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By Alan RantaThe fourth original album from Travis Stewart’s Machinedrum is a disappointment. I really want to see the guy do well, as he has done in the past. 2002’s Urban Biology was a cinematic, ambient glitch-hop masterpiece, and the albums and remix compilations released in the years surrounding it were all solid. However, since at some point over the past five years, the Machinedrum style has gone stale. At the very least, it has not progressed in the slightest since 2004’s Bidnezz. Want To 1 2 still has all the thug glitch-hop posturing you could want, but it seems uninspired after all these years and Prefuse 73 albums. It comes off unfocussed and muddled under a wash of cheesy ‘80s pop and late ‘70s funk chiq, which was likely intended to make it sound fresh enough to sell to the Urban Outfitters crowd. Most of the album sounds generally noisy, and it is hard to tell how much of the distortion is purposeful or simply lazy. To be blunt, Want to 1 2 smells half-baked. It is still a cut above the majority, in the same league as edIT and the later works of Prefuse 73, but I know Travis can do better if he stopped listening to the barstarlets in the front row and really applied himself to his craft.
— 20 July 2009Machinedrum - Roll & Feel feat. Nami Unreal 
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Comments
Alan , there are times in life when you need to step back and look at where an artist was and wher they are now. As much as you can tell youre self you have done so in writing this. you clearly have not looked into the work of machinedrum and if you have you clearly are un educated in how music is made and theory in general.. Its clear here that your review is so blinded by what you as a listener where exspecting baised on his work you have heard as a fan in the past (2002) that was a long time ago puppy. That to me is the core reason your review sounds cluttered with bull shit remarks about this record. from a producers stand point its tight and polished pop with the smart editing of glitch.. lets not forget all the immatations that have come after machinedrum . and lets not forget that prefuse released his recrod after machinedrum did.. so to even mention prefuse is amature on your part… you just sound like you have no musical insight. the first line is all you needed to say . trying to elaberate on it makes you sound stupid… . i have listened to this album over and over and i cant say it was my fav on first listen but i can say that most classic music i listen to never strikes me first listen. its time you take to listen and take in records, (witch sound like you threw this on over your TGIF Tv night ) that make them classic ... time will tell.. but this review is so one sided and just really a shame.. i am a huuge fan of machinedrum and i had to write this because i wouldnt feel right going through my day knowing this was said.. about a great great album…..
Comment by bruno from earth — July 23, 2009 @ 10:32 am