I was really curious as to whether Energy Whores’ music would be as forward as their name. What I found on ‘Mach9ne’ was a blend of electronica with industrial leanings and looming elements of soft and dark emo. A meticulous blend that can only be explained by a band with a particular ethos.
A band of self-proclaimed electronic/AI pop, Energy Whores hail from New York City, and on their latest single ‘Mach9ne’, they are following the narrative of NRG, a robot/human hybrid, as they explore the nature of human relationships in the landscape of today’s technology, as well as our relationship with this technology itself.
The output is a greatly engaging piece of off-kilter pop, defined by a Bjork-esque, freeform vocal approach, delivered in part by robotic and AI-generated voices, and mostly by the band’s softspoken lead vocalist. The music is electronic in its majority, with bustling beats and healthy, pad-led atmospheres, creating a balance between very soft atmospherics and a dense rhythmic outlook. A song that is full of dichotomies, a robotic/human voice dichotomy, and another of the sparse musical landscape with the intricate rhythmic one, ‘Mach9ne’ is an interesting and engaging listen.
‘Mach9ne’ is a trip through its whimsical musical and lyrical ideas that offer immense entertainment and insight into the band’s mentality and point of view. Perhaps the idea of AI pop might still be alien to most of us, but songs like ‘Mach9ne’ work to gently steer us toward it with grace.