Babel Echo blends the gritty sensibility of Portland’s working class with a carefully honed musical style born of folk, rock, jazz, electronic, and classical music. Infectious grooves, inspired topics, and creative instrumentation create an exuberant and unique sound. Babel Echo’s new album The Molting, explores the self that is left behind in times of profound change. Depictions of inner monsters, moral ambiguities, personal struggle, and life altering experiences evoke the visceral nature of personal growth, as seen through the eyes of a wiser future self. Raw, driving rhythms underscore virtuosic strings, rich vocal harmonies, and a diverse tapestry of textures.
Why did you select this song as your current single?
We chose “The Machine” as our current single for many reasons. It has been the song that has received the most radio play and likes from our friends and fans. People connect very quickly to the subject matter. And it’s a rocking tune that gets people moving and grooving.
How does this single relate to the rest of the Album,?
Our newest album “The Molting” all revolves around the idea of changing our lives for the better. To present ourselves how we truly wish to be seen. “The Machine” relates to the album by pointing out a fundamental step in the process, which is to be happy. Or strive to be happy. Step away from the mundane, the boring, the stifling elements in your life that hold you back.
What was the writing process for the song?
When we set out to record “The Molting”, we had an 11 song album. We were ready, rehearsed, and proud of our album. About a week into working in the studio, we realized that one of our tracks, “The End of the Road” was not quite hitting the mark. It didn’t have the same impact that the rest of the album was making. We had “The Machine” as a side idea that wasn’t flushed out and/or ready for recording. But, once we found ourselves in a position where we had to find a replacement song for the album, Illya and Andrew went quickly to work. Within a week, our simple idea transformed into one of our most powerful songs and we had our eleventh song recorded. We ended up working our butts off to make “The End of the Road” work, and we found ourselves with a twelve song album.
What does this song’s lyric mean to you?
The lyrics of the song talk about a place in our lives when we feel like we are just a part of a machine. Society tells us that there is a certain mold that we must follow in order to be successful/happy. You grow up. Finish school. Go to work. And forget all the ideas and dreams that you always had, because they will most likely not happen. “The Machine” talks about stepping out of that mold and living the life you want.
What would it be like to see you in person performing this song?
“The Machine” is a great one to see live. At this point in the show we’ve got two of us on keyboards, two of us on kits (electric and organic), and we’ve usually got a dance troupe performing with us live for this song. TriptheDark Dance Company choreographed a piece specifically for this song that tells the story through movement.
Could your fans summarize who you are as an artist by this song?
Fans could definitely summarize us as a group by this song. We make it our mission to speak about issues that matter. Whether they are political, emotional, or societal. We are also consciously breaking the mold of a rock band. We trade drums for synths, guitars for violas, and are constantly on the look out for new ways to express our musical art. “The Machine” is a testament of all the things that drive us as artists.
Is there a video planned and or completed and if so, what was the idea behind the video?
We made “The Machine” Official Music Video a few months back. We had TriptheDark Dance Company choreograph a piece to the song. Then we filmed them in their studio and spliced it together with some groups shots. Our intention with the group shots was to create a form of a mechanical machine captured through color and movement. The video can be seen on youtube at:
One last question, what is your motivation behind your music?
We are inspired by life, love, change, progress, and humanity. We are motivated by exploration, collaboration (with other artists), speaking out on issues we believe in, and speaking the one language that everyone can respond to, music.
Social Media:
Purchase Album at www.cdbaby.com/cd/babelecho
Find us on Facebook www.facebook.com/
Subscribe to our Channel www.youtube.com/
Upcoming Show:
Ever pushing boundaries and breaking the mold, Babel Echo presents Spring Spectacular, a marriage of Rock, Dance, Comedy, and Theater. The show invokes storylines and themes from the band’s new album The Molting, bringing to life one human’s journey toward sunnier weather. “We want to create something more emotionally engaging and fun than just another time-slot at a bar,” said Andrew of the band. “We love working with our highly talented friends across multiple media. This project is the perfect first show for us to test the waters and see how much awesomeness we can get away with. What better way to bring our music to life and deliver something unique and highly entertaining for our audience?” Babel Echo expects to perform Spring Spectacular in Portland this May.