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EPISODE NOTES & HIGHLIGHTS:
Housekeeping note: Due to some scheduling issues and technical headaches, this episode combines the intended February and March episodes into one. The next regular episode will arrive in April.
Emerging at a strange time in music history, The God Machine was born of the introspective period that followed the excess and death of my first two loves: ‘80s metal and new wave. The early ‘90s -- back when the term “alternative” still meant something, post-punk and goth had momentarily gone back underground, and so-called grunge was still holding back the inevitable curse of “post-grunge,” which would ultimately lead us to the near-death of new, guitar-driven rock as a mainstream phenomenon.
The God Machine was a band that didn’t fit easily into any one camp. Not heavy enough for metal crowds, but too heavy for goth clubs; too prone to long dirges for the pop-minded, but too straightforward, perhaps, for the shoegaze set. Nevertheless, they appealed in some ways to people from each of those camps, and they developed a cult following with what might be loosely termed, the 'alt-metal' scene at the time (and that would be its only time, really). The energy of metal with the sensibilities of more "alternative" music, if you will. If you were of a certain age in the early ‘90s, when Jane’s Addiction seemed more of a spiritual pathway than just another band, then you know.
But while Jane’s was a thinking-man’s party band that wound up transcending their roots, The God Machine had not come to party. They took the bass-driven, lyrically bleak dirges of post-punk and goth and mixed that with the soft/loud vacillating song structures of the heavier bands that defined that time period, adding in a dash of atmospheric noise and experimental sounds which set them apart. And perhaps it could only have worked for the short time that it did, but my angst-ridden teenage heart was captivated and changed by what I heard from these three strangers.
Starting out in the California music scene, but spontaneously moving to the UK -- with no money and no instruments in hand -- singer/guitarist Robin-Proper-Sheppard, bassist Jimmy Fernandez, and drummer/pianist Ron Austin (now Austin Lynn Austin) formed The God Machine, almost for lack of any other options, allowing their strange journey to color their sound. And it worked, because Fiction Records (most famous for a little band called The Cure) signed the band and would release their only two now-legendary albums, before their career was tragically cut short by the sudden death of Fernandez in 1994. Perhaps that tragedy cemented their association with stark emotional states, much like Joy Division, but whatever the case, they hold a special place in my musical past and influences -- I would not play bass the way I do if not for Jimmy Fernandez -- hence this write-up and small tribute on the 30th anniversary of one of my desert-island discs.
Long-winded introductions and brief histories aside, I begin this episode with The God Machine’s “The Desert Song” – my personal favorite for many years; a piece that puts me in such a unique trance-state that I once requested it as my funeral song, because it feels like the soundtrack to a complete journey, beginning to end. But even that song couldn’t fully encapsulate what Scenes from the Second Storey means to me, so you will hear a second set midway through the show that spotlights two more favorites from the album, plus a rare cover and interview sample, then the very last song of the evening will be one of my favorite b-sides from that same period. Although long out of print, there are still plenty of places online to find The God Machine’s music, so I encourage you to check it all out.
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Moving on to the rest of the show, the first full set begins with the latest single from Astari Nite. Thematically, this one would have ideally graced the January show, but that was dedicated to the Best of 2022, so their timely tribute to David Bowie -- which arrived on the anniversary of his untimely death -- kicks off this show’s new offerings instead. From there, we move into music from Mexican goth/post-punk act Vacíos Cuerpos, taken from their mid-2022 release, Laberinto. We then hear the new single from Costa Rican goth rock act Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos, followed by another fresh earworm from Ukraine’s Spokusy, which appears on Sideline’s second expansive compilation to benefit Ukraine, "Electronic Resistance: Reconstruction." From there, we head to Louisville, KY for a double shot of new material: First, a ‘Coffin debut from Who Saw Her Die?, taken from their new album Madness Clears My Mind, then from Scary Black, whose new single “Everything Rots” strikes that ever-important, but under-represented, slow and hopeless darkwave feel. All floor and no dance, just the way it needs to be sometimes.
Long-winded introductions and brief histories aside, I begin this episode with The God Machine’s “The Desert Song” – my personal favorite for many years; a piece that puts me in such a unique trance-state that I once requested it as my funeral song, because it feels like the soundtrack to a complete journey, beginning to end. But even that song couldn’t fully encapsulate what Scenes from the Second Storey means to me, so you will hear a second set midway through the show that spotlights two more favorites from the album, plus a rare cover and interview sample, then the very last song of the evening will be one of my favorite b-sides from that same period. Although long out of print, there are still plenty of places online to find The God Machine’s music, so I encourage you to check it all out.
