Album Review: Dysappearencer by Machinekit

3.5/4 Stars

Machinekit’s debut album is rhythmically rich and subtly layered. Its eight tracks take the listener on a journey that oscillates and sways in a shadowy room, inducing moments of pause to take in the complexity, and moments of wigged out kinesis from its infectious beat. The band artfully use state-of-the-art high voltage electrics, equipment, and tools to push musical boundaries while encouraging the listener to have a transformative experience.

Dysappearancer presents a dreamy landscape in its melody, colored by a dash of early Smiths and a pinch of Tool. The vocals (John Montoya) serve as a component of the instrumentation, melting into the ensemble, which includes Floydian saxophone (Brian Perske), humming synths, and guitar sounds that occupy a space somewhere between OK Computer and Joshua Tree, but darker. Yet the album’s percussion leads the way. The live drums (William Buege) are mesmerizing and are aptly complimented by drum machines and loops (David Cayetano), resonating like if Philip Glass had been a drummer, and twitchy enough to make Thom Yorke dance.

It should be noted that the above analogies to other artists are meant to serve as illustrations, not as comparisons. Dysappearencer is an original work, a challenging demonstration of experimental rock, an exposé on the cross-section of rhythmic and technological audacity. For a quick sample, check out the track “Maimed.” To see the Matrix, repeat listens of the album are recommended.

Daylen Riggs
Los Angeles
March 2019