Macon Heights- Wake Up (The War Machine) (Single Review)

I would like to think of it as a fortunate experience, or passing, that someone told me to read ‘Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep.’ A tale of sex, crime, dystopian living, climate change, social class order through animals and a robot hurling a black goat off of a building. This all came from the mind of Phillip K. Dick. This would be my introduction to the world of sci-fi, admittedly thinking that it would be nerdy, sluggish and boring. However, in actual fact the entire literature, art and music of sci-fi is engaging, thought provoking and at points closer to our reality than what we want it to be. From this first novel, I would go on to read J.G Ballard, Huxley, H.G Wells, Iain Banks and H.P Lovecraft.

Except anything that L.Ron Hubbard wrote. That is all just a pile of shit. (Also why do all sci-fi writers only use their initials and then their surname?)

Anyway, getting back on track, when a band called Macon Heights got in touch I was already too interested to say no.

Yesterday saw them release their new single Wake Up (The War Machine). Straight off of the bat the single is an electronic-dystopian pop song. Purely tracked upon thick beat, synth keyboard, bass and vocals the track creates an almost positively eerie experience- considering we are living in an isolated world.

Macon Heights is a reference in itself to the Phillip K.Dick short story The Commuter. In the story Macon Heights is the town that doesn’t exist but everyone travels too. Thus Creating a thin line between reality and supernatural.

Macon Heights (talking about the band now) recorded the single in their own Savage Studios and worked along side producer and mixing engineer Lucius Lowe. Coinciding with this, the two piece made a video with Gregor Fergle and had Erin Culley do all make up on set.

I think it is a fantastic concept, creating a song with an electronic-dystopian dynamic that discusses the topic of isolation and solitary confinement. That, and linking it with the concept of naming yourself after a sci-fi writer’s short story creates an embryo for a developing career already giving yourself an interesting head start.

Wake Up (The War Machine) is a very listenable single although many would call it an “alternative” genre. Carrie’s vocals are strong and synced well with Alexis’s synth tracks. You could link the track with other such artists as La Roux, The Prodigy and Bjork. Of the track itself, Carrie (vocals) had this to add; “This track was recorded over a year ago and we never thought we’d be releasing it into a world of mass isolation, with everyone on lockdown and experiencing hopelessness.”

In true earnest, at this time of lockdown and no end in sight, the song makes me long for being back at cheetah club (below Max’s Bar) which was an already desolate, sweaty, mildly-fucked but euphorically dystopian rot before the quarantine began- surprisingly its my favourite club in Glasgow.

Maybe when this is all over we can return to the depravity of Glasgow’s night scene with a new tune?

As always I highly recommend you follow the band on all social media and give the song a listen on your own preferred streaming platform (but Spotify is still best).

Cheers! Bye now.

Words by C.C Porter