{"id":642174,"date":"2024-10-21T21:05:08","date_gmt":"2024-10-21T18:05:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/machine-girl-vs-the-machine\/"},"modified":"2024-10-21T21:05:08","modified_gmt":"2024-10-21T18:05:08","slug":"machine-girl-vs-the-machine","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/machine-girl-vs-the-machine\/","title":{"rendered":"#Machine Girl vs. The Machine"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"content_blocks\">\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<style>\n<p> article.custom .custom-title, article.custom .custom-media .caption {\n   color: #bb0013;\n }<\/p>\n<p> article.custom .custom-attribution, article.custom .custom-attribution a {\n   color: #bb0013;\n }<\/p>\n<p> article.custom .content_block blockquote.pull_quote {\n   color: #bb0013;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265041\" class=\"content_block flush title center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"custom-title\">\n      Machine Girl vs. The Machine\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-description\">\n      Machine Girl discuss <i>MG Ultra<\/i>, an album full of obsessive, paranoid anthems for the end of world.\n    <\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-attribution\">\n<div class=\"author\">\n    <span><br \/>\n      By <span class=\"credit_name\">Raphael Helfand<\/span><br \/>\n  <\/span><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"custom-media\">\n<div class=\" image center_align\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_m1iqno\/machine-girl-photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Machine Girl vs. The Machine\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      Machine Girl. Photo by Signe Pierce and Molly O\u2019Brien.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"custom_share_buttons_top \" style=\"\">\n<div id=\"new_socials_bottom\" class=\"new_socials_footer  \">\n<p>      <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/FDR_SocialSharing_Facebook-747312c39722d47504a80f02500b8d4ad2e36acf922bad1c83799db1bc77f605.png\"><br \/>\n      <!-- <span>Share<\/span> --><\/p>\n<p>  <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thefader.com%2F2024%2F10%2F21%2Fmachine-girl-vs-the-machine%3Futm_source%3Df%26utm_medium%3Dtw%26utm_campaign%3Dshare&amp;text=Machine%20Girl%20vs.%20The%20Machine&amp;via=thefader\" class=\"new_social_footer_button twitter new_social_share_button\" data-ga-event-category=\"Social Share\" data-ga-event-label=\"Twitter\" data-ga-on=\"click\" data-ga-event-action=\"cilck\"><\/p>\n<p>    <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/FDR_SocialSharing_Twitter-8d78f695280aa3f8a4461702c68e9fcbfd6042af1600c62d49fdec4b735fb57a.png\"><br \/>\n    <!-- <span>Tweet<\/span> --><br \/>\n  <\/a><\/p>\n<p>        <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"\" width=\"20\" height=\"20\" src=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/assets\/logo-snapchat-5f1563935ac089d0cf1773f642ddbfb6cdb16e8c4ac14fec95a3c11b6f963389.svg\"><br \/>\n        <!-- <span>Snap<\/span> --><\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265042,  #content_block-265042 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265042 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265042\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"lead-text\">\u201cObsession is a strong word,\u201d<\/span> says Matt Stephenson, Machine Girl\u2019s founder and creative force. He prefers \u201cfixation\u201d as a de<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">script<\/a>or for the way he\u2019s steered his post-industrial, post-hardcore, post-post-post-modern band these past 12 years. We\u2019re discussing this storied run over quarter-chicken combos at Super Pollo Restaurant in Ridgewood, Queens. It was this meal, he says, ordered countless times with very little variation, that fueled the recording of the group\u2019s new album, <i>MG Ultra<\/i>. It\u2019s far from the first fix he\u2019s had in heavy rotation.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265062\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265043,  #content_block-265043 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265043 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265043\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            For instance, the concept for MG\u2019s debut album, <i>Wlfgrl<\/i>, came from Stephenson\u2019s fixation with werewolves, born from a fixation on the 2000 camp-horror movie <i><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=lRXT1J0kqdY&amp;ab_channel=ScreamFactoryTV\">Ginger Snaps<\/a><\/i>. Its cover art features an original prop from a different film, the 1981 cult classic <i><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=Tfz9AhPnM8c&amp;pp=ygUjYW1lcmljYW4gd2VyZXdvbGYgaW4gbG9uZG9uIHRyYWlsZXI%3D\">An American Werewolf in London<\/a><\/i>. Following another fixation, he named his creative project Machine Girl in honor of a <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=esEtMdkrwqQ&amp;ab_channel=2.0Trailers\">2008 Japanese horror-action comedy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>            Stephenson brought on analog\/digital drummer and fellow fixator Sean Kelly in 2015, making Machine Girl a duo. He\u2019s here with us, too, quarter-chicken combo on his placemat. \u201cI\u2019m still obsessed with any genre of music with psychopathic percussion,\u201d he says, claiming he listens to hours of the stuff almost daily.