Pronounced, Ma-cheen, Spanglish slang meaning ‘supremely excellent’, the band Machin’ deliver a switch-hitting approach to their music by performing songs in English and in Spanish that truly lift you up.
The Sound
The band members describe their sound as “Spanglish Jive”, a medley of languages, music styles, and culture – a kind of world music. Within this eclectic combination of sounds, you can find Ska, reggae, cumbia, gypsy, salsa and dance music. There’s no denying their Latin music influence after seeing them perform live at The Hood Bar & Pizza recently opening for Pedestrians VS. Their impromptu jams granted the crowd an opportunity to dance incessantly. As Carrillo puts it, “Machin’s high energy music promotes love, peace and unity through the manipulation of sound”.
The Players
The myriad of musicians includes, David Macias on vocals and rhythm guitar, Robbi Robb on guitar and vocals, Erik Mouness on drums and vocals, Jorge ‘Bassman’ Carrillo on bass and vocals, Bri Cherry on violin and vocals and Amritakripa on kaossilator, special effects, and vocals. Macias, the uncontested front man of the group, is Mexican born and raised in Los Angeles. Macias began his career in music after eight years of military service as a Hospital Corpsman in the United States Navy. Mouness, known as ‘La Maquina’ (The Machine) to his band mates, resides in Palm Springs and has displayed his percussive prowess by performing in numerous musical groups throughout the Coachella Valley. Robb is from South Africa and founder of the long-time established group Tribe After Tribe. Carrillo hails from Cathedral City and has made his impact in the Latin American community playing in various Latin ensembles. The youngest member of the group, Cherry was born and raised in Orange County. She has transplanted herself to the desert to partake in the Coachella Valley’s musical resurgence.
English vs. Spanish
In determining whether a song will be performed in English or Spanish, Carrillo expresses, “On one hand a poetic metaphor can carry a message more efficiently in Spanish than in English and visa versa. On the other hand the musical quality, i.e. the rhythm and timbre, of a language can also inspire the choice. We are glad that we have this option as it can also reach across boundaries and spread a positive message to a larger audience.”
Influences
In regards to influences, Machin’ are motivated by a classic dark-horse story in the Bible. “We are like the biblical David, who destroyed the giant Goliath with a sling shot and rock. Our sling shot is love and we use rock music,” Carrillo states, pun intended. Machin’ as a whole are influenced by world music. According to Carrillo, a popular music magazine once referred to Robb as a “pioneer of world rock, blending psychedelic rock with African rhythms”. Carrillo and Macias are scholars of mariachi, reggae, Celtic and rock, while Cherry is trained in classical music and various jam bands. Kripa has a deep Indian and ambient music influence and finally Mouness comes through the heavy metal school. Given my affinity for metal, I like Mouness already.
High Desert
Calling the high desert their base of operations, Machin’ interprets the current desert music scene as being rejuvenated by the number of multi-faceted groups. “In our hi-desert community there are some exciting musical projects brewing. We feel very excited to be surrounded by so many talented people and feel like we are part of a tremendous surge of creativity,” states Carrillo.
Progression
Machin’ recently completed the recording and mixing of a demo that will be released in early February 2013. The ambitious goals that Machin’ have set for themselves seem somewhat daunting. They shared with me this sort of collective mission statement that can only reinforce your faith in them: “To weave a unified field of positive consciousness – which we realize, begins with us. This means that we, as a band, need to achieve a level of brother and sisterhood through music and communication. By transcending our own mediocrity we become a positive influence to all who experience our music – both live and from recordings.”
After witnessing their live show and interacting with them, it is clear to me that this ‘supremely excellent’ band will be very good, or muy bueno, depending on your language of choice, for a long time to come.
Press Contact (323) 384-6616
machinmilitia@gmail.com
To find out more information on their upcoming demo and future live shows, Machin’ can be found on Facebook
