A band name that – even 12 years after its creation – can be pronounced like a powerful mantra. In times like these, it reminds us of the order it should be: I. Human. And then the machine. And not the other way around.
We find ourselves in a unique moment – the beginning of a new era in which artificial intelligence is becoming an increasingly important part of our daily lives. Content is being reinvented in two ways: not only in how it is provided and experienced, but also in how it is created. Suddenly, artificial intelligence is omnipresent and inevitably confronts us with urgent questions. Will we and everything we do and create soon be completely replaceable? How much value does human creativity retain when machines do everything faster and more efficiently than we do – are they overtaking us there too? Questions that do not only evoke good feelings.
Like the grand alliteration they embody, me.man.machine. return – and bring salvation. Not because they provide a solution, but because they perfectly capture the zeitgeist and the feeling of the moment: forests are burning, evil is ruling, and robots are thinking – this lurking threat is outlined by the first single from their new studio material friendly fires (release date: August 17, 2023). Instead of surrendering to powerlessness, the song is a call to take fate into one's own hands and set off before it's too late.
Accordingly, the single with which the band catapults itself from hibernation into the middle of the summer sounds. The typical melancholy and profundity of the band is still there, but in the call to set off, there is a distinctly perceptible hope.
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me.man.machine. is an alternative rock band from Zurich that began as a Dropbox project in 2011: the founding members of the band initially only exchanged their music online. Their debut album Reviver was released in 2012 and the first single, make it rain, became a hit, prompting the band to live out their shared passion for powerful guitar riffs, driving rhythms, and penetrating vocals more frequently in live performances. As a result, me.man.machine. played numerous concerts in the following years, both at home and abroad, including celebrated supporting gigs for international rock bands like White Lies and Hurts. Their second album, Plastic Faith, was released in 2015 and was another success for the band. The highlight was their performance as a support band for Status Quo and Foreigner at the Lakeland Festival in Biel.
After a few acoustic shows and a longer break, the band returned in 2022 with a new line-up. Since then, the band has regularly met in the rehearsal room to work out ideas and create new music. As a result, the music of me.man.machine. has gained musical depth and, above all, dynamics. The first single from their new material is expected in the summer of 2023, and the first live performances are planned for late summer.
