Cognition

For almost two years now, Chapel Hill's Go Machine has been making a name for themselves as a band that truly sparks the curiosity of anyone really listening. Their "alarming fusion of pop styles" brings to mind the sensibilities of artists such as Wilco, Radiohead, and the Postal Service. The trio continues to impress with its earnest songwriting and multi-instrumental talent. Recent months have seen Go Machine touring in support of their debut album, look to the (Bu Hanan Records), being spotlighted as an "up and coming" artist on WXYC 89.3 (CMJ core reporting station), and turning heads at WE FEST '03. Go Machine has shared the stage with such acts as the Polyphonic Spree and Ester Drang and has performed all over the eastern states at venues such as the Knitting Factory, CBGB, and Cat's Cradle.

For a group in such a constant state of evolution, Go Machine could not be more accurately named. They began sometime in 2002, as a series of phone calls and emails between songwriters Daniel Hart and David Daniels, composer/programmer Alex Lazara, and percussionist Jeremy Portwood. Though already familiar to one another through past college years' collaborations in Dallas, the four multi-instrumentalists decided to regroup in the musically rich area of North Carolina known as the Triangle. Having left their respective lives in Texas, Oregon, California and Tennessee, Durham NC became their new strategic home base from which to mount trips up the East Coast in between recordings of what became their first album. Released February 13th 2003, look to the (Bu Hanan Records), a surprisingly coherent synthesis of noise rock, electronica, bluegrass and Americana, became many people's first exposure to Go Machine's incredible songwriting and lush arrangements containing Theremin, violin, keyboards, guitar, bass, drums and vocals. The following months would see the band supporting their release with radio appearances and East Coast dates as the band continued to integrate the constant flow of new material into their ever-changing sets. After a move into a new headquarters in Chapel Hill, and an October tour to Texas, Go Machine became a three piece when drummer Jeremy Portwood moved to NYC to pursue school. This change proved to be an interesting challenge to the band who, rather than replace their comrade, chose instead to adapt the songs and arrangements by learning new instruments and ushering in an exciting period of increased laptop trickery. A handful of winter warm up dates prepared the now trio for a Girls and Boys Tour '04 that took them through cities up to Boston alongside songstress Annie Clark. From that point Go Machine cleared their show schedule to more adequately explore their new sound, now focused most heavily on songs backed by guitar, keyboards and live drums atop laptop beats. Presently, with Daniel Hart back from his 5 week violin stint with the Polyphonic Spree (opening for David Bowie), Go Machine again regroups themselves for summer and fall tours of the southeast. In between tours, the group will continue work on the recording of their sophomore album, to be released nationally sometime in the new year.

go machine is:
david daniels vocals. drums. bass. keyboards. guitar.	alex lazara keyboards. programming. theremin. vocals. bass.	daniel hart vocals. guitar. violin. bass. drums.