A couple of weeks ago, I said Photostat Machine’s latest LP would take you for a ride. Well folks, the time is now for you to jump on the great space adventure that not even Buzz Aldrin could duplicate. Let us be your travel guide through Staring Into Space.
Photostat Machine is no stranger to building emotionally complex albums. I initially was made aware of them when I had heard their White Label EP, Do You WantLove?, featuring Raven. With such heavy synths, you’d think you’d be getting upbeat dance music all the time. That is simply not the case.
The track “Do something” begins as a theme that someone else’s perspective is never going to be identical to yours. The has a simple bass line and a couple of electronic noises highlight the vocals in order to portray the story of a woman dreaming for more in life: “Counting planets and shooting stars, She knows there’s more, She’s traveled far, Look to the future, It’s etched on her face, She’s not just staring into space.“ This verse keeps standing out to me as one that can be interpreted many ways. Does it make you feel like it makes you want to reach out for more in life like the woman in the song?
My favorite track on the album, “Interactive Spacedream,” is one that takes you into a very TRON Legacy meets 1980s new wave. I’m a sucker for anything space related. The lyrics remind me of nights when I would go out in the backyard with a blanket and stare up at the stars and just dream. “And I can talk to you, and we can dance together, and we can dance all night.” When you lie down and dream, everything is a reality. You can dance all night in your dreams.
The song “Peripherique” (Roadway) is full of heavy cathedral-like synth with descriptive lyrics of what it is like to drive and move through various towns in France. The song is one completely meant for rocking out to in the car.
Overall, Staring Into Space is an album that really is worth its weight in gold if you’re a synth nerd. Five albums and several EPs into their career, Photostat Machine is going to reach beyond the stratosphere and into the stars. They’re staring beyond space.
As I say with every band that offers their music for free: If you love it, BUY IT!
Staring Into Space is available on Bandcamp.
Photostat Machine on the Web:
www.photostatmachine.com | Facebook | Twitter | Soundcloud | Instagram
