Machine Gun by Portishead

“I really love the way this track relishes in its rigid, repetitive structure. It's so rigid, repetitive, and structured that I actually think of brutalist architecture or imperial castles when I hear it. There's an incredibly poetic juxtaposition here between the unrelenting hammering and the fragile, singular vocals backed only by haunted harmonic sustains; it's the kind of marraige Portishead thrives on. The really great thing about this track happens halfway through, when it completely gives in to the blocks of repetition, keeping the final eight strikes the exact same the whole way through and modifying only the audio effects of the adjoining rhythms. Eventually, this perfect 80s synth line comes in to solidify the transition. For me, the whole composition of Machine Gun almost feels like a depiction of assimilation; it's a bit chilling, but deliciously so.”

1 love

This jam was posted by 78 people

but emiliovenditti was first  

I really love the way this track relishes in its rigid, repetitive structure. It's so rigid, repetitive, and structured that I actually think of brutalist architecture or imperial castles when I hear it. There's an incredibly poetic juxtaposition here between the unrelenting hammering and the fragile, singular vocals backed only by haunted harmonic sustains; it's the kind of marraige Portishead thrives on. The really great thing about this track happens halfway through, when it completely gives in to the blocks of repetition, keeping the final eight strikes the exact same the whole way through and modifying only the audio effects of the adjoining rhythms. Eventually, this perfect 80s synth line comes in to solidify the transition. For me, the whole composition of Machine Gun almost feels like a depiction of assimilation; it's a bit chilling, but deliciously so.

jarvix 23 Feb 2015

Budda, budda, budda. Pew, pew.

MylesC 16 Sep 2015

Totes just got tickets for Portishead's Latitude Festival warm up show at Cardiff University on Thursday night. Oh yeah.   4

mpgabster 14 Jul 2015

A-Z of U.K. B is for Bristol

row5seat125 26 Feb 2015

I first heard this track live. You could almost feel the hairs on everyone's neck standing up.

craignicol 17 Aug 2015

Glastonbury related jam...sorry arctic monkeys you're number 2   2

mjgBZ32 25 Jun 2013