Somewhere along the music spectrum is a cushy little place between lo-fi beats and synthy, groovy-pop tunes… an electronic hotbed of sorts where deep intricate rhythms meet vocoder samples and synthesizer arpeggios. In this sweet, sweet spot exists the likes of Machinedrum and Chrome Sparks.
Machinedrum, aka Travis Stewart, has been an electronic producer since the early 2000s. His repertoire is filled with lush tunes including an abundance of singles, EPs and albums. In a review of his most recent album Human Energy, his music is described as “dense blasts of energy”, each song with “packs of action—and drums, lots of drums.” The description of the same album on Apple Music provides a glaring description that encompasses the essence of his music in general: “gloriously frenetic and completely euphoric”.
Stewart is easily coined as a tastemaker in electronic music. It is easy to hear aspects of his music that went on to influence the future bass genre. He also produces music under the monikers Syndrone and Tstewart and operates as one half of the groups, Sepalcure, Jets, and Dream Continuum. In 2017, Stewart launched his own label called, IAMSIAM.
Chrome Sparks rose to prominence with his popular single, ‘Marijuana,’ released in 2013. Since then, he’s released a series of singles and EPs, creating an extensive repertoire of tunes. His music emits a light airy aura, which pairs well with his catchy beats and syth-heavy grooves. His highly-anticipated, debut self-titled album is set to be released next month.
On their aptly titled ChromeMachine Tour, both performers play with full live bands, exponentially expanding the depth of their groovy electronic production. Recently, more and more electronic artists are adding live musical components to their acts but this is more than just a single live instrument being played over a track. Machinedrum and Chrome Sparks break down the fundamental parts of their music and perform with live drums, keyboards and synths. In addition to sonic aspects, the tour features an audio visual show titled Human Energy created by Strangeloop and Timeboy.
The ChromeMachine Tour stops in New Orleans with Ela Minus on Tuesday, March 23 at Hi Ho Lounge. Purchase tickets here.