______________________
Moving on to the rest of the show, the first full set begins with the latest single from Astari Nite. Thematically, this one would have ideally graced the January show, but that was dedicated to the Best of 2022, so their timely tribute to David Bowie -- which arrived on the anniversary of his untimely death -- kicks off this show’s new offerings instead. From there, we move into music from Mexican goth/post-punk act Vacíos Cuerpos, taken from their mid-2022 release, Laberinto. We then hear the new single from Costa Rican goth rock act Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos, followed by another fresh earworm from Ukraine’s Spokusy, which appears on Sideline’s second expansive compilation to benefit Ukraine, "Electronic Resistance: Reconstruction." From there, we head to Louisville, KY for a double shot of new material: First, a ‘Coffin debut from Who Saw Her Die?, taken from their new album Madness Clears My Mind, then from Scary Black, whose new single “Everything Rots” strikes that ever-important, but under-represented, slow and hopeless darkwave feel. All floor and no dance, just the way it needs to be sometimes.
The second set begins by continuing the 30th anniversary spotlight on The God Machine’s aforementioned Scenes from the Second Storey. Witness, if you will, two of my favorite album tracks: the driving existential anthem “I’ve Seen the Man” and the pleading emotional crescendo of “Out,” bridged by a short excerpt from one of the band’s only available on-camera interviews, taped for 120 Minutes back in 1993. From there, you get a rare b-side, The God Machine covering the Echo & the Bunnymen classic, "All My Colours," which appeared on the bands's January 1993 single, "Home," which served as the band's only music video.
This segues nicely into an actual Echo & the Bunnymen song “Porcupine,” taken from their 1983 album of the same name, in honor of its 40th anniversary. From there, another debut, this time from Texas band In a Darkened Room, bringing us one of the deepest goth voices you’ve heard in a long time, from their new 2023 release, Sorrows. Finally, in honor of another 40th anniversary, you get the most goth song that Tears for Fears ever gave us, the unsung darkwave classic that is “Watch Me Bleed,” taken from their 1983 debut, The Hurting. If you’ve never gone back to pre-huge-success T4F, I encourage you to check out their early works from a goth perspective. I doubt you will be disappointed.
Set three starts with a tour spotlight on Clan of Xymox, who is just beginning the east coast leg of their much-postponed US tour (see the full dates HERE). This leg features support from The Bellwether Syndicate (feat. beloved Chicago DJ Scary Lady Sarah & William Faith of Faith and the Muse, etc.) and on several dates, fellow Chicagoans Bellhead. That line-up will roll through Nashville on Sunday, March 19th at the Eastside Bowl, presented by my own night, Fascination Street. This will be the first Xymox show ever in Nashville, so I’m proud to be involved, and in honor of that, I begin the set with a classic Xymox track, followed by new singles from both The Bellwether Syndicate and Bellhead – the latter of which is a Valentine’s Day release of a Prince cover. Bold move, but I like it!
The second half of set three turns the dirge knob back up for a pair of songs that require a little more space to brood. First, delving deeper into Ukrainian post-punk/goth act Gentle Ropes' 2022 Control EP, we hear the track “Alone,” then another stand-alone single from Washington State’s Cruel Velvet, the aptly titled “I Never Feel Alive.” Finally, the set concludes with a classic from the vaults, Gary Numan’s “Dark,” which originally appeared on his 1997 comeback album Exile, before being featured in the 1998 sci-fi noir movie classic “Dark City.” As you may have heard, that criminally-underrated film just celebrated its 25th anniversary this week, so I salute it with some of Trevor Jones’ score music in the subsequent talk break as well.
For the last full set, I chose to lean into the dark metal slowly, beginning with a more electronic artist that uses the sonic aesthetics of black metal without actually opting for that instrumentation: Poland’s Vengeur, from their Par Feu et Par Flammes album, 2022. Catching up with a few other not-yet-featured 2022 releases, we then circle back and pick up newer black metal from Germany’s Mysteria Mystica Aeterna, Florida’s super-guitar-shreddy Worm, and difficult to pronounce French avant-black-metal artists, Bâ'a. On the way out, we salute the 50th anniversary of Alice Cooper’s Billion Dollar Babies with two versions of my personal favorite track, “I Love the Dead.” First, the cover version that Samael released in 1995 – one which I thought could have been the basis for a great music video – and then the original Alice Cooper version gets the last word. That word is “nothing,” by the way.
