Electronic music group Machine Girl released their single “Rabbit Season” on Sept. 5. The new song is part of their upcoming album “Psycho Warrior (MG Ultra X),” which is set to be released on Oct. 24 via Future Classic. It is the second single from this album that was released, following “Come On Baby, Scrape My Data,” which was released on Aug. 15.
Machine Girl consists of vocalist Matt Stephenson, drummer Sean Kelly and guitarist Lucy Caputi. Stephenson and Kelly grew up in Long Island and bonded over music. Later on, Stephenson started the Machine Girl project in 2012, Kelly joined in 2015 and Caputi joined in 2024.
The name of the band comes from a 2008 Japanese film called “The Machine Girl,” which follows a high school girl with a machine gun arm on a quest for revenge. Machine Girl has heavy anime and video game influences sampled in the music itself and their cover art.
Stephenson explains in a Revolver interview that Machine Girl is meant to reflect an alternate persona of his. The project is the vessel through which he transforms into a larger force than himself.
“It’s almost this idealized version of myself,” Stephenson said. “All the weaknesses and shortcomings and insecurities I have — Machine Girl doesn’t have any of those. It’s a much stronger, supernatural force.”
“Psycho Warrior (MG Ultra X)” is inspired by Stephenson’s readings on analytical psychology, concerning the collective unconscious of humanity and the personas we adopt. This ties in well with how some of the central thematic topics of Machine Girl’s work have to do with alternate personas. On a related note, “Rabbit Season” explores alternate realities.
“With Machine Girl’s lyrics, I’ll take some dystopian or dark subject matter and flip it into something more lighthearted,” Stephenson said in a statement concerning the single. “I took the concept of conspiracy rabbit holes and used it to make a bouncy dance track. It discusses the cartoonish world of conspiracies and false, subjective realities people are trapping themselves inside of.”
Taking a look at the song, “Rabbit Season” sounds abrasively electronic, embracing intergalactic chaos. It is noisy and otherworldly, creating a feeling that transcends this earthly realm. Periods of quieter buildup precede instrumental sections that trapeze the listener at light speed. It has a sci-fi-esque video game quality, reminiscent of falling deeper and deeper down a dark rabbit hole as distorted voices scream in one’s ear.
At the same time, the lyrics reinforce this idea of being deep in a rabbit hole, in a state of altered consciousness. Verse five of the song succinctly exemplifies this feeling of near-violent intensity that curiously contrasts with the serene image that comes with dreaming.
“Oh yeah, I’m in too deep / How many layers even is this dream? / Break step into reality / Well, not now ’til my faces bleed”
The refrain includes a biblical reference to Hell, which adds a layer of darkness to their theme of alternate realms.
“I push my luck into another realm / Running tables like the Devil runs Hell”
It is fascinating to observe how “Rabbit Season” interweaves human psychology with alien aesthetics and a surreal, near-science-fictional sound. Machine Girl listeners are guaranteed a chaotic ride through alternate realms as their next album rolls out.
Tessa Kang is an Arts & Entertainment Staff Writer. She can be reached at tokang@uci.edu.
Edited by June Min and Joshua Gonzales