Today we’re introducing mysterious electric pop act Machines Always Win. The sun-baked 90s throwback synth-pop duo are about to drop their debut self-titled album. The 11 track release (out December 1st via iTunes) is a blissful mashup of ’80s and ’90s retro influences with modern day idealism and pop sensibilities.
Ahead of the release, the enigmatic duo gave us a track by track run down of the LP which you can hear below. For more info on MAW visit their Facebook page.
Windmills
‘Windmills’ is a song about the country girl I live with who wanted to get out of her small town world and away from what she saw as everyones small-town minds and small-town preconceptions. I have written songs for her before but I think she actually really likes this one.”
Dust
The beginning of this song happened in a cabin in the Victorian High Country at three in the morning. It all happened very fast. I was there all alone with my studio equipment set up for a few weeks attempting that whole ‘songwriting in isolation’ thing. I wouldn’t recommend it. One night the wind really picked up and a cow appeared under the lights just outside the main windows…I nearly fainted.
Minutes Left
This is probably the oldest song on the record. It was sitting around for a while before it was turned into a finished song. Starting song ideas seems to be the easy part – It’s all adrenalin and dopamine for half an hour and then when that wears off the real work begins. I wish I could finish as many songs as I start.
Wait ’til They Go
This track was written and recorded in a studio space I had which was in a real industrial badlands area. There was nothing picturesque or beautiful about it whatsoever. The people who worked in the adjacent spaces resembled bikers and seemed to regard me with a combination of contempt and bemusement, as I was really the odd one out. Making music in that spot taught me that (musically) as long as there’s a will there’s a way.
Nocturne
As a lifelong nerd I have a deep love of comics and this song is directly inspired by Neil Gaiman’s Sandman series from the early 90’s as well as the cover artwork of Dave Mckean. The main character of The Sandman is Dream AKA Morpheus, who is both the lord and personification of all dreams and stories, and all that is not reality. I hope that this song sounds a little like non-reality in some way.
Cinders
I was listening to Talking Heads a lot again around this time and especially ‘Remain In Light’. I love the way Eno integrated African Rhythms and electronics into that record. I also remember seeing the video clip to ‘Once In A Lifetime’ as a kid and being fascinated with David Byrne floating on the water. The guitar part from ‘Cinders’ comes out of all that influence a little. It has a slightly off-kilter rhythm but it flows in it’s own way. I really didn’t want to quantize or ‘clean up’ this song at all.
Golden Age
This song changed dramatically from it’s original demo form early on. Initially I was a little worried: ‘Demo-itus’ is a real affliction and sets in over a prolonged period. It’s main symptoms are an unwillingness to come to terms with mix changes and uttering sentences such as “that original vibe – like on the demo”. The cure is to delete the demos from your library and only listen to the finished mixes on repeat for days to ‘re-train’ your brain.
Drift
‘Drift’ is your basic Sea Shanty framed in something that’s a little bit The Cure: ‘Disintegration’ and a little bit Split Enz: ‘Time & Tide’. It’s about heading out in one direction, being stubborn about it but then realising you have somehow gotten lost along the way.
I Know You Know
I didn’t get into playing or making music until after I left High School but I was always writing tragic poetry and various love letters. I would compile the poems into ‘albums’ and inflict complete readings upon my best friend Jeremy. It would always end in him sighing and saying ‘Will you PLEASE just go up and talk to her?’ He was a good friend Jeremy.
Suspension Of Disbelief
This song is about getting over someone and the inevitable part where whatever shit went down, it doesn’t bother you THAT MUCH anymore. It’s kind of a happy and sad feeling at the same time.
A friend of mine says the best songs are the ‘Happy/Sad’ ones. If I had to pick my own favourite song from this album it would be this one.
Departure
This is a goodbye song. An end of album song. It’s got that kind of maritime sentiment and Siouxsie & The Banshees tribal drum feel like ‘Drift’ does. It also features my bestest pal the Roland Juno 106 Synth, who is the real star of this record.
