The Machine in the Garden (band)
Encyclopedia
The Machine in the Garden is a music duo featuring Roger Fracé and Summer Bowman. They have released six full-length albums and one EP. Their music is a blend of different genres, such as synthpop
, trip hop
, electronica
and gothic rock
.
release Veils and Shadows EP. Initially a solo endeavor by Roger Fracé, the debut EP blended the dark elements of gothic rock with new wave
and industrial
tinges. However, folded within the songs were melodies of a more classical nature.
The band's sound evolved with the addition of musician Summer Bowman. Her voice lent an ethereal
quality to the music on the band's first full length recording in 1997
, Underworld. The dark electronics of the debut EP were still there, but multi-layered with an atmospheric mood and style.
Released in 1999, One Winter's Night... merged intricate musical structures with emotional lyrics.
The band continued working in the studio after One Winter's Night... to create their next release, a full-length enhanced multimedia CD, Out of the Mists. This CD goes through the many facets of the band and explores classical, electronic, goth, and ethereal genres. In their creative exploration, the band made a video for the haunting and melodic song, "The Unaware."
Creating a mix of darkwave influences and ethereal melodies, the duo of Roger Fracé and Summer Bowman used soaring guitars, tribal rhythms and electronic sweeps to create 2002's Asphodel. Asphodel deals with the many layers of the band's vision, relating songs of love and desire, sorrow and despair.
XV was released in December 2007
to celebrate the band's 15th anniversary. In December 2010 they released the single In The Vanir as a digital only release.
Synthpop
Synthpop is a genre of popular music that first became prominent in the 1980s, in which the synthesizer is the dominant musical instrument. It was prefigured in the 1960s and early 1970s by the use of synthesizers in progressive rock, electronic art rock, disco and particularly the "Kraut rock" of...
, trip hop
Trip hop
Trip hop is a music genre consisting of downtempo electronic music which originated in the early 1990s in England, especially Bristol. Deriving from "post"-acid house, the term was first used by the British music media and press as a way to describe the more experimental variant of breakbeat which...
, electronica
Electronica
Electronica includes a wide range of contemporary electronic music designed for a wide range of uses, including foreground listening, some forms of dancing, and background music for other activities; however, unlike electronic dance music, it is not specifically made for dancing...
and gothic rock
Gothic rock
Gothic rock is a musical subgenre of post-punk and alternative rock that formed during the late 1970s. Gothic rock bands grew from the strong ties they had to the English punk rock and emerging post-punk scenes...
.
History
The band's first release was the 19941994 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1994.-January–February:*January 25 – Alice in Chains release their Jar of Flies album which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200, becoming the first ever EP to do so....
release Veils and Shadows EP. Initially a solo endeavor by Roger Fracé, the debut EP blended the dark elements of gothic rock with new wave
New Wave music
New Wave is a subgenre of :rock music that emerged in the mid to late 1970s alongside punk rock. The term at first generally was synonymous with punk rock before being considered a genre in its own right that incorporated aspects of electronic and experimental music, mod subculture, disco and 1960s...
and industrial
Industrial music
Industrial music is a style of experimental music that draws on transgressive and provocative themes. The term was coined in the mid-1970s with the founding of Industrial Records by the band Throbbing Gristle, and the creation of the slogan "industrial music for industrial people". In general, the...
tinges. However, folded within the songs were melodies of a more classical nature.
The band's sound evolved with the addition of musician Summer Bowman. Her voice lent an ethereal
Ethereal Wave
Ethereal Wave, also called ethereal darkwave in Europe and ethereal goth or simply ethereal in the US, is a term that describes a subgenre of Dark Wave music...
quality to the music on the band's first full length recording in 1997
1997 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 1997.-January:*January 9 – David Bowie performs his 50th Birthday Bash concert at Madison Square Garden, New York City, USA with guests Frank Black, The Foo Fighters, Sonic Youth, Robert Smith of The Cure, Lou Reed, and Billy...
, Underworld. The dark electronics of the debut EP were still there, but multi-layered with an atmospheric mood and style.
Released in 1999, One Winter's Night... merged intricate musical structures with emotional lyrics.
The band continued working in the studio after One Winter's Night... to create their next release, a full-length enhanced multimedia CD, Out of the Mists. This CD goes through the many facets of the band and explores classical, electronic, goth, and ethereal genres. In their creative exploration, the band made a video for the haunting and melodic song, "The Unaware."
Creating a mix of darkwave influences and ethereal melodies, the duo of Roger Fracé and Summer Bowman used soaring guitars, tribal rhythms and electronic sweeps to create 2002's Asphodel. Asphodel deals with the many layers of the band's vision, relating songs of love and desire, sorrow and despair.
XV was released in December 2007
2007 in music
This is a list of notable events in music that took place in the year 2007.-January:*January 1 - George Shearing is knighted for services to music in the Queen's New Year Honours List. Evelyn Glennie becomes a Dame...
to celebrate the band's 15th anniversary. In December 2010 they released the single In The Vanir as a digital only release.
Discography
- Veils and Shadows EP (ISOL8-002-2) Industrial Isolation, 1993
- Underworld (dxm-001-cd) Deus ex Musica, 1997
- One Winter's Night... (MPP999) Middle Pillar Presents, 1999
- Out of the Mists (MPP994) Middle Pillar Presents, 2000
- Asphodel (MPP986) Middle Pillar Presents, 2002
- Shadow Puppets (MPP975) Middle Pillar Presents, 2005
- XV (dxm-015-cd) Deus ex Musica, 2007
- In the Vanir (dxm-004-dig) Deus ex Musica, 2010
- Before and After the Storm (dxm-005-dig) Deus ex Musica, 2011
External links
- The Machine in the Garden homepage
- The Machine in the Garden artist page at Middle Pillar PresentsMiddle Pillar PresentsMiddle Pillar Presents is a New York based record label that specializes in ambient, gothic, and experimental music. The label began as distributor for other labels and artists entitled Middle Pillar Distribution. Eventually Kevin Dunn and James Babbo established Middle Pillar Presents to showcase...
- The Machine in the Garden Profile on MySpaceMySpaceMyspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
- Detailed The Machine in the Garden discography at discogs.com