Static-X

[COMPONENTS]:

Wayne Static [vocals, guitars, programming]

Ken Jay [drums]

Tony Campos [bass, vocals]

Tripp Rex Eisen [guitars]

[SEQUENCE]: Bien Venidos, Get to the Gone, Permanence, Black and White, This Is Not, Otsego Undead, Cold, Structural Defect, Shit in a Bag, Burn to Burn, Machine, A Dios Alma Perdida.

[CATALOG]: TKTKTKTKTK

[“ORGANIC-ELECTRONIC” PRODUCT BROCHURE COPY]:

“Changing into something less than human, no longer part of this machine?” (“Machine”)

From the hi-octane energy of “Get to the Gone” to the slo-core doom of “A Dios Alma Perdida,” get ready for one wild ride, courtesy of Static-X. The wild and woolly Wisconsin Death Trip years behind them, the foursome have regrouped to accomplish the improbable: A second album that actually improves on the hard-nosed drive of its predecessor, setting the tone and raising the bar for all heavy music releases to follow.

[BOLD STATEMENT]: Behold? Static-X Mk II: Machine.

[QUOTE]: “This time, the songs started with loops and samples, as opposed to the first album, where every song started with a drum beat. Because there‚s more going on, it makes the sound a lot thicker.”²-Wayne Static.

[CAUTIONARY NOTICE]: Due to the extremely intense components involved in its operation, we ask that only qualified and skilled listeners attempt usage of said Machine. When performing at peak capacity, Machine will demand full attention of its owners.

[SHOW SCHEMATICS AND BLUEPRINTS]: X-celsior! Herein you‚ll find it all! Hyper-beats embracing chaotic howls, roaring guitars and whirling sound FX! Producers Wayne Static and Ulrich Wild have masterminded an X-ponentially heavier album than their first X-treme X-ample of musical mayhem. Machine was recorded by Wayne Static, Tony Campos and Ken Jay as a three-piece in the relative discomfort of their “smelly” downtown Los Angeles rehearsal space. Listening to the results, it‚s easy to understand why this X-citing band have created the new slogan, More evil, Less disco!

[QUOTE]: “Disco‚s not totally out of the loop, but I think the music is darker and heavier overall. It‚s definitely a machine with lots going on, not just one single jackhammer. It‚s a giant mass of churning parts that somehow meets up after every four turns!”²-Wayne Static.

Formed when Wayne and Ken moved westward from Chicago to L.A., later meeting California-native Campos and guitarist Koichi Fukuda, Static-X began melding staccato guitar riffs and lyrics that blended harsh reality with sardonic humor. They quickly won over the area‚s clubgoers who discovered that, live, this outstanding young quartet could whip an audience into a frenzy like few others before or since. In stripping every song to its barest, most minimal essence, Static-X concerts were fast, loud, and left the listener singing “Push It” until well after the band had departed the stage.

From their earliest performances in the mid-1990s, Static-X was able to harness the best elements of industrial, techno, and metal into a shattering blend of music that was as infectious as it was brutal. It wasn‚t uncommon to see a huge, sweaty mosh pit mere yards from where more peaceful²-but no less enthusiastic²-dancing was taking place. Versatility, that‚s the ticket to success these days!

Static-X built their fan-base one fan at a time. They performed tirelessly, spending an inordinate amount of time meeting their fans. The band has prided itself on their approachability, and since they had a frontman whose vertical hairstyle could be spotted from a great distance, such friendliness has come in handy on many occasions!

Upon the release of the Wisconsin Death Trip model, Static-X were thus able to prove their capacity for world-class entertainment. Promotional videos for “Push It” and “I’m With Stupid” were enthusiastically welcomed by fans and networks alike, and both songs²-along with “Bled For Days”²-were Top 40 tracks on rock radio. Unafraid of the rigors of the road, Static-X have played more than 300 shows worldwide in the last few years, ranging from supporting slots, to two separate Ozzfest tours (Main and Second Stages), to triumphant headlining tours of their very own.

[PLATINUM ALERT]: Wisconsin Death Trip by Static-X has now gone Platinum!

For Machine, Static-X discovered a new guitar player for their purposes: Tripp Rex Eisen, formerly of New York rockers Dope. Eisen brings an infusion of energy to their live show, and Wayne Static calls him a natural replacement for Fukuda, who parted amicably with Static-X prior to the recording of Machine.

[QUOTE]: “Tripp‚s the kind of guy where if you didn‚t know him, you‚d think he was so weird! You‚d never be able to tell if he was serious or joking?which is much like myself. I can‚t even fully express how much I think he adds to our show.”²-Wayne Static.

Humor is an essential part of the blueprint behind Machine. What else could explain the appearance of the song “Shit in a Bag,” which retells the plight of a nervous musician, rolling down the highway in a tour bus with no toilet in sight? Or the bizarre mariachi instrumental, “Bien Venidos”? Or the continued appearance of the word “Otsego”? (Last time it was “Otsegolation,” now it‚s “Otsego Undead,” written for the release of the movie, Dracula 2000.)

But it‚s not all fun and games. Songs such as “This Is Not” (selected as Machine‚s first emphasis track and promotional live video) find the singer addressing his dislocation from his home, and the gripping, melodic “Cold” details a personal relationship that has suffered from a blanket of uncommunicative silence. “Permanence” bemoans lack of substance in the art of today, while the album‚s title track disdains the pre-packaged, hermetically-sealed lives most Americans lead. (Wayne is keen to point out that one major sonic difference between this album and their prior effort is there ain‚t no tambourine on this here Machine!)

[QUOTE]: “As far as our live show goes, other than having some new songs in the set, we‚re not going to change our philosophy. We‚re still going to go out and try to kill everyone just like before, and have fun doing it.”²-Wayne Static.

So, get up off your Wisconsin death trip. Welcome to the Machine.

[OTHER POSSIBLES FOR CONCLUSION]: Static-X: The Wave of the Future; Static-X: Put mo