Enigmatic Sound Machines

The work of Montreal’s Enigmatic Sound Machines is a wonderful new discovery for us, and one that we just couldn’t help but share!

In this review I’ll be referring to the Bandcamp version of the release, which differs a little from Spotify in the manner in which the tracks are organised. The band states that the Bandcamp flow is a little more “progressive rock inclined”, which certainly sounds more like the way we’d prefer to ingest it. Honestly, there’s something more satisfying about sitting back to listen to WAV files anyway, hearing the subtleties they were intended to be, and for this release’s deeper listening it feels almost essential.

Without digging too deep into the preambles, the band comprises of one Thomas Szirmay, a musicologist among other things, and the crafter of the work’s “sound machines”. Jeremie Arrobas is the man behind the synths, drums and vocals. Generally, I like to read a band’s EPK after a few listenings, lest it contain any spoilers or alter the way I prefer to listen… without prejudice. In the case of Enigmatic Sound Machines though, I’ll confess to having a sneaky look! Why? Because there are so many instruments used that I wanted to see who else they worked with for the album’s recording. Indeed, the collaborators and guest talents are many, covering additional guitars by Shane Hoy and Alain Roig, plus bass from Hansford Rowe, as well as vocals from one Anna Arrobas. Why is this relevant? Well, the album is far-reaching in style, and there is a lot to cover here. It effortlessly pulls together a lot of different moods and methods in its unique and quite beautiful blendings of themes set both past and future. So let’s dive in!

Ah, the title track The Hierarchies Of Angels. There is an 80’s feel to the bass synth that ushers us in, soon layered with beats and a cymbal’s whooshes. String sections pay short visitations, delightful small flourishes to culminate in the arrival of garbled voices and melodic tickity-tick. Still the bass synth goes on, giving the piece the feel of an extended intro, until around 4 minutes in. Its space is replaced by a gentle choir, added complexity in the drums, and a touch of world music charm. At 6 minutes in things really sweeten up via a poppy bass line, deep pads and a feeling of weightlessness. Everything lifts… until the bell tolls, and a few seconds of silence leaves you to ponder.

A gentle, thoughtful mood now firmly established, I was extremely curious to see where this would all lead. The mixing and production by the way, is top-notch. Every instrument perfectly placed exactly where it needs to go in the introspective landscape.

Inside Nowhere brings spoken-word to the table, gentle yet definite and clear in delivery. There is darkness here, pianos growing to glide above strange lower samplings, light drum touches, and then an abrupt transition. We’re back in synth-land now with arpeggiated melodies and… and… now there’s some harder drum hits! We’re off into prog-land now! Bass punch, guitar chords, high-pitched synths twirling in the overhead sky, when down below a guitar solo is unleased. In closure, the voices return, as though to remind us where this little journey started.

Ok, the moths on the album cover. So, not always does artwork have to match an artist’s intent, but in this case the visuals surely complement what the ears do so very much enjoy. Darkness. Light. Above and beyond all that, these artists really know how to get music to “float”. They seem to be untied by a drummer’s kick, or a bassist’s choice of pattern. Their feet aren’t embedded in the ground, awaiting a fellow performer’s cue. No. Instead, they choose to “drift”. They move in and out, near and far, as though things both meaningful and ambiguously ambient have been sprinkled into the very air. One has to ask then, what these “moths” destiny shall be? Will light attract them towards something dangerous and intoxicating? Or has the time come to retreat into places dark and quiet? Either way, I already feel refreshed! Too much of today’s music is focused on low frequencies, pulsating beats, and soul-destroying compression. An evolution to the previous era of “loudness wars” perhaps. Well, Enigmatic Sound Machines proves that you can sound great, balanced and cohesive without any of that. I really appreciated that my ears could simply enjoy the music without being pounded at like a salesperson’s fist upon a potential customer’s door. Subtlety, these days, is something to appreciate and nod one’s head in respect to. This is music that lets you think. Lets you translate. Lets you conjure thoughts along the way, as the artists have kindly left you space to do such a thing. In-depth listening with the analyst hat on? Tick. Music to play in the background whilst trying to accomplish a task that requires thought and commitment? Tick. It sits right at home, in either instance.

Blurred gets off to a creepy start reminiscent of a haunted scene, with delayed vocals entering to recount moments of meaning. Then, a favorite section of mine, strings bow their way into the mix, and almost without realising it, the tone has entered a less darkened vibe. The contrast between the words themselves and the music beneath is very well done here. Dripping pianos, some high female-sounding vocal notes of extended length join in, and then most gracefully, the pace slows and we quietly fade away.

