Machine Dreams
2009 studio album by Little Dragon From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Machine Dreams is the second studio album by Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon. It was released on 17 August 2009 by Peacefrog Records.
| Machine Dreams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | August 17, 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2007–2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:52 | |||
| Label | Peacefrog | |||
| Producer | Little Dragon | |||
| Little Dragon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Machine Dreams | ||||
Composition
In making Machine Dreams, Little Dragon focused more on making uptempo dance tracks suited for live performances than on ballads like they did on their self-titled debut album.[8][9] Vocalist Yukimi Nagano described the sound and style of Machine Dreams as more "anonymous", electronic and pop-infused than the "naked" sound of their debut.[9][10] The album's title refers to its instrumentation and sound palette, which is a combination of organic and analog sounds with digitally-produced sonic textures, "machines that sound human with humans playing machine-like parts" in the words of journalist Tim Chester.[11] AllMusic reviewer Andy Kellman described the LP's instrumentation as consisting of "rubbery rhythms and liquid synthesizer patterns",[12] while Patric Fallon of XLR8R compared it to the works of Prince, The Knife and Tom Tom Club.[13]
Cover art
Japanese artist Hideyuki Katsumata, whom the group met via Myspace, was responsible for making the cover art of Machine Dreams.[9] Nagano explained, "We had a mutual respect for each other's work and we found that his expression really added something to our sound. We love him!"[9]
Critical reception
Summarize
Perspective
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.5/10[14] |
| Metacritic | 74/100[15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The Boston Phoenix |  [16] |
| Drowned in Sound | 6/10[17] |
| The Irish Times | [18] |
| Mojo | [19] |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10[20] |
| PopMatters | 7/10[21] |
| Spin | 7/10[22] |
| URB | [23] |
| XLR8R | 7/10[13] |
Machine Dreams received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 10 reviews.[15]
Tim Chester of Wondering Sound viewed it as a "more refined version" of Little Dragon's debut album.[11] Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised the album as an "[electric] quiet storm, deceptively intense and even sensual."[12]
In a less enthusiastic review, Loud and Quiet critic Tom Goodwyn described Machines Dream as "slick, efficient pop music", writing that "each song flows beautifully into the next, driven by an equally infectious keyboard groove and comes in a perfect pop song length."[24] However, he also criticized the record for not taking any chances, labeling the lyrical content as "throwaway" and overall calling the album "cold, vacuum packed and devoid of heart and soul."[24]
Track listing
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A New" | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Looking Glass" | 4:55 |
| 3. | "My Step" | 3:27 |
| 4. | "Feather" | 4:53 |
| 5. | "Thunder Love" | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Never Never" | 3:37 |
| 7. | "Runabout" | 4:22 |
| 8. | "Swimming" | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Blinking Pigs" | 3:39 |
| 10. | "Come Home" | 4:13 |
| 11. | "Fortune" | 3:12 |
All tracks are written by Little Dragon
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Feather" (Dimman Remix) | 6:55 |
| 13. | "My Step" (IndieAnimalJones Remix) | 9:07 |
| 14. | "Runabout" (Zick Remix) | 6:58 |
| 15. | "Swimming" (Zick Remix) | 6:31 |
| Total length: | 65:23 | |
Personnel
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Machine Dreams.[29]
- Little Dragon – production, mixing
- Guy Davie – mastering
- Dimman – backing vocals (track 4)
- Hideyuki Katsumata – illustration
- Harry Lindgård – mixing
- Petter Lindgård – mixing
- SEEK – photography
- La Skrocka – timbales (track 7)
Release history
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 17 August 2009 | Peacefrog | [25][30] | |
| 31 August 2009 | CD | [31] | ||
| Sweden | 9 September 2009 |
|
[26][32] | |
| Germany | 16 October 2009 |
|
[27][33][34] | |
| Japan | 28 October 2009 |
|
Village Again | [35][36] |
| United States | 3 November 2009 |
|
Peacefrog | [28][37][38] |
| Australia | 26 November 2010 |
|
EMI | [39] |
References
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