“MG Ultra,” the sixth studio album of alternative electronic band Machine Girl, was released on Oct. 18.
Lead vocalist and producer Matt Stephenson started his musical projects in 2012 on Bandcamp, where he posted his debut album “WLFGRL” in 2014. In 2015, Sean Kelly joined Stephenson on percussion, propelling the duo on a nearly decade-long hardcore journey.
Their most commercially successful project is 2017’s “…Because I’m Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For,” which is known for introducing Stephenson’s brutal and societally challenging lyrics. With the vocals, Stephenson went for the stylistic mixing choice of using heavy distortion and warping to add a unique timbre to his delivery, which later became a staple of Machine Girl’s music.
“MG Ultra” is an excellent introduction to Machine Girl’s wacky instrumentals and cutthroat production for newer fans. Veterans will enjoy the duo’s dedication to refinement and the ever-experimental hardcore sound of their previous discography. New Machine Girl fans looking to delve into hardcore EDM will enjoy “MG Ultra.”
“Until I Die” was the album’s lead single, released on Aug. 7 alongside the album announcement on X. It was a spark for fans waiting four years for their last full-length original LP. The track introduces listeners to a twisted and corrupted musical soundscape and perfectly balances an electronic hardcore sound with chaotic yet melodic lyrics.
The second song, “Motherfather,” was released on Sept. 5. It follows their signature hardcore hyper-pop style with a screaming, guitar-shredding chorus and pounding drums. MTV2 writer and producer John Lee—whom Stephenson has praised for his work on the shows “Wonder Showzen” and “Xavier: Renegade Angel”—directed the music video. The visuals and sound encapsulate the perfect surreal adventure for any listener, as not many people would watch a video or hear music much like Machine Girl.
The next single, and the track with the most history on the album, was “Psychic Attack.” The duo uploaded the final version and accompanying music video on Oct. 14. It is by far Stephenson’s most violently angry song. It is also the best song to be the closer, acting as the end of the session but not the broader show.
“Psychic Attack” was the first song revealed before the band announced the new album and is primarily known for being played during live shows. The earliest demos appeared on their now-deactivated Patreon and have since been fan-archived. The earliest public playing of the song was on May 1, 2023, during a touring show at the Anthem in Washington, D.C., although it lacked the final verse and a breakdown.
“Cicadas,” another song on the album, is the peak Machine Girl song — adjacent to their classics, yet distinct enough to be a standalone future classic. Much like its title, the song is buzzy and noisy. The lyrics explore themes of emerging from hell and questioning the self-destructive, grotesque trends of modern times, from crypto to suppository drugs that keep people trapped.
The album is an absurdist and surrealist, yet cohesive, masterpiece from Machine Girl. It was a welcome surprise and a fantastic return from the duo, who continue producing original and creative music. No other group can be Machine Girl, and the duo proves themselves again through “MG Ultra” to be a powerhouse of the underground electronic scene.
Connor Moody is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. He can be reached at cwmoody@uci.edu.
Edited by June Min and Xinyu Zhang.