Down The Machine
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Shortie from Down The Machine was good enough to send through a sneak peak of their upcoming track Know Your Place - finally I can tell you all what it's like...
Know Your Place is another example of why Down The Machine were asked to play Leeds this year, it’s a track which goes beyond the confines of most rock tracks and transports you onto another level. Bass heavy from the outset, the drums set a solid pace throughout allowing the guitars and vocals to tell the story of the track as it progresses. Keeping elements simple whilst still maintaining the musical styles of some of their other tracks, this is another catchy yet slightly out there track which demonstrates the development of a band. Talking to bassist Shortie, he openly said that he thinks is the best the band have ever sounded, and I’m inclined to agree. Moving from moving vocal sections to a solo, back into broken down sections, all the time keeping every single element of the band right there in the mix so you can hear it. By the time the cries of Know Your Place arrive, you’re genuinely sat back thinking that this song is speaking to you, telling you something and changing something within you, it’s hard to put in writing but this track makes you reflect on yourself, on life and on the music you’re hearing - and everything is put into perspective. As the track finished I felt myself just sitting there looking at nothing, it’s a hell of a powerful track.
You need to hear this track when it comes out, you will not be disappointed.
Down The Machine are a 4 piece band from Leeds in Yorkshire. They got in touch about their music and their upcoming headlining set at the Metal Fringe Festival (which we’ve got an article about) so we thought it only fair to have a listen and see what we thought.
What immediately struck me about this band was the production they have gone for when it comes to their music. Normally, a band mixes the tracks so that the vocals and guitar are at the forefront of the sound, backed up by the drums and bass. Down The Machine are a little different, the bass features massively in the mix so what you’re left with is something which shakes your rib cage just to let you know what you’re listening to.
‘The Path I Am On (Alternate)’ is a prime example of this style, using the bass to give a deep, dark and almost industrial sound backing up the almost haunting vocals. As you listen to this band, you can almost picture them playing in warehouses as throngs of people move to their music. Once the chorus kicks in, you realise that you’re one of those people as before you know it, you’re nodding along and singing the words.
This theme continues in ‘Let You In’ with an almost Smashing Pumpkins-esque style of guitar – sludgy and grungy but dark and mysterious underpinned with that bass again. The lead guitar fades in and out of the song, gradually building up to a solo later on adding more to the dark and murky sound they’ve created. As ‘Slipping Away’ kicks in, the simplicity of the music takes over pushing forward the massive sound this band can create from 4 players. This adds to the feeling that what you’re hearing is what you will hear when they play live as well. Once the solo kicks in though, once again I found myself gazing across the room at mine wondering whether or not to pick it up and attempt to replicate it, I didn’t.
‘Break You Down’ and ‘Null And Void’ follow on, really demonstrating some of the influences of the band from the likes of Nine Inch Nails through their industrial and dark sound. Almost as if a complete culture clash though, ‘Losing Faith’ kicks in and throws a rocky style riff at the listener picking up the pace and leading into a beat which is guaranteed to have you tapping your feet along with it. Although this track is very different to the others so far, I really like it!
‘Crawl’ takes the band back to the original dark sound from earlier tracks. As the bass takes the lead through the song, it’s backed up by guitars and drums under the vocals, creating a mish-mash which at first listen, doesn’t sound like it should work, but it does! The chorus is once again catchy even though it has a sound which at first is quite confusing, it’s a grower this one I think.
I imagine that Down The Machine sound much like their recordings in live shows, and I’m aiming to see them at the Metal Fringe Festival in August. Their music doesn’t follow the conventions of any particular genre, but instead seems to combine the good elements of industrial with other influences from the grunge era and similar.
Before you listen to this, make sure you crank the bass on your speakers right up and then feel the floor shake along with the music, the massive sound this band have managed to create is part of their appeal I think. Certainly one to look out for on the live scene.
To find out more about Down The Machine, check out their Facebook page HERE.