“Beat the Drum” and “Vending Machine” are the titles of the two songs that Death Machine will release on March 14 from their upcoming double album Dawning Eyes. Two songs, each with its own character, venture into the band’s landscape of alternative folk, noise rock, necessity, and nostalgia.
In January this year, Death Machine lifted the veil on what they have been working on in the studio over the past few years. The single Modern Man was sent out as a first hint of what is to come. It went straight into rotation on DR P6, and Death Machine simultaneously announced that they are ready with nothing less than a double album on April 25.
With a love for warm ’70s vibes and ’80s-inspired textures, the band plays with contrasts, moving from the grandiose to the intimate, from raw realism to sensitive poetry, in an effortless balance.
“Beat the Drum” and “Vending Machine” come with two very different expressions, but with a connection to Modern Man and the alienation that resides in a modern person trying to feel themselves in a hectic world.
“Beat the Drum” is, as the title reveals, driven by a strong beat. The song is about reaching a point where you have nothing left to lose. “There can be a liberating and initiating energy in that situation, but the outcome is rarely beneficial. This energy is also reflected in the music’s slightly dystopian momentum,” explains the band’s frontman, Jesper.
Now you will hear me
Like this barrel, I am empty I’ll take the blame
I have earned myself a name and a bite of the fame
Beat the drum, Make it loud.
“Vending Machine” slows the tempo down and follows us into a snapshot of the hamster wheel.
We got fooled.
For a day or two, we tried To break the loop
But we got lost in the rules.
The song gets its title from the small, almost tragicomic self-help encouragement to keep going for yet another day:
Vending machine at the other side of the street Just got enough for a little treat
For me.
The upcoming album Dawning Eyes offers a musical landscape where genres and time periods intertwine. With each member’s unique musical background, the four band members have explored the songs and their essence without locking themselves into predefined genres or expressions.
On the singles, you can already sense how the band manages to create synergy and intensity in their shared universe with a grand, cinematic sound that never overshadows an intimate, present atmosphere.
“Beat the Drum” and “Vending Machine” follow the trail of Modern Man toward Dawning Eyes—a modern-nostalgic indie rock tale of awakening in an alienated world.