<\/p>\n<p>            Both Long Island natives, Kelly and Stephenson first bonded over these wild rhythms as teens, finding common ground in the left-field dance music of Aphex Twin and DJ Rashad \u2014 \u201cThe first traction I got was from a footwork community on <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Facebook<\/a>,\u201d Stephenson says \u2014 and the industrial freak rap of Death Grips. They also shared a stubborn streak in support of heavy nerd rockers like Primus and Mr. Bungle, and the decreasingly cool nu-metal acts they\u2019d grown up on: Slipknot and System of a Down, of course, but also artists who still haven\u2019t received their popular Renaissance. \u201cWe liked Incubus\u2026 a lot,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cThe first Incubus LP has the first jungle\/drum-and-bass that I heard as a teenager. They let the DJ go crazy on some outro or hidden track, and I showed Matt. I wasn\u2019t like, \u2018This is drum and bass!\u2019 I was like, \u2018This is Incubus. Check this out.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            Over the past decade, the duo\u2019s interests have grown more esoteric: Jungian psychology, Jodorowskian psychomagic, and tarot, to name a few. The fixation shoe still fits, though. On <i>MG Ultra<\/i>, Stephenson and Kelly pay gleeful, horrifying homage to the most obsessive obsession of them all: the conspiracy theory.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265044\" class=\"content_block paragraph embed triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"\">\n    <iframe style=\"border: 0; width: 350px; height: 786px;\" src=\"https:\/\/bandcamp.com\/EmbeddedPlayer\/album=199586091\/size=large\/bgcol=ffffff\/linkcol=0687f5\/transparent=true\/\" seamless><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/machinegirl.bandcamp.com\/album\/mg-ultra\">MG Ultra by Machine Girl<\/a><\/iframe>\n<\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265063\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<div class=\"\" style=\"padding-bottom: 20px; margin-top: 20px; text-align: left;\">\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265045,  #content_block-265045 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265045 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265045\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>\n            \u201cMG Ultra\u201d is a double entendre: The obvious connection to <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.cia.gov\/readingroom\/document\/06760269\">MKUltra<\/a> (the CIA\u2019s infamous mid-century human experimentation program) is set against the idea that Machine Girl\u2019s new LP finds the duo in their final form. Per a press release, the album is a \u201cmanic collision between the different genres explored in previous MG releases [at] their most distilled.\u201d <\/p>\n<p>            The first part of the pun is a bit of a red herring; no songs on the record specifically reference MKUltra, the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.smithsonianmag.com\/history\/what-does-the-zapruder-film-really-tell-us-14194\/\">Zapruder film<\/a>, or <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.com\/news\/blogs-trending-38156985\">PizzaGate<\/a>. Conspiracy is more of a meta motif on <i>MG Ultra<\/i> than a central theme. Throughout the record, Stephenson seems more interested in exploring the conditions which create a society that comforts itself with dreams of <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcnews.com\/think\/opinion\/qanon-s-capitol-rioters-nashville-bomber-s-lizard-people-theory-ncna1253819\">reptoid, adrenochrome-harvesting elites<\/a> and <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.intelligence.gov\/publics-daily-brief\/public-s-daily-brief-articles\/1077-unidentified-aerial-phenomena-preliminary-intelligence-assessment\">unidentified aerial phenomena<\/a>. Early-album track \u201cSick!!!\u201d explores the state of paranoia produced by brainrot-inducing, hours-long doomscroll sessions while \u201cSchizodipshit\u201d describes the type of person who proudly flaunts their fact-resistant philosophies, unrepentant of their negative effects on friends, family, and the world at large. \u201cMaybe I\u2019m a little sick \/ But I\u2019m not a victim,\u201d Stephenson shouts near the end of the song. \u201cAll\u2013American prick \/ So shut up and listen.