Sad Machinery - Fragments

Coming out of Brazil is dark electro act Sad Machinery. Quite new to the scene, the artist has already grabbed my attention with his riveting upbeat tempos and distorted but actually quite easy to understand vocals. This is a rare accommodation within the very fires we find ourselves enjoying, as most vocalists enjoy distorting their voices to the point where it's garbled. I don't mean to complain, for I do relish the nasty vocals and effects that spew out of their mouths, but the way this artist has done their vocals is pleasing to the ears.

Furthering my liking of this artist are the actual beats to the songs. I would very much like to classify these songs as something that could easily be played for a dancefloor at a club while a DJ spins, but they still hold enough of a dark tone to not shy into the light side. The synths really work well with the bass drops that go down in the song, and as I sit here and type this out, I am finding it hard not to take breaks to tap fingers along with the beats.

But, the vocals are not always present, and when they aren't there, it's honestly just a fantastic journey on its own. The third and fourth tracks (which I think should have opened the album) present us with a calmer electronic musical ceremony that reminisces that of sci-fi arcade games.

And even when the standard songs kick back in, we're treated to a more harmonious tune than anything. While the beginning of this EP served to show off the harshness of the artist, and the middle showed the artist's instrumental talents, the final third act of this release shows off what the artist can do in a more peaceful and less hard atmosphere. And what he does is that he manages to suck me right back into the EP and feel as if I'm listening to something new entirely.

I honestly don't know where this guy came from, or how the hell he hasn't managed to be noticed as of yet, but I really do hope he gets the attention he deserves. Everything on this album has moved me (not emotionally, but at least physically) in one way or the other. The debut EP from this artist is free, so give it a download and listen to some kick-ass dark electro. Jan 04 2014