One of my current projects is an article on the burgeoning electronic music scene in Glasgow which will feature one of the most innovative bands around at the moment - Machines In Heaven. They first came to my attention with The Glasgow Jihad ep (released on the excellent Black Lantern Music label) which I picked up through reading about it on their Twitter page a few months ago. Machines In Heaven are a 4 piece featuring Graham Crossan, Magic Daddy, Connor Reid and Davie Gwynne and they display a grand mix of influences from lo fi electro to wide screen, dare I say it, Depeche Mode-y guitar and synth sounds which of course finds favour with me. The Glasgow Jihad ep (links below) really is something you should be listening to,.
The first track is The National Monument, a three minute electro belter boasting some wonderful arpeggiated sounds, vocoder vocals and a one of the DM like guitar lines I mentioned above. It's the kind of track that deserves a big audience and really is very clever indeed. Next up we have Mumbo Jingo, a track which has already received airplay on a number of radio stations and rightly so. Again, electronics are primarily to the fore here with some delicious acid style bass and Vince Clarke like electronic stabs jumping in and out throughout. Again, perhaps I'm hearing what I want to hear but to these ears there's a definite Clarke influence here which is never a bad thing. Mixed in with the electronics are some almost Johnny Marr like guitar lines and it all builds towards a euphoric ending which is sadly all over within just under four minutes. Last up we have the remarkable bordersbreakdown. It is nearly nine minutes of sonic loveliness which starts off on a journey from Alan Wilder style production to a Mogwai like soundscape via some beautiful piano, guitar and arepeggiated synth before walking into a club around 4 mins 38 and taking off in an explosion of electronica. We finally calm down around the 8 minute mark where we float off on a wave of ambient noise albeit one more of a Ghosts era NIN than Music For Airports era Eno. It is a stunning track and if you haven't heard it you are letting your ears down.
The Glasgow Jihad ep is something you should hear immediately - bandcamp link below. Machines In Heaven are currently working on new material and will be playing live throughout the summer. Catch them if you get the chance
MIH Bandcamp - http://machinesinheaven.bandcamp.com/
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