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            Stephenson and Kelly like to indulge in conspiratorial thinking as much as the next meme-fed late millennials, but it\u2019s not a particularly strong fixation, they tell me. Their most firmly held conspiracy theory is that many popular memes \u2014 the \u201c<a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/knowyourmeme.com\/memes\/damn-daniel\">Damn, Daniel<\/a>\u201d craze and the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/2016_clown_sightings\">crazy clown hysteria of 2016<\/a>, for instance \u2014 are CIA PSYOPs. They don\u2019t believe aliens exist on Earth, but they do think the seeds of our collective ET-mania were propagated by the military-industrial complex to distract the sci-fi-obsessed public from the U.S. Army\u2019s countless crimes against humanity.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n #content_block-265046 {\n   background: ;\n   padding-bottom: 40px;\n }<\/p>\n<p> #content_block-265046,  #content_block-265046 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265046 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #bb0013;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265046\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left pull_quote\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"pull_quote\"><p>\u201cThat\u2019s what I miss about Facebook groups: You could find a crazy artist and see their real name and their mom. Maybe that\u2019s a little fucked up, but you used to be able to get to know the person.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265047,  #content_block-265047 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265047 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265047\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            The press release is more on point with the second half of its \u201cMG Ultra\u201d conceit; the album <i>is<\/i> the clearest distillation of the Machine Girl aesthetic to date. This is due in large part to Stephenson\u2019s hyper-precise production, tightly stacked and cleanly spliced in the split-second switch-ups \u2014 from breakcore to digicore to hardcore chaos \u2014 that have always been crucial components of his best tracks. (Unsurprisingly, Stephenson thinks subgeneric \u201ccore\u201d significations are silly and suggests I refer to MG\u2019s style as \u201cpost-core.\u201d)<\/p>\n<p>            These exquisitely executed pivots could only come from a particularly obsessive strain of perfectionism. \u201cWe\u2019ll play [the tracks] over and over and dig into every detail, flip over every stone,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cMatt shows up with a 95%-finished song, but the last bit is super daunting.\u201d It\u2019s worth noting that Kelly was more involved in this album\u2019s production process than he had been on any past recording. On previous releases like <i>U-Void Synthesizer<\/i> and <i>The Ugly Art<\/i>, Stephenson says he \u201cwould just put drum [tracks] in and say, \u2018Do this.\u2019 But this time, I\u2019d take everything out and give Sean a project without drums in it, like, \u2018Do whatever works.\u2019\u201d This change fostered an environment where Sean could write organically \u201cfrom a drummer\u2019s perspective,\u201d both artists say. One might imagine such a method producing a dissonance between the percussion and the rest of the music, but the sounds here are even more synched up than on past projects.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265048\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left video\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"video_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"fluid-width-video-wrapper\" style=\"padding-top: 56.25%;\">\n<p>    <iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Machine Girl - Until I Die (Official Video)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/4HolYenvF6w?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><script>\n \/\/trackYouTubeVideo('265048');\n<\/script><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265049,  #content_block-265049 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265049 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265049\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            The resulting album is packed with moments of anthemic ecstasy. Opener \u201cUntil I Die\u201d is essentially a Machine Girl fight song; \u201cMotherfather\u201d is a hype track for anyone who yearns to rebel against an oppressive force, be it parental, systematic, or celestial. Even the less thematically anthemic tracks hit insanely hard: \u201cNu Nu Meta Phenomena\u201d fuses footwork polyrhythms, house synths, and frenetic bass, and the \u201cGrindhouse\u201d could convincingly replace <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=XCgbD1h50kM&amp;ab_channel=ThePumpPanel-Topic\">The Pump Panel\u2019s edit of New Order\u2019s \u201cConfusion\u201d<\/a> to soundtrack the <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=gnATwockQjU&amp;ab_channel=TehLimelight\">blood rave from Blade<\/a>. These are club bangers for the generations who came of age after Y2K, tracks that fuel the late-capitalist compulsion to dance out of one\u2019s own skin before the apocalypse.