Jonra & e:machinery “Medicine Man”
Making their anticipated return on the Los Angeles-based Superfreq imprint, Jonra & e:machinery have turned in one helluva mind trip via their Medicine Man EP release. Filling out the darker and headier areas of dance music, the production pair powers through a brain-blistering, five-track package that carries cerebral software and analog framework of the highest degree. Pulling most of the weight of this release is the title cut, which sees the duo construct an aural maze that’s carefully strung together from bits of psychic spoken word, cinematic pads, driving basslines and spacey synth structures. Jonra & e:machinery take things to the next level with this introspective, cosmically in-tune techno track. Spoiler alert: It’s a keeper.
Available March 2 via Superfreq.
What’s the takeaway here? Is there a message or vibe you hope to get across to listeners?
We try to set a mood that will move the listener to dance through the use of sounds and lyrical imagery. We want the listener to experience the music in their own way.
Do you think advances in computer technology and gear have affected your creativity? How so?
The recent advances in analog hardware, sequencers and drum machines are the most exciting part of our process. We are very hands-on, live performance-oriented artists. The immediate, tactile response we get from using hardware creates the energy we receive from the performance.
How does this production reflect your personality/ethos?
The perception of these tracks may come across as dark and brooding; we feel it is more introspective than that. The energy of the music comes from the feeling of being on the verge of exploding at times. Personal battles, angst and anxieties are all reflected in the music.
Creatively, how did the work on this track stack up to previous studio sessions? Was this more challenging to complete than others?
There was a considerable amount of work done simply because of the vocal. There is a very different dimension to a track once the vocal element comes into play. There are a lot of considerations to make with regard to the mix when there is a vocal present. Rhythm elements and pitched instruments are treated and balanced differently in this case.
If this song were a color, what color would it be?
Black—the color of the night sky just before the sun begins to rise.
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