After The Flood enters with a droney tune-up kind of vibe, prior to the addition of classic organ sounds. Bang! Drums, bass and piano enter as one. The tone is cinematic, and I can almost imagine watching a great journey across a sand-splattered land as this piece unfolds, taking its time with grace. There are some real surprises along the way too, many of which occur in the final minutes of this interesting piece.

Ah, where are we going with Walking Through Walls? Well, its quite hard to describe this one. It feels like the offspring of lighter progressive rock, some early industrial, and an injection of pop? The track feels more structured than those which came before, yet retains an experimental vibe. Not sure why, but this felt very European to me. Actually, for whatever reason, it stirred an old memory of seeing The Young Gods perform many a moon ago. I’m not saying it is in any way the same, but the delivery has some parallels to their gentler and spoken-word driven works.

This leads us to Kill Switch, the final track in what the artist’s refer to as “Chapter 1 the Morning”. The pace has escalated here, heavy guitar tones joining with a clicky beat and harder kicks. What I really enjoyed about this one was a transition just before the end, which seems to be a signature of the band… as we’re lead into a walky-funky bass line, the low sounds of a moving breeze, and a quite rappy vocal delivery by Jeremie. No soothing fadeout here. We are left with the track’s title on the lips. Right, one thing I haven’t mentioned yet is replayability. Well, I will be listening to this album many a time in the near and dare I say it, long-term future. Yes, it is complex, but not in an in-your-face manner. Instead, it offers a lot of small things to return to and re-investigate. Then there are the vocals themselves to consider. It will be a pleasure to go back and try to more fully understand the stories within. A lot is to be left up to the listener’s interpretation it seems, yet the lyrics are powerful also. Being easily heard and understood on a surface level, does not necessarily mean that that is all…

So we head into Chapter 2, the Night, with You Want. Funky! Synthy! There is a clever juxtaposition here between lyrics set about greed, placed beside melodies light and playful. It surely strengthens both elements! The flavor here is electronic in a delightfully unique way. Something akin to audio created in an era where electronic music began to nudge into the realm of rock… but with added spice! Yes, the spiciness of piano, playing both stabby bass parts, and higher tinklings in a melodic realm.

This leads us then to Something Evil. What a delicious follow-up to You Want! The pair seem related, and by no act of chance. The funky sensations grow larger here, before going decidedly more rocky and hard. It’s… dare I say it… “cute”… whilst also being darkly satisfying! The maniacal laughter near the ending, the deep buzzing, delayed string stabs, low-pitched speaking, it all feels like it ends too soon! I really loved the concluding moments here, and would totally love to hear an extended version, or even a whole track that built on the elements in the last minute or so.

The Preacher (featuring the Sermon) moves between something quite sci-fi, and more rooted in a prog-rocky interpretation of gospel music. Wow what a fusion! This isn’t something you’ll hear very often. We are preached too all along via spoken word, and it is becoming clear that none of this is by chance. Since entering Chapter 2, things have gone more… philosophical? Critical? Conceptual! That’s the one. I feel like we’re working through the stages of a personality’s struggles here. You Want identifying failings in a soul’s ability to be satisfied, with Something Evil coming about as a result. What better to do after such an experience, than try to obtain some enlightenment from The Preacher? Is this all serious, or tongue-in-cheek? Well, that’s for you to decide.

Where to from here? Instinctively I’d say either denial, or anger… but is that what’s contained in It’s a Lie? Crisp clappy sounds enter with drifting swooshes and a lovely guitar pattern played periodically. The vocals in this one are more melodic, vocoder effects here and there taking us between this world and somewhere more futuristic. Possibly a favorite on the album this one. Although it is more structured and traditional in many senses, it still retains a unique charm that I’m beginning to attribute to Enigmatic Sound Machines, either justly or not. Positive vibes but with things to say which are questioning, analytical, and thought-provoking. Although on the surface, the material isn’t as dark as I’d expected, maybe there’s already enough of that in the world. I’m really liking this delicate touch that these artists use in order to convey their message.

Stand Fall, brings in some fun with an 80’s poppy sounding bass line and a simple beat. From the midsection onwards, Numan-ish synths probe about, allowing a piano’s dainty twinkles to add an almost dance-friendly feel. I feel like we’ve reached some kind of absolution here, an optimism that could only have been gained through the prior events in Chapter 2.

