Do what the radio tells you… and listen to “Radio” by Ubiquity Machine. The duo is an alternative indie band that consists of Dan Marsh (the Rabbit) and Howard Rabach. Both are highly trained musicians with Rabach in multiple bands in the DC area and Marsh previously working in many projects over in the UK. The two have been writing and producing together for over a decade and have over a hundred songs to show for it. Though they are under the category Alt-indie, they take inspiration from every decade and every sound whether it be electronic, synth, rock, or pop.
“Radio” tells the story of privacy disappearing and people’s interests being catered by algorithms. It is done in a way that is truly theirs. The songwriting is clever and catchy, and their years of writing show how they can tell a tale. The song is able to weave acoustic guitars, a groovy bass line, synths, and meaningful lyrics – which often falls to the back in many pop songs. The band is taking a cool angle on their music and are making the music purely out of passion, which is really inspiring.
They are showcasing this sci-fi world and placing the listener as one of the people caught in the new place. At the end of the song, there is layering of “Better do what the radio told ya / bow down to the machine” and “Jesus save us / how did I get here?” This painting of the end of the world is morbid but it highlights what it would look like if technology took over and became a “god” in some way. Marsh and Rabach have such wild imaginations and their ability to encourage and build off each other is astounding.
“Radio” is their second single, so I look forward to seeing what topic they tackle next!
Reviewed by Katie Power
FOLLOW UBIQUITY MACHINE:
