Machine Says Yes
When "Fear of Guitars," the oceanic swirl of atmosphere and stoned vocals reminiscent of new-school shoegazers the Doves channeling Kid A segues into the buzzing electro bleat of "Glitterball," it’s readily apparent that we’re in for a really freaky fun ride.The British duo of Dan Ormondroyd and Jon Nowell have been making a musical scene since the mid’90s, when they held court over a raucous roaming London party called the Big Kahuna Burger. But once they woke up from three years of madness, a new direction towards sicker electronic manipulations led to a new club (Headstart) and a new sound, a druggy amalgamation of brutal beats and classic acid, referencing early Warp acts like LFO just as readily as DJ Pierre and, erm, the Charlatans. OnMachine Says Yes, they pay homage to all of the above, from the old-school bleep of "Growler" to the creepy monotone pulse of "Nothing is Wrong," complete with totally bored robotic female vocals. And although it fits nicely into what’s considered "electro-clash," songs like these have much more bump and grind that a majority of that lot.They switch gears nicely into the smooth, dulcet tones of "Hayling," a cool downtempo dalliance that flits somewhere between Zero 7 and Air. Even your mom will find this one relaxing.But the bulk ofMachine Says Yesis thick with throbbing dance floor throw-downs like "Mindset to Cycle" and Tiga’s DJ-ready remix of the title cut, which wraps the whole thing up with a nice big red bow.Timothy Brown--From URB Magazine