Machinedrum - Human Energy

Machinedrum
Human Energy
2016
Spotify

For electronic artists in the underground the transition to a more mainstream sound is one that is often met with more than a bit of disapproval. For glitch producer Machinedrum however, that move has only made his music better. This most recent album Human Energy manages to take on an almost R&B persona while still dropping some really great glitch production. With the use of vocals Machinedrum is able to explore areas and ideas that He might not have been able to otherwise and the effect on the music is palpable. This feels like much more than a record meant to get people dancing in a club, it has depth and a point a view that is often missing from this kind of music. There is also this really great hopefully sense which could be attributed to Machinedrum's holistic medicine and lifestyle choices. "Tell U" has this really uplifting vibe yet it almost completely changes what it is three times throughout the track. The vocals also help to breakup some of those tracks that might sound to monotonous after a certain period of time. Even if you know the words it still helps to hear something other then bleeps, boops or twitches over and over again. But the blend is the real star here, the way Machinedrum is able to take two things that seem like they never should meet and then proves you totally wrong.

You would be really hard pressed to find a glitch track that you could say soared, but many of the songs on Human Energy do just that. "Spectrum Sequence" with it's robotic repetition of colors is a real standout. It has this minimalist production that you simply cannot get away from. Much of the record feels like it is casually unfolding in front of you, but the attention to detail is so well done. This record feels heavily influenced by the spiritual with each track being its own little experiential experiment. Even the interludes serve to keep you moving down this very specific road that Machinedrum has created. Human Energy stands up to everything you can throw at it and hangs on to it's convictions. "Dos Puertas" is the most all out dance track and really once of the only ones that take you deep down into the dark where a lot of electronic music makes it home. Human Energy should be the record that breaks Machinedrum as it serves as one of the best bridges between glitch and pop that we have heard. Do not allow this album to pass you by.

8.3 out of 10