Track By Tracks: Gramma Vedetta - The Hum Of The Machine (2022)

The Hum of the Machine is a collection of short stories. It is not a concept album, but the songs are linked together and tell what the protagonist, a space traveler, sees in a new world where he has landed after passing through a black hole. In this new society, he is struggling to maintain his individuality, where conformity is rewarded instead.

The Hum of The Machine is an artificial signal transmitted via audio and video, unpleasant at first but one quickly becomes addicted to it. The brain filters it out, but its low frequency waves have become a tantric massage for your grey matter.

1. A Chance To Win The Orb:

The opening song introduces the passage to the black hole. It is about repetitions that are comfortable and dangerous at the same time because it could not allow progress. It describes the impact of the new world to the dreams of the protagonist. Will he be able to win the Orb?

The song features 4 sections; a space intro, a sung section with a solemn rhythm, a quiet bass solo section and a final part with a big repetitive drop-C guitar riff fighting with high pitched synthesisers.

2. Starlight Portal Show:

Turn on any device and for 24/7 you can watch the Starlight Portal Show, the human life on display for everyone’s entertainment. You just have to talk about yourself and show what you have done. We are all one big family, you don't have to be scared.

The theme song of the show, Starlight Portal Show is a heavy rock shuffle banger, one of those who ask for your headbanging!

A friendly verse and a simple, short, catchy chorus lead to a great guitar solo where you can definitely hear the audience enjoying the show.

3. Robots For War:

In the new world, war games are played in a clever way. There is no need for expensive weapons. All you need is a well-trained army, and there is no better weapon than an entire population that has been brainwashed. We are all Robots, We are all products.

You will be forced to jump by the fuzz driven riff as well as the funky drum and bass. Think about Black Sabbath, Led Zeppelin and Beastie Boys having a jam together.

4. A Broken Time Machine:

How would it have gone if we had acted differently? Our mind wonders, but the machine that allows us to go back in time and relive our memories is faulty; it loses information over time, what we remember is only black and white, forgetting the nuances.

There are things we cannot control, and the more we try to do it, the more we create internal enemies that eat our souls.

A Broken Time Machine it’s a slow psychedelic ballad that reminds of Pink Floyd and early Rush.

5. The Electric Game:

One of the recurring sections during the Starlight Portal Show is The Electric Game. A sort of Olympics where players can change their identity with the help of some pills. The game master helps you to get used to the new clothes. Are we sure that this transformation is not part of a larger timescale routine? Are you sure this is your first time playing The Electric Game?

This song is the fastest of the album, where Megadeth meets Kyuss and Monster Magnet.

6. The Future Of The Past:

This happens when you start scrolling memories of the past. As the Beatles said, "yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away", yet maybe it's just your faulty time machine not showing you the true colors. Dreams of big cities, dreams of spotlights that, once conquered, mean nothing, because of the burden that you have always carried with you; yourself.

If you are unable to change, you are dead before you are born.

This song reprises the solemn rhythm of A Chance To Win The Orb and we tried to paint with music the brutalist architecture. Squared angles, wide surfaces that look smooth from afar but which show lots of imperfections the closer you get. This looks like the Towers.

7. Transmission’s On:

And then you find yourself thinking about the things you've seen and heard in the last few days. You turn on the Transmission and sentences, rules and images overlap without any means. You have a hard time putting them in order.

You are not good enough, don't eat too many carbs. Drown in rum and then go for a run to keep fit. All this while Santa Claus and God enjoy the show, having lunch at the same table. This song is inspired by Melvins and Pink Floyd and Faith No More. A slow triplet feel song with a lot of dynamics, from clean and spacey guitars to big mountain riff and high pitched guitar synths. Hello.

8. The General Magnetic and The Spanish Wormhole.

An old episode of your favorite cartoon is now on screen.

Today our hero, "The General Magnetic", is grappling with a menacing Spanish Black Hole. Originally the theme song was played by a big band, but by now we know that everything is changed for the new generations. We know that saturation is now in fashion, we see it in the amount of information and our ears perceive it in sounds.

So here is the modern version, which appeals to people who have lived in the midst of the digital revolution. The only lucky ones who are still able to appreciate the old and the new.

9. I Feel The Comfort (The Hum Of The Machine):

However high the speed of your thoughts may be, the lights of the city and of the stars above them travel at a greater speed. Making them, in fact, unreachable.

As soon as the Transmission is off, you realize that the hum is more important than reaching for the stars.

You make the phone call to 1107645 to book your appointment at the Tower. You realise you found Comfort in The Hum of the Machine.

Again this song is one with multiple vibes. A space ballad at the beginning, a progressive rock central section that leads to the final dramatic guitar solo and repetitive chorus. Think Alice in Chains jamming with Rush and inspired by Queen.

Thank you for reading!

This is how we see our album and we’re really proud of what we have written and recorded. I’m sure, or at least I hope, that what we’ve said about The Hum Of The Machine will tickle your curiosity and you’ll go and listen to the singles and album when they're out. On our social media we’re releasing weekly mini teasers of the songs, as well as dedicated artwork and an 8bit version of each song.

Follow us to hear more and let us know what you think!