Macha

An unusual number of innovative bands have nurtured in the tiny college town of Athens, Georgia but Macha is probably the most innovative of the lot. Anthens-ite Michael Stipe is a fan and you can hear Macha noodle away on their neighbour’s latest album Black Foliage by the Olivia Tremor Control. On Macha’s own sophomore effort, Indonesian melodies and instrumentation once again find their way into their fascinating Gamelan rock songs. Hammered dulcimer and gongs chime away alongside traditional rock riffage, complex polyrhythms and pop vocals to create this exotic blend. Songs swoon with melody and kick with gusto while presenting a genuinely unique and cohesive sound. This is the kind of synthesis Peter Gabriel might imagine if he had any raw grit left in his soul and hired Polvo as a backing band. Like all good global fusionists it was a couple trips to Southeast Asia that inspired Macha’s amalgam of cultures, however it took until this release to be fully realised.