BEKIMACHINE - Another Atmosphere - ALBUM REVIEW

BEKIMACHINE

Another Atmosphere

London, United Kingdom

Credit - Gaston Ferrara Rinauto.

BEKIMACHINE is the electric and cyber-dance house artist you’ve never heard of. But with their debut album, ‘Another Atmosphere’, all of that is about to change. ‘Another Atmosphere’ is an album that delivers a sound worthy of its name. The musical stylings of BEKIMACHINE are many and they are extremely diverse. The album is long, but never does it feel repetitive, the whole thing dances by in a flash and you’ll be sat there wanting to go another round with the sonic mastermind. The album brings feelings of a dark future, gloomy clubs, bright days and great times. It's varied, it's harmonic and it’ll get you moving. What’s not to love?

There are many songs on the album and each could have stood alone as a single in its own right, none are thrown at a wall simply to fill time and you can tell when you listen to them that they are all individual ideas, completely realised. ‘Another Atmosphere’ starts with ‘Brain Fog’ a short pallet cleanser if you will. It introduces us to the kinds of sounds we will be at the mercy of. Deep bass, crunchy synth and angelic almost tribal vocal scales. But fret not, the beat kicks in and it's delightfully deep and punchy. Rising falling synths climb the walls as the beat builds, and builds. But the drop does not come as you expect, it comes in the form of the rest of the album, a magnificent opener. BEKIMACHINE makes the entirety of ‘Another Atmosphere’ feel like one house set, and I bet it would be a revelation live.

Following a tantalising opening comes ‘Colours’ a song that uses high shining synths and piano-like keys to push home a melody, backed by a strong bass drum. The song builds into a dark chaotic zenith that is tasteful and delivers just enough chaos whilst keeping the melody on the front lines. This is true also in the more melodic ‘Mecha’. On from ‘Colours’ comes ‘Ethereal’ a soothing song compared to its predecessor. The song builds on a brilliant drum beat that supports rich sub-bass throughout the song. Clicking percussion punctuates the rest of the track. The chorus is a classic house affair but with BEKIMACHINE’s darker twist and it works beautifully. Definitive dance song right here.

‘Afterglow’ is bright, free and slower. The focus is on those magnificent vocals for the majority of the song and it's a great break from the house dance-heavy songs that have come before. The instrumental rises slowly around the vocals and some tasteful beat-drop fake-outs will make you smile as you are duped and presented with something deliciously new. Feeling like a standout 80s pop ballad, it’s like the Earth was blessed with a cyberpunk Destiny's Child.

‘Reverie’ may be my favourite song on ‘Another Atmosphere’ its accent vocal clips feel almost jazzy paired with the slow piano chords. The drums slide in from the distance so subtly that it's magical. The melody keeps shifting and the dissonant synth accoutrement makes the track feel so complete. Alongside such a strong chorus this song is sure to be an instant favourite for many, many music lovers.

There is so much to talk about on ‘Another Atmosphere’. Songs like ‘Space Jellyfish’ feel massive and soft, using airy synths to capture this feeling of alien worlds, a through line for the album. ‘Crescent’ is a more traditional dark dance track and proves that BEKIMACHINE can get it done as well as anyone else on the scene. I could go on and on. The amount of passion and attitude that has been poured into this album is magnificent. It’s new, exciting and a great listening experience. Do yourself a favour and listen to this new-age gem. If you want something to dance to in the year 3000 then you’ve just found 45 minutes of bangers.