Last week saw the release of Space Beyond The Egg, the brilliant new album from everyone’s favourite analogue fetishist, The Emperor Machine.
Andy Meecham’s Emperor Machine project debuted on DC Recordings in 2003 with the ‘Pro Mars’ 12″, but it was Vertical Tones And Horizontal Noise – a series of six 12″s released between 2005 and 2007 and collected on an album of the same name – that caused the world really to really sit up and take notice. Combining pure analogue experimentation with aspects of cosmic disco, smack-rock, kosmische, free jazz, ambient and house, Meecham created something akin to a total, all-encompassing psychedelia. These days the ‘Machine isn’t simply a solo studio project: it has a live band incarnation, which toured to great acclaim last year and will be hitting the road again this summer, including a date at Glastonbury. Space Beyond The Egg reflects – to some degree – the more organic, improvisational direction that The Emperor Machine has take, without compromising what made it great in the first place.
We’re proud to welcome Meecham as the 57th contributor to our FACT mix series. The results are weird and wonderful, and downloadable for your instant gratification. Tracklisting and interview below…
1. Nina Nardini – Afro-Beat2. The Natural yoghurt band – Voodoo3. The Fitzcarraldo Variations – Gamma Modelo4. Bajka – The Only Religion I Believe5. The Starlights – Mao Mao6. The Natural Yoghurt Band – Soft Cheese7. Snakefinger – What Wilbur8. Dynastie Krisis – Faust ‘729. C.C.S. – Brother10. Spin – Grasshopper11. Venus Gang – Love To Fly12. Antonio Carlos & Jocafi – Desacato13. Dory Previn – Mary C. Brown and The Hollywood Sign (Emperor Machine Mix)
Tell us about your FACT mix. Does it reflect on Space Beyond the Egg in any way? Or was it just 13 songs you felt like listening to one afternoon?
“It’s just a load of tracks that I’m listening to right now – a compilation I made to play in the car.”
Stuff you’ve just discovered? Where do you go to buy records?
“Online – places like Ebay and Gemm – and secondhand record shops, car boot sales.”
You’re playing Glastonbury in two weeks…
“I’m really very excited and looking forward to it. I have always wanted to play.”
The weather’s supposed to be atrocious. Do you worry about your synths getting wet?
“No, because we’re in a tent! I hope.”
Before the release of Vertical Tones and Horizontal Noise, you were debating whether or not to turn the Emperor Machine into a band. Do you think that’s had an effect on your music-making?
“Yes – because now, during its composition, I can consider the song in terms of how it’ll be played by a live band, and not just as a studio track. Playing the songs live has made me see some tracks in different ways – maybe I’m now making some tracks for the band and some with more of a studio head on – the drums have become more live too, through playing with a live drummer. I’m gonna get drummer Roger Johns to play all the drums on the next album.”
Do you have surprises in store for your live audiences?
“Suprises? Well, guitarist Dave Atherton is dying his hair…We’re gonna try and create more energy live this time round – we have more tracks to choose from and some very useful experience from last year’s shows.”
Tell us a little bit about your relationship to your label, DC Recordings. They seem like the only place in the universe for your music.
“Yes that’s correct! We have a very good working relationship. DC is the only home for The Emperor Machine.”
Aw c’mon, you can do better than that!
“Well…The Emperor Machine really came about when I played DC some experiments with analogue synthesisers that I had been doing. It was a bit of an afterthought and I expected them to say it was far too weird but instead they loved it and encouraged me to do it more and incorporate it into my music. So I might not have gone down this route at all without their encouragement. We also came up with the name together so they have been really instrumental in the whole thing, as has La Boca (design company who do all the sleeve art for DC Recordings) – who have given The Emperor Machine records the perfect sleeve art and helped shape the Machine’s overall aesthetic.”
It seems like there’s a bigger emphasis placed on tightness on this record, compared to previous ones
“Tightness? I’m not sure I agree! There is perhaps more intricacy in the drum programming, which is just a sign of where I’m at right now. I haven’t started quantizing my stuff or anything.”
You’ve been on quite a remixing tear lately. What’re the more exciting ones you’re working on right now?
“The cool ones i’ve been doing lately have been for Tiga, Laurent Garnier and a band called Duchess Says.”
Interview: Max Willens
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