Machinedrum

Recently signed Planet Mu artist Machinedrum (aka Travis Stewart) has put his stamp on the electro-pop meets jungle formation that is his latest EP. Sacred Frequencies, the four-track EP that prefaces Machinedrum's upcoming full-length, Room(s), pulses at 160-bpm and pulls at the rhythmic footwork scene. The album leans heavily on psychedelic strings, presenting a stripped down arrangement of fluttering pulses and colourful offshoots. Hints of the L.A. underground scene, à la FlyLo, pervade the disc, the scratches and drum kicks working with frazzled vocals, hazy synths and spiralling, flighty punches. The title track drips with euphoric pop constructions, playing off Stewart's looped vocals and softly fading organs. It also proves a bit of a surprise compared to the rest of the EP, where a faster, heavier operating pace is present, like the snapping percussion and frenetic, pulsing synths of "Fantastix."