<\/p>\n<p>            What\u2019s lost in the industrial crackle of earlier MG albums is more than made up for in the pop with which <i>MG Ultra<\/i>\u2019s songs snap into place. After nine years of creative partnership, MG\u2019s mind meld is finally complete; the machine is operating at maximum efficiency.<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265053,  #content_block-265053 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265053 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #bb0013;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265053\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left pull_quote\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<blockquote class=\"pull_quote\"><p>\u201cIt\u2019s the machine rebelling against the machine.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265051,  #content_block-265051 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265051 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265051\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"lead-text\">If Machine Girl\u2019s creative process<\/span> is defined by fixation, their fanbase is obsessed to the point of rabidity. This phenomenon is evident at their packed-out shows but even more so online, where a community of self-dubbed \u201cmutants\u201d has sprouted organically around their synthesized roots.<\/p>\n<p>While overwhelmingly pure of heart, the MG fan club has veered at times toward the far right. \u201cThere was a Machine Girl Discord run by a bunch of 4chan trolls,\u201d Stephenson says. \u201cI didn\u2019t want that to be what represented us, so I created an <a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/discord.com\/invite\/machinegirlofficial\">official Discord<\/a> in 2020 and went into the unofficial one and told them all to fuck off.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>            The official Discord has since ballooned exponentially. At time of writing there are 1,843 members online, and there have been roughly 500 messages sent across its 30-odd channels in the past three hours. (There\u2019s \u201cSPAWN POINT\u201d for <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/general\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"3\" title=\"General\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">general<\/a> discussion;  a \u201cFOURTH WALL\u201d for (limited) band\/fan interaction; and dedicated channels for #gaymers-anonymous, #selfie\ud83e\udd33fitpic\ud83e\udd33zone, #movie-enjoyers, and more.)<\/p>\n<p>            \u201cIt\u2019s great to see [the fans] interact with each other,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cThey\u2019re all artists too, and they get connected; small scenes have been forming.\u201d Still, it\u2019s no substitute for the IRL connections he and Stephenson have made with fans and peers alike during their time in New York (where they\u2019re currently based), Pittsburgh \u2014 where they lived between 2018 and 2020 \u2014 and on the road. <\/p>\n<p>            \u201cPeople really dug their feet in; people we\u2019ve played shows with for 10 years are still here and playing,\u201d Kelly says. \u201cOn Discord, it\u2019s thousands of people coming and going, and they all have superhero names. That\u2019s what I miss about Facebook groups: You could find a crazy artist and see their real name and their mom. Maybe that\u2019s a little fucked up, but you used to be able to get to know the person. Discord is like Facebook on steroids. It\u2019s overwhelming.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265054\" class=\"content_block breaker triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left image\">\n<div class=\"media_wrapper\">\n<p>  <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1440,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg\" srcset=\"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_220,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 220w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_300,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 300w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 400w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_600,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 600w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_750,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 750w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_840,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 840w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_960,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 960w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1260,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 1260w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_1800,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 1800w,https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/w_2400,c_limit,f_auto,q_auto:best\/MACHINE_GIRL_SHOOT_JUNE_240179_v1_landscape_web_o7opnp\/photo-by-signe-pierce-and-molly-o-brien.jpg 2400w,\" sizes=\"100vw\" alt=\"Machine Girl vs. The Machine\"><\/p>\n<p><span class=\"img_caption\"><\/p>\n<p>    <span class=\"caption\"><br \/>\n      Photo by Signe Pierce and Molly O\u2019Brien.