The M Machine - Metropolis Pt II

The M Machine has been gaining a lot of followers in recent months. With their latest release, released off prestigious OWSLA records, it is no wonder that this group has garnered a lot of attention in a very short time. 

I must admit that I was quite hesitant at first to give this group the time of day because I feel a lot of artists in the EDM scene at the moment, have not been trying anything new. Boy was I wrong with The M Machine.

Metropolis Pt II is without a doubt one of the most complex EP's I have listened to in awhile. With masterfully crafted tracks that exceed the boundaries of the normal production capabilities, it really blew me away with incorporation of so many genres in the respective songs. 

Starting off The Palace feat Blake Hazard. Wow these guys really know how to start off with a bang. The enigmatic intro is enough to throw any music enthusiast into a pool of heavenly bliss. The piano melody has been so skilfully composed that it just adds a feeling of long lost glory to it, making it even more appealing to listen to. Hazard's vocals just add an ominous and airy feel to the track, which serves as a great build up for the drop. 

The drop in itself is one that is skilfully crafted. The production quality of this EP has been one that has been blowing me away with each listen. The drop is heavy, mathematical and melodic in its execution. It is not one that carries on for ages like in most dubstep tracks but it lasts just as long as it needs to which does not make the track boring at all. The synth work and the sampling has been used to perfection, with vocal snippets and layering being used so skilfully to give it this spacey feel. 

The space theme has also been used as an overriding theme which I think is quite an interesting one. It definitely adds to the feel that this is definitely a concept EP which should be seen as a story.

I am not one to enjoy anything indie related but Ghosts in a Machine, really impressed me. It reminded me of Crystal Castles, in the sense that the beat and the vocals go so well together while layering it with great technical synth work. It was definitely a track that impressed me in the synth pop genre and its a good ambassador for it. The other indie / synth pop tracks on the EP are Tiny Anthem which has a feel of the electronic era of the 90s.

If there was one thing that was wrong on the EP it would have to be the track Moon Song, the intro of the distorted synths already put me off, it just sounds out of place and detached from everything else. It starts off really slow and it goes into a techno house vibe which is not a bad thing but I don't think it works for this particular song. Although I must say that the vocals on this track is quite magnificent and really ties in all the loose ends that this track creates. But this track is skilfully produced and on a technical level, I cannot find any problems with it.
Now we are coming to my personal favourite track off the EP - Schadenfreude. The meaning of Schadenfreude is one that got my attention. When translated into English it pretty much means enjoying another person's misfortune, I mean come on? Whats not to like about that? But lets get back to the technical aspects of the track. This electro house track is one for the books, the drums have this tribal quality to them which gives the track an animalistic but refined feel to it. The vocals are so perfectly crafted for this track. It serves as a buildup for a very intense drop. Now let me tell you, even Nicky Romero and Zedd would be proud of this drop. It is punchy, melodic and the automation was done to perfection. It fits so well with the rest of the track that it serves as the perfect climax and then comes the chilled part which definitely comes at the right time. 

Luma is the last and the longest track on the EP and serves as the perfect conclusion. It has a melancholic intro, beautifully composed and executed on the piano. It sounds like a neo-classical piece. The synth work is what makes this track so unique, it has been produced to go so well with the piano intro that it sounds natural for this progression. Another element in this track that really got my attention is that the drums are only present much later. Which is a great variation from the generic EDM intro which is so focused around the drum beats. The drums are almost secondary in this track and does not detract from the piano and the synth work. But it comes with such a bang in the 'drop' part of the song. The reason I said 'drop part' because it is also not a conventional drop that we are accustomed to in typical EDM tracks, it is very simplistic and melodic and relies on an overriding synth melody to guide it. There is even a slight break in it that serves as a sort of crescendo for the next synth arpeggio to take you on a ride through the galaxy.

I cannot wait for the next instalment from The M Machine, OWSLA have really outdone themselves with this band and they are going to go on to do really great things.

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