Closing the show, I give a quick nod to Twin Peaks Day (the fictional anniversary of Agent Cooper's arrival to investigate Laura Palmer's death) having just passed on February 24th by including another alternate version of Angelo Badalamenti’s immortal theme, may he still rest in peace. Then, as a closing song, one of the most emotionally naked pieces The God Machine ever gave us: “Pictures of a Bleeding Boy.” It’s the type of song that begs the lights to be turned down, and everything else to be shut out, as you take in the achingly gradual building of one of my favorite bass melodies, into the open window of the song’s full bodied conclusion. A perfect closer to both this episode and its modest tribute to the work of an overlooked band.
All of that PLUS: New experimental/ambient sounds from Ukraine's Stolen Forest; More new soundtrack work from "Infinity Pool" and "Guillermo del Toro's Cabinet of Curiosities"; tour info, trivia, and more!
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PLAYLIST BEGINS HERE
Format: Band Name - Song Title [Album Title, Year]
(each band name is also a website link)
(sets and talk breaks separated by dashes)
(sets and talk breaks separated by dashes)
"Out ov the Coffin" w/ Ichabod
Show recorded: From the late hours of February to the early hours of March 2023
Opening Theme:
Elliot Goldenthal - Libera Me ["Interview with the Vampire" (soundtrack) 1994]
Elliot Goldenthal - Libera Me ["Interview with the Vampire" (soundtrack) 1994]
The God Machine - The Desert Song [Scenes from the Second Storey, 1993]
-
Tim Hecker - Ekki Gate [“Infinity Pool” (soundtrack) 2023]
-
Astari Nite - Bowie in Daydreams [single, 2023]
Vacíos Cuerpos - Laberinto [Laberinto, 2022]
Ariel Maniki and the Black Halos - Supernova [single, 2023]
Spokusy - Povernutsja Ludy (Ludy Will Return) [“Electronic Resistance: Reconstruction” (comp.) 2022]
Who Saw Her Die? - Walk Out [Madness Clears My Mind, 2023]
Scary Black - Everything Rots [single, 2023]
-
Christopher Young - The Autopsy [“Guillermo del Toro’s Cabinet of Curiosities” (soundtrack) 2022]
-
The God Machine - I’ve Seen the Man [Scenes from the Second Storey, 1993]
[Sample] The God Machine on 120 Minutes, 1993 (exc.)
The God Machine - Out [Scenes from the Second Storey, 1993]
The God Machine - All My Colours [Home (12” single), 1993]
Echo & the Bunnymen - Porcupine [Porcupine, 1983]
In a Darkened Room - Final Vows [Sorrows, 2023]
Tears for Fears - Watch Me Bleed [The Hurting, 1983]
-
Stolen Forest - Machinery Graveyard (feat. Witkowski) [Wartime pt. 1, 2022]
-
Clan of Xymox - Louise [Medusa, 1986]
The Bellwether Syndicate - We All Rise [single, 2023]
Bellhead - I Would Die 4 U [single, 2023]
Gentle Ropes - Alone [Control, 2022]
Cruel Velvet - I Never Feel Alive [single, 2022]
Gary Numan - Dark [Exile, 1997]
-
Trevor Jones - Small World / Mr. Hand’s Imprint ["Dark City" (soundtrack) 1998]
-
Vengeur - Fallen Triumvirate [Par Feu et Par Flammes, 2022]
Mysteria Mystica Aeterna - The Mysteries of Death [The Temple of Eosphoros, 2022]
Worm - Shadowside Kingdom [Bluenothing, 2022]
Bâ'a - Bellum [Egrégore, 2022]
Samael - I Love the Dead [Rebellion, 1995]
Alice Cooper - I Love the Dead [Billion Dollar Babies, 1973]
-
Angelo Badalamenti - Laura Palmer’s Theme (Dark Synth) [The Twin Peaks Archive, 2011]
-
The God Machine - Pictures of a Bleeding Boy [Home (CD promo single), 1993]
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