San Mei - In The Machine

22 Jan 2021

San Mei

// MUSIC

San Mei Delivers Industrial-Edged Single ‘In The Machine’

“Last year was kooky but gave me the chance to get lost down some rabbit holes and find some fresh inspo” – San Mei

Following a feverish succession of singles and the release of her EP ‘Cry’ in 2020, time off-the-road has meant one thing for San Mei – more songwriting and production. Premiered on Home & Hosed with Declan Byrne on triple j, 2021 sees San Mei dive headfirst into production for her next body of work "In The Machine" taking charge of her creative vision founded by some exciting ‘new inspo’ – a space of industrial rock and 90s grunge. 

“In The Machine” produced by Emily Hamilton (San Mei) and long-time studio drummer and collaborator Michael McCartney, is like a lost track from the ‘Batman Forever’ soundtrack, or an unreleased single from Garbage. Gnarly guitars, gritty synth and industrial drum programming, pulses away in clever contrast to San Mei’s haunting yet ethereal vocals. Hamilton explains, “I took a bit of a different sonic approach with this song and I thought that using some industrial sounds and having a bit of a mechanical feel would really suit it, which I think we achieved with a lot of the drum patterns and sounds. I still wanted to make sure it felt a bit surreal and dreamy at the same time, so the verb’ed-out vocals and wash of synths were important to include in the track”.

The production is an outstanding representation of Hamilton’s focus and inspiration in 2021, building on her skills as a talented musician, writer, performer, and now producer.

With COVID becoming an everyday disruptor, San Mei has adapted and overcome a number of hurdles that have come with the pandemic. Shifting her attention to an increased social media presence, the Gold Coast artist has been able to connect with a growing audience in the US – replacing efforts and intensions of touring there in 2020 including six booked shows at SXSW. In addition to growing US alternative & non-commercial radio support for San Mei’s ‘Cry’ EP,  the enthusiasm has filtered through to Asia Pop 40, Billboard, triple j, BBC Radio 1, Audiofemme and Refinery 29 to name a few.

 Stream/Listen here: https://sanmei.lnk.to/InTheMachine