Machine Girl (sometimes stylized as machin3gir1) is an American electronic music project created in 2012[1] by Matt Stephenson (also known as DJ Chaotic Ugly) in Long Island, New York.[2][3][4] In 2015, the project became a duo, with Stephenson recruiting percussionist Sean Kelly to play live drums.[5][6]
Machine Girl | |
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Background information | |
Origin | Long Island, New York, U.S. |
Genres | |
Years active | 2012–present |
Labels |
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Members |
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Website | https://machin3gir1.com/ |
In 2022, Machine Girl composed the original soundtrack for the video game Neon White, coming in two parts—"The Wicked Heart" and "The Burn That Cures"—in link with the scenario of the game.
Style and themes
editIn an interview with Revolver magazine, Stephenson defined Machine Girl as "fucked-up electronic punk" and stated that they did not like the "industrial" tag for being "very goth, and very black and white" considering the project "a lot more colorful".[7] Kerrang! listed them as one of the "bands expanding the definition of hardcore", and described the project as "a particularly punky and ferocious breed of the electronic sub-genre breakcore that could easily pass for hardcore when they rip it live".[8] Pitchfork defined their style as "relentlessly smashing together bits of punk, grindcore, rave, industrial, and more" and "unpredictable and dangerous, full of animalistic rage and uncontrollable energy".[9]
Their music often features lyrics and samples criticising capitalism and exploring mental health, gender identity, and sexuality. This can particularly be seen in their albums ...Because I'm Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For, The Ugly Art and U-Void Synthesizer.
The project is named after the 2008 Japanese film The Machine Girl,[7] which they occasionally sampled on their 2014 album WLFGRL.
Other projects
editStephenson is also a member of the electronic duo Prolaps with Bonnie Baxter from Kill Alters. Originally collaborating together on the track "Vomit" from ...Because I'm Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For, they began releasing music in 2020.[10]
Members
edit- Matt Stephenson – production, vocals (2012–present)
- Sean Kelly – drums (2015–present)
Discography
editStudio albums
edit- WLFGRL (2014)
- Gemini (2015)
- ...Because I'm Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For (2017)
- The Ugly Art (2018)
- U-Void Synthesizer (2020)
- MG Ultra (2024)
Extended plays
edit- Electronic Gimp Music EP (2013)
- 13th Hour EP (2013)
- GRLPWR EP (2013)
- MACHINE GIRL VS MACHINE GIRL (2016)
- RePorpoised Phantasies (2020)
- SUPER FREQ EP (2024)
Compilations
edit- Jet Set Radio Remixes 1 (2014)
- WLFGRL Remixes A (2014)
- WLFGRL Remixes B (2014)
- Phantom Tracks (2015)
- Phantasy Trax™ (2016)
- WLFGRL+ (2017)
- MG DEMO DISC (2020)
- Stretch Collection (2020)
Singles
edit- "Gravity Diva" (2012)
- "Emerald Juke / Krystle (Glitch Mix)" (2014)
- "Killing of the Bird / Lifeforce" (2015)
- "Costume / Fuqthatlil" (2016)
- "Minnesota / Explode" (2016)
- "Yesterday (Machine Girl Remix)" (2023)
- "Concerning Peace (Machine Girl Remix)" (2023)
- "Until I Die" (2024)
- "Motherfather" (2024)
- "Psychic Attack" (2024)
Splits and collaborative releases
edit- Darren Keen + Machine Girl (2014)
- Machine Girl / Five Star Hotel (2016)
- Shade / Machine Girl - QUARANTINETAPES_vol3 (2020)
Mix compilations
edit- MRK90 Mix Vol. 1 (2017)
Soundtracks
editMusic videos
editMachine Girl released an official music video for their single, "Until I Die", from the album, MG Ultra. The video was directed by Bryan M. Ferguson.[11] Another official music video from the same album followed a week later, this one being for the song "Motherfather".[12] Despite bearing similarity to AI generated art, this video was confirmed to not have any AI generated assets in it, as stated by its director, John Lee. Finally, on October 4th 2024, they released a music video for the song "Psychic Attack",[13] which is the last song of the album MG Ultra.
References
edit- ^ "Gravity Diva | Machine Girl". February 28, 2015. Archived from the original on February 28, 2015. Retrieved August 2, 2022.
- ^ Simpson, Paul. "Machine Girl". AllMusic. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Adame, Oscar (January 13, 2020). "Machine Girl, the future of digital hardcore". Warp. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Smith, Nathan (September 14, 2020). "A Guide to the Relentless Hardcore of Machine Girl". Bandcamp. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Pettis, Josh (May 29, 2019). "Lobsterfest 2019 Q&A: Machine Girl". ACRN.com. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Machine Girl". Discogs. Retrieved November 10, 2020.
- ^ a b Enis, Eli (May 11, 2020). "Machine Girl: "Alien music" duo on spitting blood, mashing genres, transcending self". Revolver. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Enis, Eli (May 24, 2019). "5 bands expanding the definition of hardcore". Kerrang!. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ Joyce, Colin (March 10, 2020). "Machine Girl: U-Void Synthesizer". Pitchfork. Retrieved November 9, 2020.
- ^ "Prolaps - Apple Music". Apple Music. Retrieved January 25, 2024.
- ^ Machine Girl (August 27, 2024). Machine Girl - Until I Die (Official Video). Retrieved September 3, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Machine Girl (September 5, 2024). Machine Girl - Motherfather (Official Video). Retrieved September 22, 2024 – via YouTube.
- ^ Machine Girl (October 4, 2024). Machine Girl - Psychic Attack (Official Video). Retrieved October 9, 2024 – via YouTube.
External links
edit- Official website
- Machine Girl at Bandcamp
- Machine Girl at Facebook
- Machine Girl discography at MusicBrainz
- Machine Girl discography at Discogs