Machine Gun (4:47)

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“Machine Gun” is a single by Portishead, released in 2008. The song presents a rather raw, industrial sound and troubled lyrics. The promotional video features the band playing the song at the studio. The 12-inch vinyl was out on April 14, while a digital version was made available from Portishead.co.uk from April 10, 2008.

The song begins with a theme featuring electronic snare and kick drum kit sounds, as well as a snippet of a C# minor chord, which is used throughout the entire song. These sounds feature distortion, hall-style reverb and heavy compression, which mimick the sound of a machine gun.

The vocals feature a three-note melodic cell, evident at the chorus (“If only I could see”). This cell is sequenced (“You turn myself to me”) and also used in inversion (“recognise”). The verses’ vocal lines use notes from the C# dorian scale, which contrasts to the chorus’ usage of the C# aeolian scale.

At 2:42 the song is broken up by a section that features new timbres; notably an electronic snare sound that is deeper in pitch. However, the recurring ‘machine gun’ theme is still present in this section. This is followed by a section featuring the original electronic drum timbres with a difference; tape delay is applied to the drum kit sounds. During this section, the feedback time of the delay is varied.

The final section introduces a synthesizer solo. The timbre of the synthesizer is reminiscent of Vangelis’ usage of synthesized brass. It is the sole section of the song that features a solid harmonic foundation. The chord progression is: C# minor - B major/C# - A major - C# minor.

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trip-hop, electronic, experimental, alternative, female vocalists
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