A thunderously driven dance-punk club album. Out July 10th on Fuzz Club.
There is absolutely nothing subtle about this album by Portuguese trio Maquina. The name Maquina literally means “machine” and the album is like a piston-driven behemoth. The band are Halison Peres (drums/vocals), José “Mendy” Rego (bass), and João Cavalheiro (guitar/effects). It is a guitar album designed to be played in night-clubs, it is a dance album designed to be moshed to. The pace is furious from the opening track and at no point does it slow down or show any sort of subtlety. Body Transmission is an apt title, this is an album that is meant to be felt in every bone of your body via the loudest sub-woofer you have access to.
Whilst they have previously put out a couple of EPs/shorter albums Body Transmission represents a real step up to the previous material. There is a real focus here. The band talk about how they started most of the tracks off as meandering jams of around ten minutes, then worked on editing them down to the sharpest three or four minutes they could come up with.
The album opens with ‘dança’ (ft. Dame Area). Again, the translation of the title, “dance,” is a true statement of intent. This is music designed to played and enjoyed live with its powerful chugging guitar lines and four-to-the-floor beat. The tracks all mix into each other, allowing not a second of respite. Carrying on the exactly what it does on the tin approach the second track is called ‘4 to the floor.’ It is as relentless as a terminator trying to track down John Connor.
Whilst no track diverges far from the template there is enough variation overall to provide for a very satisfying listening experience. ‘collapsing’ carries some proper lyrics and more of a stronger punk-edge on top of the driven rhythm section.
This is a strong album that understands exactly what it is setting out to do and then delivers on it. If you have any interest in industrial guitar and relentless beats then you are going to find something to enjoy here.
Essential Tracks: ‘dança,’ ‘collapsing,’ ‘agony,’ ‘bizarro’ and ‘out of fear.’
Live UK dates:
- 2 September – Leicester, UK – The International
- 3 September – Glossop, UK – The Globe
- 4 September – Brighton, UK – Brighton Psych Fest
- 5 September – Manchester, UK – Manchester Psych Fest
- 6 September – Bristol, UK – The Croft
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