Bless This Machine - Cyclical Nature EP

 

Released: June 5 

Compared to a fair bit of their previous work, Cyclical Nature seems to be a more rhythm-driven approach to composition from the Edinburgh-based collective Bless This Machine. It may only contain four tracks, but those four tracks seem to hit in an impactful way with a variety of influences bubbling up through each composition. I was a bit thrown off by the first track, however. As I listened through the weird swirling sounds that warped and bent seemingly erratic yet slowly, I would have predicted something else.

Directly following the intro track, we get treated to the first true song on the album "Fractals." Just listening, you may now know that a whole new track has started though. The gently plucked guitar carries on from the end of the intro track and right into the beginning of this one. It's only once the beat hits that I realized what was happening. The beat itself is a bit of a throwback feeling, reminding me much of the downtempo and maybe even the underground hip-hop of the late 90's and early 2000's. With the next track we get something with a much more glitchy beat and weird little vocal stutters. But then right after, they switch things up again, giving us something that feels akin to a bit of downtempo house music in "Pigments." Overall, the best way I can describe this EP is various. It seems that Bless This Machine wants to test out some new things and I hope they keep at this effort.