<br \/>\n    <\/span><\/p>\n<p>  <span class=\"credit\"><br \/>\n      \u00a0<\/p>\n<p>  <\/span><\/p>\n<p><\/span><\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<style>\n<p> #content_block-265055,  #content_block-265055 blockquote.pull_quote, #content_block-265055 .img_caption .caption {\n   color: #ffffff;\n }\n<\/style>\n<div id=\"content_block-265055\" class=\"content_block paragraph text triple_gutter_right triple_gutter_left center_align\">\n<div class=\"content_inner_wrapper\">\n<div class=\"paragraph_wrapper center_align\">\n<p>            <span style=\"color:#ffffff\" class=\"lead-text\">Several weeks<\/span> after our interview and two days before <i>MG Ultra<\/i>\u2019s release, Machine Girl fans and affiliates filter into Topos Too, a Ridgewood bookstore\/caf\u00e9\/bar. They\u2019re here for the album\u2019s official listening party, which will be accompanied by a silent screening of the 1990 Martian sci-fi blockbuster <i><a rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/watch?v=684nkWhd658&amp;ab_channel=StudiocanalCinemaClub\">Total Recall<\/a><\/i> \u2014 one of the most expensive films ever made at the time of its release, Stephenson informs me on a stroll around the block. (<i>MG Ultra<\/i> cut \u201cAss2Mars\u201d pays tribute to the film\u2019s interplanetary theme.)<\/p>\n<p>            The Topos Too event feels more like a gathering of friends than a listening party for fans, though there are plenty of diehards in the crowd with their septums pierced and long-sleeve graphic tees on, fanning out to the flames of their favorite band. <i>MG Ultra<\/i> is played at medium volume, and casual conversation abounds. When a cheer erupts in the crowd, it\u2019s from the folks huddled around the small projection screen where Arnold Schwarzenneger has just achieved a particularly gnarly kill. \u201cThey loved that part of the song,\u201d Stephenson jokes. The lack of direct feedback is not for want of MG adoration, though; the mutants rush the merch table when it\u2019s time for autographs, and a particularly over-excited teen visibly hyperventilates as they wait for Stephenson to sign their vinyl copy of the new record.<\/p>\n<p>            At the party, it\u2019s as clear as ever that the love they feel for their idols is reciprocated. Kelly and Stephenson are generous with their time, never treating anyone as anything less than an equal. Mostly, though, Machine Girl pay it back on wax, constructing the spooky aural theme parks their followers have come to know and love. \u201cThe songs are like different rides \u2014 rises and falls, stuff like that,\u201d Kelly said in our Super Pollo interview. \u201cThe way I make shit, there\u2019s almost always some kind of unexpected twist, and that adds to the haunted-house, jumpscare vibe,\u201d Stephenson continued.<\/p>\n<p>            <i>MG Ultra<\/i> has several societal monsters in its crosshairs: fascism, propaganda, and generative AI, to name a few. But Stephenson told me he was more concerned with warning lost souls about the pitfalls of \u201cgetting in too deep and rotting your brain on the internet\u201d than lashing out at the powers that be. \u201cThere\u2019s an irony to it because the project is Machine Girl, but it\u2019s ultimately pro-human,\u201d he said. \u201cIt\u2019s anti-machine, I guess. It\u2019s the machine rebelling against the machine.\u201d<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n<div class=\"author\">\n    <span><br \/>\n      By <span class=\"credit_name\">Raphael Helfand<\/span><br \/>\n  <\/span><\/div>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/social-mediaa\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Social Media category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.thefader.com\/2024\/10\/21\/machine-girl-vs-the-machine\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Machine Girl vs. The Machine Machine Girl discuss MG Ultra, an album full of obsessive, paranoid anthems for the end of world. By Raphael Helfand Machine Girl. Photo by Signe Pierce and Molly O\u2019Brien. \u00a0 \u201cObsession is a strong word,\u201d says Matt Stephenson, Machine Girl\u2019s founder and creative force. He prefers \u201cfixation\u201d as a descriptor&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":642175,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/thefader-res.cloudinary.com\/private_images\/c_limit,w_1024\/c_crop,h_533,w_1024,x_0,y_0,f_auto,q_auto:eco\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_yar2vb\/Machine_Girl_lead_shot_yar2vb.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[87514,138595],"class_list":["post-642174","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-social-mediaa","tag-electronic","tag-machine-girl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642174","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=642174"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/642174\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/642175"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=642174"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=642174"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=642174"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}