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| Emperor Machine, The |
The Emperor Machine is a solo project of the prolific producer Andy Meecham, better known for endeavours with partner in crime Dean Meredith: rave project Bizarre Inc, acid revivalists Chicken Lips or the darker, dubbier Big Two Hundred. For The Emperor Machine, Meecham uses vintage equipment and seventies production techniques to produce cosmic and dark funky disco. Emperor Machine has released a slew of 12”s and two acclaimed albums on the UK's DC Recordings, and performs with a band oriented set-up featuring live guitar, drums, bass and vintage synths.
Andrew Meecham started out at the end of the 80s with acid house collective Bizarre Inc., with Dean Meredith and Mark Archer. Bizarre Inc. had three top ten national hits and toured internationally before unravelling in the late-90s. Since 1999, Meecham, Meredith and Steve Kotey’s successful Chicken Lips continued on form where Bizarre Inc. left off in a more left-field house direction. Chicken Lips issued a stream of disco 12" released through the Kingsize label that have since become collectors items. Big Two Hundred, another Meecham and Meredith project is deeper and dubbier, flavoured by Meecham’s bass, guitar, and synths, and driven by Meredith’s drums, percussion, and effects. Meecham, however, saved his most esoteric, spaced out, prog ideas for Emperor Machine.
Emperor Machine emerged back in 2003 with Pro Mars / SH3A, each track was produced entirely on one vintage keyboard (A1: the Roland Pro Mars and B1: the Roland SH3A) and featured arpeggiated sounds that drew comparisons with director John Carpenter and the BBC Radiophonic workshop’s Delia Derbyshire. Meecham followed up in late 2004 with the acclaimed debut album Aimee Tallulah is Hypnotised. Beginning in 2005, Meecham launched a series of six 12”s Vertical Tones and Horizontal Noise on DC Recordings. The series, volumes I to VI, were also released as an album of the same name. The Emperor machine is clearly Italo-electro indebted, but also pays tribute to Krautrock and sci-fi. The project fetishises analogue synths, with titles like "Seka Wants Your VCS3" on tracks that feature an arsenal of Arps, Moogs and strange oscillators.
Previously a studio only enterprise, Meecham has constructed a three-piece band to take his cosmic, spaced-out punk-funk grooves into the live arena. Using live guitar, bass and obscure, '70s analogue synths, he merges elements of Krautrock, disco punk, house and peculiar electronic soundtracks. Meecham also works under the moniker Sir Drew for breaks-oriented explorations.
Aliases: The Emperor Machine, Innovation, Nytro (3), Sir Drew. In Groups: Beat Squad, Big Two Hundred, Bizarre Inc., Chicken Lips, Lordy, Piston Fiston, Red Medicine, Rhythm Mode:D.
Similar to: Lindstrom and Baldelli , Black Devil Disco Club
> www.myspace.com/emperormachine
> www.dcrecordings.com
Appearances:
> CTM.09 > SPEKTRAL DISCO
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