The Breakdown – This Rigged Machine (2023)
After you finish school, it’s time to enter the workforce and begin settling down before you even began life. Four East London lads (which would become The Breakdown) said, “screw that, let’s make a band before we hit the rat race”. It seemed a grand plan but, unfortunately, capitalist fate took hold of the group, and all was lost…or so they thought.
Skip ahead 15 years to 2020 and a serendipitous encounter between Mike Connell (vocals) and Michael McGuiness (bass) prompted the return (or rather creation because they didn’t have a name before) of The Breakdown. With Toby Young on the drums and Andy Strevens on guitar, The Breakdown began spreading their delectable sound and leaving awe-stricken audiences wherever they went. The latest addition to their discography is the single ‘This Rigged Machine’.
Unafraid to explore the best and worst of life in all its splendour, The Breakdown take on the creepy world of modern dating in ‘This Rigged Machine’. Years back, couples would meet at parties or via friends, organise a date in person or on the telephone, and then potentially head off into the sunset holding hands. Nowadays, it’s the “swipe” culture and superficial interactions online where you don’t even know if the other person is who they say they are. The Breakdown takes us on a heartfelt exploration of the challenges in today’s digital dating world.
Tapping into 90s rock, The Breakdown traipses across grunge, pop-rock, and alternative rock with slivers of punk woven through the melody in ‘This Rigged Machine’. Pounding drums match bold guitars in a harmonic way creating this comfortable cushion of sound; however, just as there is hidden comfort, there is a disturbing discomfort. Distorted and obscure, a slivering sensation of “oh this is weird” comes over you but in an intriguing way. One aspect I find interesting about the arrangement is the separation of vocals and instrumentation. Connell’s quivering voice seems torn from the melodic fabric teetering on the edge with an angsty anxiety-ridden tone. It is this obscurity that enhances the disrupted sensation within ‘The Rigged Machine’.
As I mentioned, ‘This Rigged Machine’ explores the intricacies of digital dating and the void between vocals and instrumentation really expresses this in an immersive way. Captured in that empty bubble, it is like falling into a forgotten haze of fear without direction, you feel the danger, confusion and “oh hell” sentimentality. The thing is, just as it is breathtakingly fearful, it bursts with excitement. An excitement fluttering about you pushing you to forge ahead in sublime bliss.
For more from The Breakdown, check out their official website, Facebook, Twitter and Spotify.
This artist was discovered via Musosoup #sustainablecurator
