Since 2012, the New York electronic music duo Machine Girl have been playing and refining their own singular brand of high-intensity music, one indebted to the aggression of digital hardcore, the complexity of IDM, and the joyous frenzy of classic rave. In that time, the band has spent quite a bit of time touring and making records and, in the process, slowly amassing a following. It’s a classic route, one that has characterized DIY American bands for over 40 years, though Machine Girl’s reality has had a few new wrinkles when compared with earlier eras of underground music. (Unlike the duo, whose visibility has been boosted by chance meetings with the algorithm, Black Flag’s music, for example, never had the ability to go viral on TikTok, though I have no doubt that a “Six Pack” challenge would’ve popped off.)  

And that brings us to the latest Machine Girl record. Released last fall, the name of the duo’s most recent album is MG Ultra. There is no question that it is the most maximal version of the Machine Girl sound to date. It takes the core musical language that they have been building for over a decade and it supersizes it. It has bigger hooks, which are in part the result of lessons learned on bigger stages and on bigger tours. Recently, I had a back-and-forth email conversation with Matt Stephenson—one-half of the group, along with drummer Sean Kelly—which you can read below. You can also stream MG Ultra, which is recommended.

This is your first studio album since 2020, but you’ve gone on some big tours since then. Has touring on a different scale informed how you approached songwriting and production on this new record?

Matt Stephenson: Yes, touring with 100 gecs definitely influenced the songwriting and production of this album. I tried to make some bigger choruses and put a much bigger focus on vocals than on any previous Machine Girl record. In a way, this is the Machine Girl pop album.

Besides the CIA callback, what does the title MG Ultra mean to you?

MG Ultra is the ultimate version of Machine Girl. (So far...)

Do you think of your new record as a political record? Is Machine Girl a political band?

I wouldn't say it’s as political as something like RATM but yes there's definitely a political and social message across a lot of the record. It's a lot of my own observations on the current state of the world. Same goes for Machine Girl as a whole. There's a political aspect to it for sure but it's not my main focus.

Do you have a favorite song on this new album?

“Ass2Mars” I think is my personal favorite. It feels like it encapsulates what I was going for with the record the most.

What was the process like making that song? Can you remember any moments when it felt like you were consciously pushing the boundaries of the Machine Girl sound? Did that feel exciting? Scary?

Yeah, I was struggling hard to get the vocals sitting the way that I wanted them and I spent one like 12 hour session re-recording vocals and balancing them and messing with effects until it all just clicked into place and I remember thinking like, Whoa, this is it. It's a total alien freak pop track to me.

How did your collaboration with Jon Lee from PFFR come about?

Future Classic, the label that put out MG Ultra, reached out to John and he responded the same day. I really didn't think we'd hear back from him but it was an honor to have a video made by him.

Were you a big fan of Wonder Showzen growing up? Any favorite skits?

Yes, when I saw it on TV as a 13-year-old it definitely changed my brain chemistry a little bit. I had never seen something so clever, creative, and subversive before. The entire episode where it plays backwards in the second half blew my mind.

Let’s go back to 2012. Where was your head at musically when the project started? How has that changed?

Not too different than now honestly but I was very clueless about a lot of music, especially dance music. I didn't dive into rave and club subcultures until 2013/2014. My early electronic music taste was extremely nerdy (Aphex Twin, Squarepusher, Venetian Snares, etc). Since then, I've broadened my horizons quite a bit.

Did getting into these maybe less nerdy—for lack of better words—electronic music styles slowly shift how you make and think about music?

Yeah, I started emphasizing rhythm and groove more in my music after that.

TikTok has been one channel that has helped to grow your band and expose your music to a different demographic. What is your relationship with that platform?

Pretty much non-existent. We were very lucky that our music went semi-viral on the platform without our input. I've uploaded maybe ten TikToks over the course of like five-six years and I really have no intention of picking up that pace.

Can you remember any formative moments of music discovery on the internet that helped to set you off on the path that you are on now?

Early YouTube fan videos helped expose me to a lot of music. I remember finding an amazing Venetian Snares fan video with the original Jungle Book cartoon that blew my mind and immediately made me a Venetian Snares fan for life.

You seem to have the habit of bringing great bands on tour with you. What is that selection process like?

I take bands that I genuinely am into on tour with us, whether the genre really fits or not. I think exposing all these young Machine Girl fans to other kinds of bands and music is important. I love being a gateway band for young Machine Girl fans.

I’m curious about how Lightning Bolt in particular is going over on this tour. I think it’s cool that they are out with you—this has got to be one of the first support tours they have done in decades. 

Yes, it’s an honor that they agreed to do this and it’s been going great. The fact a whole new generation of kids around the country are being exposed to them is amazing. I really never thought I'd ever be at a point like this.

What is your favorite digital hardcore record and why?

I actually never really was into that genre (I didn't know who Atari Teenage Riot were until I started yelling over Machine Girl tracks) but I would say Lolita Storm's Girls Fucking Shit Up is my favorite.

What kind of music have you been listening to on the road? Any records that are helping you grind out this tour?

I haven't listened to any music on this tour, really, sadly. My ears need a break.