Machinedrum - Human Energy

 

1. Lapis
2. Morphogene (ft. Ruckazoid)
3. Angel Speak (ft. MeLo-X)
4. Tell U (ft. Rochelle Jordan)
5. Surfed Out
6. Do It 4 U (ft. D∆WN)
7. Celestial Levels (ft. Jesse Boykins III)
8. Isometrix
9. Spectrum Sequence
10. White Crown (ft. Tosin Abasi)
11. Ocean of Thought
12. Etheric Body Temple
13. Dos Puertas (ft. Kevin Hussein)
14. Opalescent
15. Colour Communicator

 

link

Edited September 1, 2016 by usagi

I, er... have some reservations about the creative direction of this album.

lol

I refuse

Do It 4 U is really good! I love how the opening transitions into the filtered bit, and then you have classic punchy Machinedrum rhythms with a crazy ending. The other two singles fell a little flat, but they still had solid production. I'm looking forward to this!

edit: not saying nothin' yet.

Edited September 1, 2016 by usagi

  On 9/1/2016 at 3:04 AM, usagi said:

I, er... have some reservations about the creative direction of this album.

Tosin collab?

 

Sounds pretty bad so far! Also the description on Bandcamp is amazon:

  Quote

With Human Energy, Travis Stewart (aka Machinedrum) has made a career-defining album, one which will take him from best-kept-secret of the electronic music cognoscenti to breakout star of the US music scene. Why and how? The simple answer is that he’s fallen in love and moved to California, let in light and warmth to his always technically stunning productions. The complex answer is, well, more complicated. But then, you can spend forever trying to explain or you can just revel in this remarkable album.

 

Let’s begin with the simple. Written between January and April 2016, the record “reflects a period of great change in my life. I moved across the country to a new city, I proposed to the girl of my dreams, I moved into a new house, bought a brand new computer and set off to write a new album.” But as well as these personal elements, moving to California allowed Stewart to explore a long-held interest in “esoteric and new age concepts… When I was younger I started researching energy healing, meditation and other pseudosciences after learning that my great grandfather was a healer.”

 

Somehow, these ideas began to provide a vitality and intensity for his music-making: “I played the songs for friends and their immediate reaction was that the songs made them feel something in their bodies, like the music was pouring energy into them. I realized that I was creating an album that will make people feel something instantly, connecting my intention with the listener.” Stewart is well aware that some of these ideas will come over as “straight up cheesy.” His best rebuttal is his album, which astounds over and over again with the sheer brilliance of its execution, the warmth and beauty it resonates with, and yes, the unremitting energy of the music. Who can say if Human Energy can heal you? It will certainly leave you with a huge, goofy smile slathered all over your face.

 

You could in fact, pick almost any track from this record and argue that it is a standout, all of which adds to the sense that Travis Stewart, having discovered that rare thing—spirituality and purity in electronic music—is about to have a very big year. “It’s an exchange of energy through sound,” he finishes by telling us. “It’s a healing experience. We’re living in dark times and with so much negativity existing in the world I want to be a rare voice of positivity.” You don’t really need to read any more of this — you just need to hear it.

Edited September 1, 2016 by ganus

Definitely gonna wait for reviews before throwing any ca$h at this thing. I'm not sure I'm feelin' this direction he's taking.

Not really any abstractness going on. It's more of a "bruh/gurl dis shit on fleek" vibe so far.

Actually I don't mind that Do It 4 U track. For a trashy pop track it's decent. Because that's what this stuff is. All of the vocals are pretty dumb though.

machinedrum has graduated from wolf moon shirt irony to new sincerity wokeness

I'm happy for him to make whatever he feels like making, but oh how I wish for another Syndrone album.

  On 9/1/2016 at 8:54 AM, Poiman said:

I'm happy for him to make whatever he feels like making, but oh how I wish for another Syndrone album.

Totally agree, I'm willing to give this a chance although the first 3 tracks I've heard haven't done much for me. Perhaps as an album it'll work better. But not gonna lie, Salmataxia was something special and I wish he'd take up that old moniker again with the many additional years of production experience under his belt.

  On 9/1/2016 at 3:52 AM, usagi said:

edit: not saying nothin' yet.

