U-Void Synthesizer is an album from Brooklyn native Matt Stephenson, aka Machine Girl. His sixth independent album, U-Void was released earlier this year on February 26th, 2020. Its experimental mix of digital, rave, industrial, and noise turned some heads, including mine. Though I had heard of the band before, I had never taken the time to listen to a full project from them, and when the record surfaced in late February, I gave it a look. Immediately after hearing it, I went and listened to the rest of Machine Girl’s catalog. Writer Paul Simpson aptly described the project as “equally apocalyptic and ecstatic”, influenced by punk, industrial, electronic, and dancehall. Even though I am not exactly new to the digital hardcore scene, being a big fan of Death Grips and dabbling in some other entry level electro-noise, Machine Girl was a revelation to me. Stephenson so elegantly takes the ferocity and vigor of artists like Zach Hill and Andy Morin, but also, an attention to detail that is almost mind-boggling.
The Bad: On occasion, U-Void can sound derivative. This is perhaps unavoidable in the oversaturated digital noisecore spring of Death Grips clones, but to call Machine Girl a copycat would still be unfair. Songs like ‘The Fortress (The Blood Inside)’ and ‘Scroll of Sorrow’ could have been lifted from 2016’s Bottomless Pit. The vocals are a little one dimensional, as Stephenson spends the entire 32 minutes of the album screaming his head off and not doing much else. Lyrically, there are a few moments that smack of melodrama rather than emotional honesty, like “My ugliness is not my fault, I know God just made me wrong” on ‘Scroll of Sorrow’. On a first listen, it is also too easy to get lost in the sea of sound that Machine Girl presents, cheapening the experience by clouding the real driving factors of a given song.
The Good: Machine Girl enjoys making you squirm. One example of this is ‘Splatter’, an aggressive and uncomfortable song that really takes a lot of attention to grasp.While this may be a turn off for many listeners, I actually enjoy it. The more maximalist approach to production is vivid, always throwing something new at you and relishing its bombastic violence. It doesn’t just hold your attention—it grabs it by the throat and doesn’t let go. Oppressive drums, melodies distorted to the point of nonsense, cryptic and visceral lyricism, waves of noise that devolve and evolve around themselves; everywhere, there is aggression, pure and unbridled. Stephenson captures the worst kind of emotions through blood and sweat. Songs like ‘Devil Speak’ and the closer, ‘Batsu Forever’ make my skin crawl and my head bang. There are political mumblings throughout, but they never sound preachy. Rather, they sound like genuine expressions of dissatisfaction and pain, in a fashion not unlike punk rock and its common messages. “Give me the womb, Give me the cure, Give me death” shouts Stephenson on ‘Blood Magic’. There are moments of great humor that contrast surprisingly well in the chaos around them, like the off-beat vocal snippets at the end of most songs (‘The Fortress’—“I don’t give a s***, send the f****** police!” and ‘Kill All Borders’—“I spy with my little eye”) or the random barks and woofs of dogs interspersed at points.
Conclusion: U-void Synthesizer consistently terrified and energized me. It’s this kind of aura that more music should try to find. This album didn’t just hold my attention—it grabbed me by the throat and didn’t let me breathe throughout its 11 tracks. But at the end, all I want is more. Stephenson’s creativity and brutal honesty are on full display, and it is wonderful. Every bit of the complicated and gritty instrumentals sounds poignant and purposeful. The onslaught almost seems to reflect the negative aspects of life itself, always trying to push and shove the listener with a washy of noises that are rough, and never seem to get better. Stephenson’s nihilistic view of existence is presented with courage and artistry, and that is commendable. The maximalism is like a reflection of the only way such a project could exist—the insanity and opportunity of the internet. Stephenson admits, his success is nearly all due to the chaotic nature of the internet, as sites like 4chan and Rate Your Music really forwarded his career by providing a platform and spreading his creations. Ordered in its chaos, beautiful in all its repulsive glory, Machine Girl triumphs with its newest work. While not a perfect project, U-Void Synthesizer fights tooth and claw for every note and beat, and is one of my favorite albums of the year so far.
I give this album 8 friendly dogs out of 10. Thanks for reading.
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