It’s on those stages and in front of its devoted fan-base that Autolux better gauges its place in the universe.

“Whatever happens within the fluctuations of the music industry, a good live band will always have a modicum of a career, even if nobody buys albums anymore,” said Goreshter, comparing the status quo to the moment when movie studios feared that DVDs were going to put movie theaters out of business. “People still want to go and see all the loud blinking lights of a big action movie.”

Asked whether they are happy with the way in which Autolux’s new album has been received since its release, Azar was direct: “If you’re asking if we’re disappointed, no, we’re not disappointed in anything. We’re just going, and every time there seems to be a good opportunity — and they keep coming up — we take those.”

Best, she said, is the support the band has received from Danger Mouse and 30th Century. “Everybody, from the get-go, has said, ‘We just want to keep supporting this album until people listen,’ so that’s what we’re doing. That’s the idea.”

As a result, there aren’t any executives reviewing balance sheets. Rather, the band is determined to release more music before the year’s end. “We are not in that place yet where we’re going, what happened? It’s all still happening.”

There’s a lot of terrible music out there. For tips on the stuff that’s not, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter: @liledit