Machine Language - Guilt Chip

OK, I have no idea what's going on.

Like seriously, it took me a couple of listens to actually fully comprehend the "Machine Language" LP because it doesn't sound like it was made for humans. I suppose that's the beauty of it, though; Guilt Chip's debut album is unique because it's so difficult to comprehend, and *because* it doesn't sound like it was made for humans. After all, it's called "Machine Language" for a reason, and Guilt Chip certainly delivers on that idea. "Machine Language" is definitely overblown, but, to me, in a perversely positive manner—it's grimy, it's distorted, it straight up sounds like sonic vomit. And when the sonic vomit sounds good, that's when you realise that Guilt Chip demonstrates not only seemingly endless stylistic potential in this project, but also a certain aptitude to execute it well. His metallic, machinelike production encompasses a wide variety of genres and genre-defying styles, facilitating a grimy first half of uncanny flows and destructive bass hits. This first half just keeps on hitting, with every drop being different and hosting layered basslines and a good helping of heaviness—oh, and did I mention the chiptune sections? Chiptune is quite possibly the most diabolical production choice ever for an album like this, because it's basically the polar opposite of everything else "Machine Language" executes, and yet it works in the context of the machinelike aspects of the project. The LP does take a turn at "Coin Operated", though, marking the end of the first movement (which was largely total chaos) and bringing the album back a little for a more digestable second half. The extremely distorted elements remain constant, but auditory pandemonium makes way for consistent rhythms and withdrawn production (for the most part—"Deep Blue" is, in some ways, an exception), and the change in tonality still blends well with the former half of the record.

It's this blending of tonality that highlights the range of production Guilt Chip has on display here (as well as the chiptune—I am never getting over the chiptune), all compacted into one hellish piece of work. "Machine Language" is a vicious underground representation of a cyborg future, dark and destructive, and whilst some of the sections are a little messy or poorly written, this remains, as one of the weirdest bass albums I've heard, a very strange experience.