SLACKMACHINE once started as a side project for Los Angeles artist/DJ, Brad Kinnan, but it has turned into a whole other entity. Heavily influenced by Blade Runner and the Future Noir narrative, SLACKMACHINE’s debut EP, VISION OF TOMORROW, is an eighties aficionado’s dream. Built around “dystopian dancefloor rhythms for a post-computer universe,” this is one EP you don’t want to miss!
We asked Kinnan to break down each track off of VISION OF TOMORROW for this exclusive track-by-track commentary! Enjoy and don’t forget to check out the EP here!
“Esper”
I wanted to set a dystopian mood immediately, so I took a few notes from a technique Hans Zimmer often uses in his soundtrack work – mixing ambient sound with instrumentation. For “Esper” this translated to creating a thundering bass arp with a bit-crushed synth-line played over top. I didn’t want it to be specific melody so it could be mistaken for a futuristic vehicle flying by. Then I mixed those elements with metallic clangs, rain, and footsteps to transport the listener into a cyberpunk landscape.
“Leon”
This track was actually the first song I ever wrote as SLACKMACHINE. It was deep during those first few months of the pandemic when things were looking pretty grim, and I was trying to distract myself with a new project. It started to take shape after I found myself re-watching the opening scene of Blade Runner and being fascinated with the replicant character, Leon Kowalski. I always found his dialogue in that scene kind of odd and almost humorous, so I sampled a few of his lines, added some 808 drum samples, and then started laying down some heavy synth melodies. Overall, the track ended up sounding more 90s than I anticipated but it’s grown on me over time.
“Snakescale”
I wanted the EP to include a track that had a darker, edgier feel than the others – something a little more dark synth sounding. I used a drum machine to lay down a foundation and then started messing around with this really gritty synth arp that I played staccato in different patterns to give it a little groove. Then I started layering sound effects (there’s even a loon call in there if you listen closely!) and lots of percussive elements to give it more texture. Again, I stumbled across a line that I always found amusing in Blade Runner and had to sample it. It’s the scene where Deckard is trying to identify the scale he finds in Leon’s bathtub. The woman at the market tells him, “Not fish! Snakescale.” Once I added that little exchange in, it felt like the song had a little story attached to it, albeit a bit cryptic. All in all, I’m really happy with how the production turned out on this one.
“You’re Not Cop”
I arrived at an interesting creative juncture with “You’re Not Cop.” It was the first track that I felt had to take on a more emotional tone and be less about the production. Initially, I found some of the melodies I came up with a little sappy, but when I added the sample, “In a golden land of opportunity and adventure,” it started to make sense. I also wanted to evoke a feeling of turmoil, hence adding the wobbly bass bridge and then ending it with Captain Bryant’s sample, “You’re not cop. You’re little people!” Adding the guitar solo near the end felt like the perfect self-aware ending, shamelessly leaning into the over-the-top nature of 80s production.
“Skinjobs”
This track was initially written as an interlude, but then I started messing around with octaves and everything changed – the synth bass was just too juicy to resist! I had a lot of fun playing that bass line I tell you. It became kind of a weird hybrid tune – a little Italo disco, a little video game soundtrack. “Skinjobs” gave me the opportunity to create a little breathing room after the thematically heavier tracks preceding it.
“Bad Joke”
My initial inspiration for “Bad Joke” actually came about after listening to the After Dark 3 compilation released by Italians Do It Better. I wanted to make a whimsical sounding tune that still had some attitude, akin to a lot of the tracks on that release. I started building the atmosphere of the song with soft pads and twinkling chimes in the beginning and then added synth bass that progressively built to a crunchy crescendo. I used snaps instead of a snare drum and then I had this idea to introduce a loud clap after the Rachel sample, “You think I’m a Replicant don’t you?” I wanted the production to feel tongue in cheek, in essence mimicking the feeling of a bad joke.
“Do You Like Our Owl?”
And for the grand finale! This one came about from a long jam I recorded one night overtop my favorite line from BR. I wanted to leave the listener with a longer track that lulled you into a trance and of course felt very Vangelis, hence those CS80 sounding synths in the beginning! One of the most challenging elements was making the song sound like it became part of the dystopian atmosphere—essentially, I had to automate a frequency change on several of the instruments and then mix them with the sound design elements I used on some of the other tracks. My favorite part of the song is around 3:14 when the synth arp starts to dance around. I recorded myself messing with the resonance once or twice and it worked so well I barely tweaked the performance. Ultimately, I think making “Do You Like Our Owl?” incorporated all of the elements that made VISION OF TOMORROW a joy to write.