 

same here

 

  On 9/1/2016 at 5:44 AM, ganus said:

Sounds pretty bad so far! Also the description on Bandcamp is amazon:

  Quote

With Human Energy, Travis Stewart (aka Machinedrum) has made a career-defining album, one which will take him from best-kept-secret of the electronic music cognoscenti to breakout star of the US music scene. Why and how? The simple answer is that he’s fallen in love and moved to California, let in light and warmth to his always technically stunning productions. The complex answer is, well, more complicated. But then, you can spend forever trying to explain or you can just revel in this remarkable album.

 

Let’s begin with the simple. Written between January and April 2016, the record “reflects a period of great change in my life. I moved across the country to a new city, I proposed to the girl of my dreams, I moved into a new house, bought a brand new computer and set off to write a new album.” But as well as these personal elements, moving to California allowed Stewart to explore a long-held interest in “esoteric and new age concepts… When I was younger I started researching energy healing, meditation and other pseudosciences after learning that my great grandfather was a healer.”

 

Somehow, these ideas began to provide a vitality and intensity for his music-making: “I played the songs for friends and their immediate reaction was that the songs made them feel something in their bodies, like the music was pouring energy into them. I realized that I was creating an album that will make people feel something instantly, connecting my intention with the listener.” Stewart is well aware that some of these ideas will come over as “straight up cheesy.” His best rebuttal is his album, which astounds over and over again with the sheer brilliance of its execution, the warmth and beauty it resonates with, and yes, the unremitting energy of the music. Who can say if Human Energy can heal you? It will certainly leave you with a huge, goofy smile slathered all over your face.

 

You could in fact, pick almost any track from this record and argue that it is a standout, all of which adds to the sense that Travis Stewart, having discovered that rare thing—spirituality and purity in electronic music—is about to have a very big year. “It’s an exchange of energy through sound,” he finishes by telling us. “It’s a healing experience. We’re living in dark times and with so much negativity existing in the world I want to be a rare voice of positivity.” You don’t really need to read any more of this — you just need to hear it.

 

Christ

  On 9/1/2016 at 5:44 AM, ganus said:

Sounds pretty bad so far! Also the description on Bandcamp is amazon:

  Quote

With Human Energy, Travis Stewart (aka Machinedrum) has made a career-defining album, one which will take him from best-kept-secret of the electronic music cognoscenti to breakout star of the US music scene. Why and how? The simple answer is that he’s fallen in love and moved to California, let in light and warmth to his always technically stunning productions. The complex answer is, well, more complicated. But then, you can spend forever trying to explain or you can just revel in this remarkable album.

 

Let’s begin with the simple. Written between January and April 2016, the record “reflects a period of great change in my life. I moved across the country to a new city, I proposed to the girl of my dreams, I moved into a new house, bought a brand new computer and set off to write a new album.” But as well as these personal elements, moving to California allowed Stewart to explore a long-held interest in “esoteric and new age concepts… When I was younger I started researching energy healing, meditation and other pseudosciences after learning that my great grandfather was a healer.”

 

Somehow, these ideas began to provide a vitality and intensity for his music-making: “I played the songs for friends and their immediate reaction was that the songs made them feel something in their bodies, like the music was pouring energy into them. I realized that I was creating an album that will make people feel something instantly, connecting my intention with the listener.” Stewart is well aware that some of these ideas will come over as “straight up cheesy.” His best rebuttal is his album, which astounds over and over again with the sheer brilliance of its execution, the warmth and beauty it resonates with, and yes, the unremitting energy of the music. Who can say if Human Energy can heal you? It will certainly leave you with a huge, goofy smile slathered all over your face.

 

You could in fact, pick almost any track from this record and argue that it is a standout, all of which adds to the sense that Travis Stewart, having discovered that rare thing—spirituality and purity in electronic music—is about to have a very big year. “It’s an exchange of energy through sound,” he finishes by telling us. “It’s a healing experience. We’re living in dark times and with so much negativity existing in the world I want to be a rare voice of positivity.” You don’t really need to read any more of this — you just need to hear it.

 

lol

never trust a PR person telling you the album is an all new "Classic" album. 

what garbage text. got a good chuckle out of it at least :^) !!

  On 9/1/2016 at 5:44 AM, ganus said:

Sounds pretty bad so far! Also the description on Bandcamp is amazon:

  Quote

career-defiling album

 

 

fixt

 

 

 

I've been following him on insta for a while, saw his move to Cali and subsequent increase in crystal energy woowoo, but figured it was with a wink, now i'm not so sure...

with all the rampant negativity in this thread i think you guys may need to listen to this album more than you realize...

