By: Tyler Barnes
MG Ultra is the seventh project from the digital hardcore breakcore group, Machine Girl. This is their first new LP in four years, and despite them being gone for a while, they have recollected themselves over the last couple of years. Following the lukewarm reception to 2020’s U-Void Synthesizer, Machine Girl would publish two EPs in the same year, being received well by fans. They would go on to disappear for a couple of years, reappearing as the composers for the soundtrack of platformer and first-person shooter indie game, Neon White. The game and subsequent soundtrack for the game were released in 2022, becoming instantly beloved by both fans of Machine Girl, and by the people playing the game. While being a soundtrack for a video game, it is a great blend of drum and bass, breakcore and atmosphere. But after this project, they would again go quiet, until August 7th of this year, releasing the opening track and lead single, ‘Until I Die.’
The track is crazy, having a melody and instrumental that sounds ripped right out of Neon White’s soundtrack and vocals that are unpolished and throaty. It is a very simple track and a great way to ease listeners into this new project, both as a single and on the record. Needless to say, fans were hyped, and expectations were set both by this single and their prior work. Did this album deliver? Through my repeated listens it is absolutely worth your time. MG Ultra is only 44 minutes long, making the entire experience fly by and feel like a complete and well-rounded project.
The best way I can describe this record is a combination of their work from their sophomore record, …Because I’m Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For, and the catchy melodies you would hear from their work on Neon White’s soundtrack. The vocal performance on this record is as throaty and intense as it was on their second LP, giving diehard fans a sense of familiarity, but also providing an incredible amount of energy across the record’s constant schizophrenic sound. The tracklist has a couple of interludes, which help the album’s pacing and prevent it from being focused on the high moments 100% of the time, giving the listener time to breathe and get ready for what is next.
There are a lot of tracks on here that have unique quirks to keep the listener engaged and from forgetting which song is which. ‘Nu Nu Meta Phenomena,’ uses pitch effects and chopped samples, ‘Hot Lizard,’ has a distorted chorus with buried and enraged vocals, and ‘Ass2Mars’ has a bright and fast-paced melody, all of which stick out and prove to be very memorable and fun moments on this record.
Without a doubt, one of the best tracks on this record is the downright insanity that is the closer ‘Psychic Attack.’ It was the third and final single for this record, which Machine Girl saved for last for a good reason. The song starts off with staccato electronics and a slightly bassy kick drum before breaking into the song’s colorful melody and then immediately switching sound and tone again as Matt Stephenson’s vocals come in. From here, the catchy chorus and melody intertwine, creating an off-putting, but bouncy groove. The song goes ballistic during the bridge, the electronics screeching and the drums booming in the mix, only to calm down and build up to the end of the song.
MG Ultra is a well-rounded record, containing few moments that drag it down and is another instance of Machine Girl putting out a quality release and doing what they do best. While it doesn’t push the boundaries of the digital hardcore or drum and bass genre, the record does provide a great selection of tracks that anyone into those genres would enjoy. If you want to get into digital hardcore or drum and bass, check out this record.
CHECK OUT MACHINE GIRL’S NEW ALBUM!
Bandcamp: https://machinegirl.bandcamp.com/album/mg-ultra
YouTube: MG Ultra Playlist
Apple Music: https://music.apple.com/my/album/mg-ultra/1760303228
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/3598AkUpAY95SA2t4JrotL