The final track, When You Suffer keeps this quirkiness going, yet at a mid-tempo slower pace. A perfect continuation from Stand Fall with its highly memorable melody, which eventually comes to end with the decay of a single, high, string section note.

Well, what an experience! It is rare to hear something so uplifting on a site where “dark” is boldly written in the title. Yes, Enigmatic Sound Machines go through many shades, perhaps as a moth travels through its own personal heavenly spaces, witnessing everything from blissful peace, through to a most unusually presented anxiety. Even when things appear to be under the shadow of darker contemplations, the artists still stick to their guns. Their way of presenting their concepts, and delivering them in an honest and enlightening style, is certainly worthy of praise. An album so deserving of many listening sessions, and one that should be enjoyed all at once, at least once, in order to appreciate the sense of flow and purpose throughout.

In 2023, I and the contemporary progressive rock world received an extremely welcome surprise when one of the foremost music critics we have in Thomas Szirmay and his old friend Jeremie Arrobas as Enigmatic Sound Machines announced the release of their debut release, Telepathic Waves – clicking on the button below will take you to my review of this, and what was a revelation to me was just how good it was. By this, what I mean is most critics such as I tend to have all the musical ability of Winnie the Pooh. Yes, I think I write comfortably well, and like to think I have a decent ear for quality music, but write music and play it? More chance of my starring in a movie alongside Dame Judy Dench.

ESM - TELEPATHIC WAVES

Telepathic Waves, as you can see from my review, was an album awash with pop/rock electronica, and I knew from correspondence with my finest friend in the music world that work had started immediately between him and Jeremie on the sophomore effort. Come May 2024, we have the final result, The Hierarchies of Angels, which is available via Bandcamp at https://enigmaticsoundmachines.bandcamp.com/album/the-hierarchies-of-angels and can also be streamed via Spotify and iTunes.

So, what have this fine Canadian duo presented us with? It is certainly what most readers of this review on my website would recognise as more “progressive” with some longer compositions. They have also brought in some guests to assist in the creation of their work, with legendary prog/fusion bassist Hansford Rowe (Gong, Gongzilla, and HR3), as well as two guitarists Shane Hoy (The Dylans) and Alain Roig.

The work is split into two distinct chapters. The first is entitled The Eternal Search, taking in the first six pieces, and the second, The After Party. The Eternal Search is a journey, The After Party a commentary on the world in which we live, so we have a huge amount to get our teethes into here. Let’s go.

We open with the title track, over seven minutes long describing instrumentally a caravan on a journey crossing a desert. I have embedded this below, an adventurous effect laden piece which combines the best of Rajaz from Camel with that signature electronica of this duo, imbued with sense of rhythm and adventure, strong drums a notable feature. A powerful start, and some of the guitar work is welcome and noticeable.

This segues into Inside Nowhere, looking plaintively for an oasis of salvation. The keys and guitars are haunting, the piano gorgeous, and the words “inside nowhere, you can find everything” step up to the Enigmatic plate, surely. When Hansford Rowe enters the fray, you recognise the sheer quality, and he brings a definitive fusion sensibility to the music. Searching, plaintive, swimming in an eternal sea, and angry at times with the crashing drums set against the swirling keys.

Blurred presents a hallucinogenic scene of a lover and falling into the stars. The opening notes are pretty and dreamy, but with an underlying sense of the unknown as the track develops, especially when the bass notes dominate, and remind me of some of the finer commercial psych pop of the late ‘60’s and early ‘70’s, and the vocals have that sort of nostalgic sense, expanded by the choral effects in the final minute. It really is extremely good, and I have embedded it below.

After the Flood is the longest track here, an eight minute plus instrumental. It is, perhaps, on this that the duo really shows how much their sound has advanced and expanded since the debut, beguiling with a cracking bass melody, crashing tubs, and an altogether orchestral feel above the delicate guitar chords. As it develops, I am reminded of Physical Graffiti era Led Zeppelin in parts, and we have a fusion of the classic and the contemporary, with the final passage a jazz-soaked delight.

Walking Thru Walls provides us with a vision of perdition, that place where all you sinners are damned to go to as part of an eternal punishment for wrongdoing. Initially, it all sounds a bit brighter than the subject matter would have us believe, but this is an illusion itself, because the circle of notes and words provide us with that sense of the eternal, the repetition of images the damned are presented with personified by the thumping notes and drums, including the missiles of fire raining down. There is more a hint of Gabriel in this one, I think, in some of his more experimental moments. The close is dramatic, and we then move into the final part of the chapter, Kill Switch, everything shut down. It is a highlight of the year, thus far. Lyrically, it puts me in mind of the attempted demise of Paul Atriedes in the first Dune sequel, a track which puts across mental and physical torment extremely well, a progressive rock song rooted in the tradition of storytelling and a very suitable close to a personal journey over a traditional first side of an album, stark vocals and the close bleak and harsh.