  On 9/1/2016 at 3:50 AM, NoResults said:

Do It 4 U is really good! I love how the opening transitions into the filtered bit, and then you have classic punchy Machinedrum rhythms with a crazy ending. The other two singles fell a little flat, but they still had solid production. I'm looking forward to this!

 

  On 9/1/2016 at 6:07 AM, sweepstakes said:

Actually I don't mind that Do It 4 U track. For a trashy pop track it's decent. Because that's what this stuff is. All of the vocals are pretty dumb though.

 

^The combination of this opinions here. "Do It 4 U" (that title tho lol) actually gives me hope for the album and persuades me from joining the cynical WATMM™ snarky skepticism that Travis is watering down his work / selling out / tailoring his music against his own creativity.

 

In fact I think it's clear he's doing exactly what he wants. This guy has been making excellent music since he was a kid. He put out wonderful IDM albums at the same age when I was just discovering the genre. I'm listening to Now You Know right now and there are tracks on that could be easily put out now and still sound fresh.

 

Ignoring the Ninja Tune PR machine and artwork, which is important because it's not 100% in his control, and listening to these tracks as they are I like them. It's present day trend pop/club oriented production but it's fucking top notch. He can outproduce everyone else making this stuff, including the PC Music gurus. To us it sound watered down and compromised but on the flipside he's injecting his techniques, techniques refined over 15+ years, into slick club music. He's pretty much done everything else - classic IDM, bass music, balls to wall footwork, future garage, glitch, etc. I have a feeling this album will grow on me a lot. And if it doesn't and the rest of the album is actually a letdown I don't care, I hope it does well and sells more than anything he's done in the past. He's earned it imo.

Good post joshuatx - agreed on all counts.

  On 9/1/2016 at 6:58 PM, dr lopez said:

 

  On 9/1/2016 at 5:44 AM, ganus said:

Sounds pretty bad so far! Also the description on Bandcamp is amazon:

  Quote

With Human Energy, Travis Stewart (aka Machinedrum) has made a career-defining album, one which will take him from best-kept-secret of the electronic music cognoscenti to breakout star of the US music scene. Why and how? The simple answer is that he’s fallen in love and moved to California, let in light and warmth to his always technically stunning productions. The complex answer is, well, more complicated. But then, you can spend forever trying to explain or you can just revel in this remarkable album.

 

Let’s begin with the simple. Written between January and April 2016, the record “reflects a period of great change in my life. I moved across the country to a new city, I proposed to the girl of my dreams, I moved into a new house, bought a brand new computer and set off to write a new album.” But as well as these personal elements, moving to California allowed Stewart to explore a long-held interest in “esoteric and new age concepts… When I was younger I started researching energy healing, meditation and other pseudosciences after learning that my great grandfather was a healer.”

 

Somehow, these ideas began to provide a vitality and intensity for his music-making: “I played the songs for friends and their immediate reaction was that the songs made them feel something in their bodies, like the music was pouring energy into them. I realized that I was creating an album that will make people feel something instantly, connecting my intention with the listener.” Stewart is well aware that some of these ideas will come over as “straight up cheesy.” His best rebuttal is his album, which astounds over and over again with the sheer brilliance of its execution, the warmth and beauty it resonates with, and yes, the unremitting energy of the music. Who can say if Human Energy can heal you? It will certainly leave you with a huge, goofy smile slathered all over your face.

 

You could in fact, pick almost any track from this record and argue that it is a standout, all of which adds to the sense that Travis Stewart, having discovered that rare thing—spirituality and purity in electronic music—is about to have a very big year. “It’s an exchange of energy through sound,” he finishes by telling us. “It’s a healing experience. We’re living in dark times and with so much negativity existing in the world I want to be a rare voice of positivity.” You don’t really need to read any more of this — you just need to hear it.

 

lol

 

 

Right now, I'm just going to keep my mouth shut. But this weekend, when the moon is full and the beer and wine has flowed, I'm finally going to start the thread I've been meaning to start for a long long long time. There's a great little saying I like very much Don't get mad, get even.

 

And by jolly this weekend we are gonna get even.