NEW YORK, NY. (Top40 Charts/ Reprise Records) - New York City's
Secret Machines are currently in the studio recording their third full-length album for Reprise Records, which will be released in 2008. Recording has begun and will continue through the holidays.
Secret Machines have joined forces with producer/engineer Brandon Mason (David Bowie and VHS OR BETA) at The Magic Shop studio, and will be mixing the record with him at Electric Lady studios in New York. Secret Machines fans will recall Mason's work from the band's previous album, "Ten Silver Drops." The trio - Brandon Curtis (bass, keyboards, vocals), Josh Garza (drums), and new member Phil Karnats (guitar) - will bring back what USA Today describes as the "brutal beauty" that permeates their sound. Karnats joins the band after the amicable exit of founder, brother, and guitarist, Benjamin Curtis, who is continuing to create music with his longtime girlfriend for the band School of Seven Bells. Both parties remain extremely close and share a mutual appreciation of each other's work.
The group's long history of working with Phil Karnats stems beyond both Ben and Phil playing in the legendary group Tripping Daisy. Phil and Josh played in a band together called 1919 Summit. Later, Ben played drums and Phil played guitar for the Dallas group When Babies Eat Pennies, so when the group were having initial talks about finding someone, Phil's was a obvious name to come up. "It feels very familiar to have Phil in the band," says Brandon Curtis.
The album will also feature guest appearances from such legendary folks as Tony Visconti, David Bowie's long-time producer who has been quoted saying that the Secret Machines are his favorite NYC band.
One of the highlights of the upcoming album is sure to be "Now You're Gone," which fans first heard when the band played it during their residency at NYC club Annex in September. Posted on YouTube, the song has already received much praise for its melodic, delayed and beautiful sound.
The Secret Machines have a history of crossing over from the music world into the art world, such as when they created the music that accompanied the work of fine artist Charles de Meaux, whose last movie premiered at London's Tate Museum and was shown in galleries around Europe. "Throughout our relationship with Warner Bros. Records, the label has allowed us the opportunity to do what we want to do in all of our endeavors," says Curtis. "We asked them to be a part of our vision, and there is a great mutual respect that both sides do not take for granted."
To hear more about the Secret Machines' writing process, and how each member defines his role in terms of lyrics, composition and instrumentation, please feel free to reach out to me.