Chapter Two, then. It deals with modern socio-political situations. It opens with You Want, an extremely powerful evocation of the individualistic greed which dominates western society and might well, incidentally, prove to be its eventual downfall. This is a powerful track, dark, full of the inherent contradictions of much of the noise witnessed in modern discourse, especially in the bearpit of social media. The piano thumps and creates a dystopia, the synths accuse, the whole piece draws the listener in.

Something Evil gives us the power of the dark side, with the personification of human evil seeking a sinful man or woman to take him/her into his lair, but with the entrancing rhythm which people found so irresistible in the opening days of what not so long-ago society found to be the ultimate evil, namely rock n’ roll, the heathens of the blues dragging the children into their wicked world. We, of course, do rather love that boogie woogie, though, especially when it is set against such an electronic dystopia.

The Preacher continues this theme, with the price of salvation set out starkly, Thomas providing us with his sermon (he is a natural!). Think if you will of electronic rock infused with the southern blues, and you will get somewhere near to this wonderful exposition of the inherent fear of threatening religion and the sense of panic the music explosion of the ’50’s inculcated in the God-fearing.

It’s a Lie is a tale of love, desire, and deception in a sort of romantic progressive electronic love song, the organ particularly mood creating, and the vocals perfectly fitting the mood, which darkens considerably when the deception takes centre stage.

Stand Fall is the penultimate track, and it is embedded below, a magnificent commentary on the human condition, this wonderful species with all its ridiculousness and, at times, genius and wonder. This track is knowing and very clever, the bass lead is very good and the whole thing throbs with energy, possibly closer to the pop electronica feel of the debut album than anything else here, featuring a wonderful mini-Moog segment.

We close with When You Suffer, with its road to redemption, five minutes of a natural conclusion to a fine album. The mood is suitably reflective as individual and society ask questions of themselves and God, with some hard hitting piano against questing keys and a hypnotic drum loop underneath.

In my opinion, one of the key features of the music we listen to is whether the artists progress, develop, provide something new, and ESM most certainly do that with this release. At turns, very progressive, very rhythmic, very blues and roots culture, jazz-infused, angry, questing, searching, so pretty much everything that the curious listener will want to discover in a work which gives up more of its depth with each listen.

Multi-instrumentalist, singer, producer and composer Jeremie Arrobas was a co-founder of the Canadian New Wave band Men Without Hats. After his separation from the Hats, Arrobas devoted himself to numerous visual arts projects.

Thomas Szirmay is introduced as a researcher, musicologist, producer, amateur historian, author at Prog Archives, House of Prog and Prog Rogue and ruler of seven languages.

Together they form the duo Enigmatic Sound Machines. On the ESM website we learn that Jeremie's hearing is slowly getting worse and worse and that he is therefore more and more dependent on the help of his musical partner. In the duo, Jeremie is probably responsible for the pop-electronic-new wave influences, while Thomas makes sure that "prog" is not completely forgotten.

Attention is also drawn to Thomas' talent for the market. This talent made it possible for him to put together two different tracklists for the second album "The Hierarchies of Angels". The prog-disinterested music lovers get a tracklist on Spotify that starts with songs and moves the instrumentals further back. The Bandcamp tracklist was primarily thought of the prog friends. There, the title instrumental is at the forefront and the story of the concept album "The Hierarchies of Angels" is presented in two chapters. In other words, the first six pieces were conceived in prog format, according to the info text, while in the second chapter, called "the Night", the inspirations of Talk Talk, Dr. John and Jerry Lee Lewis can be heard.

In the first chapter ("the Morning") you become a victim of hallucinations and claustrophobic illusions. Accordingly, the music is atmospheric, like a fusion of art rock, neoprog, pop, electronic, post-rock and post-wave. This means that the keyboard instruments set the tone for ESM and not the guitars. They rarely get their right to be represented on every prog album. The music lover is repeatedly accompanied by the mysterious speech song, the theatrical speech song and the cinematic moods. The last six songs deal lyrically with the crazy media world, in which probably nothing is as it seems.

Is this still prog, some prog purists may ask. Possibly, my slightly unsettled answer would be. Presumably, this is a rare type of electronic cineastic pop prog.