New York, NY (Top40 Charts/ Punks & Criminals) Michael Hensley creates a hearty brand of electro-pop music that balances the mechanical with the emotional. Inspired in a large part by his experiences as a member of Boston's gay communities, he crafts an intensely genuine message and serves it amidst pulsating rhythms, contagious melodies, and a solid pop structure. In his own words, "this machine will make you feel." After a four-year hiatus, Michael Hensley returns with a 7-track EP, "Heart Mechanical," due for release on March 26, 2012.
Hensley's sound harks back to '80s mainstays Depeche Mode, Pet Shop Boys, and Madonna, and finds its home alongside more recent electro pioneers Goldfrapp, Fischerspooner, Robyn, and Royksopp. Over the past he has graced some of the finest stages around the northeast, performing alongside notable
Boston acts including recent sensations Young London and synthpop veterans Freezepop.
Thematically, the album follows in the footsteps of its predecessors, juxtaposing emotion and reason, the human and the machine. The album's heart beats hardest through its second track, We're Here to Recruit Your Kids, an aggressive response to anti-gay bigotry. The song begins with a cold synth-bass line, a sparse and sporadic beat, and Hensley's chant. He's reacting to the farcical notion that gay people are exerting their sexual influence on children. "We're here to recruit your kids to be whoever it is they want to be," he decries. Hensley is incensed and he sings with positive ferocity, "It's time to get angry, come on and march with me." This call-to-action sparks the support of a wall of swirling synths. Hensley has given us an anthem we can truly dance to.
Michael Hensley's first EP, "Everyone Wants to Feel Something" (2006) was followed closely by the full-length "Fire Behind Me," which MusicDish described as "electro pop with a human face." He released a remix EP and music video for the single "This Machine" in 2008. Neufutur Magazine heralded Hensley's work as "a current and fresh reinterpretation of what it means to be a dance artist."
The heart of a machine is its maker. Find Michael Hensley's "Heart Mechanical" online and in stores on March 26, 2012.
Website:https://www.michael-hensley.com
