Formed when Wayne and Ken moved westward from Chicago to L.A., later meeting California-native Campos and guitarist Koichi Fukuda, Static-X began melding staccato guitar riffs and lyrics that blended harsh reality with sardonic humor. They quickly won over the area’s club-goers who discovered that, live, this outstanding young quartet could whip an audience into a frenzy like few others before or since. In stripping every song to its barest, most minimal essence, Static-X concerts were fast, loud and left the listener singing “Push It” until well after the band had departed the stage.
From their earliest performances in the mid-1990s, Static-X was able to harness the best elements of industrial, techno and metal into a shattering blend of music that was as infectious as it was brutal. It wasn’t uncommon to see a huge, sweaty mosh pit mere yards from where more peaceful- but no less enthusiastic- dancing was taking place. Versatility, that’s the ticket to success these days!
Static-X built their fan-base one fan at a time. They performed tirelessly, spending an inordinate amount of time meeting their fans. The band has prided itself on their approachability, and since they have a frontman whose vertical hairstyle can be spotted from a great distance, such friendliness has come in handy on many occasions!
Upon the release of the Wisconsin Death Trip model, Static-X were thus able to prove their capacity for world-class entertainment. Promotional videos for “Push It” and “I’m With Stupid” were enthusiastically welcomed by fans and networks alike, and both songs- along with “Bled For Days”-were Top 40 tracks on rock radio. Unafraid of the rigors of the road, Static-X have played more than 300 shows worldwide in the last few years, ranging from supporting slots, to two separate Ozzfest tours (Main and Second Stages), to triumphant headlining tours of their very own.
For Machine, Static-X discovered a new guitar player for their purposes: Tripp Eisen, formerly of New York rockers, Dope. Eisen brings an infusion of energy to their live show, and Wayne Static calls him a natural replacement for Fukuda, who parted amicably with Static-X prior to the recording of Machine.
Humor is an essential part of the blueprint behind Machine. What else could explain the appearance of the song “Shit in a Bag,” which retells the plight of a nervous musician, rolling down the highway in a tour bus with no toilet in sight? Or the bizarre mariachi instrumental, “Bien Venidos”? Or the continued appearance of the word “Otsego?” (Last time it was “Otsegolation,” now it’s “Otsego Undead,” written for the release of the movie, Dracula 2000.)
But it’s not all fun and games. Songs such as “This Is Not” (seIected as Machine’s first emphasis track and promotional live video) find the singer addressing his dislocation from his home, and the gripping, melodic “Cold” details a personal relationship that has suffered from a blanket of uncommunicative silence. “Permanence” bemoans lack of substance in the art of today, while the album’s title track disdains the pre-packaged, hermetically sealed lives most Americans lead.
