| Machine Dreams | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Studio album by | ||||
| Released | 17 August 2009 | |||
| Recorded | 2007–2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden | |||
| Genre | ||||
| Length | 43:52 | |||
| Label | Peacefrog | |||
| Producer | Little Dragon | |||
| Little Dragon chronology | ||||
| ||||
| Singles from Machine Dreams | ||||
Machine Dreams is the second studio album by Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon. It was released on 17 August 2009 by Peacefrog Records.
In making Machine Dreams, Little Dragon focused more on making uptempo dance tracks suited for live performances than on ballads like they did on their self-titled debut album. [8] [9] Vocalist Yukimi Nagano described the sound and style of Machine Dreams as more "anonymous", electronic and pop-infused than the "naked" sound of their debut. [9] [10] The album's title refers to its instrumentation and sound palette, which is a combination of organic and analog sounds with digitally-produced sonic textures, "machines that sound human with humans playing machine-like parts" in the words of journalist Tim Chester. [11] AllMusic reviewer Andy Kellman described the LP's instrumentation as consisting of "rubbery rhythms and liquid synthesizer patterns", [12] while Patric Fallon of XLR8R compared it to the works of Prince, The Knife and Tom Tom Club. [13]
Japanese artist Hideyuki Katsumata, whom the group met via Myspace, was responsible for making the cover art of Machine Dreams. [9] Nagano explained, "We had a mutual respect for each other's work and we found that his expression really added something to our sound. We love him!" [9]
| Aggregate scores | |
|---|---|
| Source | Rating |
| AnyDecentMusic? | 6.5/10 [14] |
| Metacritic | 74/100 [15] |
| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   [12] |
| The Boston Phoenix |  [16] |
| Drowned in Sound | 6/10 [17] |
| The Irish Times | [18] |
| Mojo | [19] |
| Pitchfork | 7.7/10 [20] |
| PopMatters | 7/10 [21] |
| Spin | 7/10 [22] |
| URB | [23] |
| XLR8R | 7/10 [13] |
Machine Dreams received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 10 reviews. [15]
Tim Chester of Wondering Sound viewed it as a "more refined version" of Little Dragon's debut album. [11] Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised the album as an "[electric] quiet storm, deceptively intense and even sensual." [12]
In a less enthusiastic review, Loud and Quiet critic Tom Goodwyn described Machines Dream as "slick, efficient pop music", writing that "each song flows beautifully into the next, driven by an equally infectious keyboard groove and comes in a perfect pop song length." [24] However, he also criticized the record for not taking any chances, labeling the lyrical content as "throwaway" and overall calling the album "cold, vacuum packed and devoid of heart and soul." [24]
All tracks are written by Little Dragon.
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "A New" | 4:02 |
| 2. | "Looking Glass" | 4:55 |
| 3. | "My Step" | 3:27 |
| 4. | "Feather" | 4:53 |
| 5. | "Thunder Love" | 3:54 |
| 6. | "Never Never" | 3:37 |
| 7. | "Runabout" | 4:22 |
| 8. | "Swimming" | 3:38 |
| 9. | "Blinking Pigs" | 3:39 |
| 10. | "Come Home" | 4:13 |
| 11. | "Fortune" | 3:12 |
| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 12. | "Feather" (Dimman Remix) | 6:55 |
| 13. | "My Step" (IndieAnimalJones Remix) | 9:07 |
| 14. | "Runabout" (Zick Remix) | 6:58 |
| 15. | "Swimming" (Zick Remix) | 6:31 |
| Total length: | 65:23 | |
Credits adapted from the liner notes of Machine Dreams. [29]
| Region | Date | Format | Label | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| United Kingdom | 17 August 2009 | Peacefrog | [25] [30] | |
| 31 August 2009 | CD | [31] | ||
| Sweden | 9 September 2009 |
| [26] [32] | |
| Germany | 16 October 2009 |
| [27] [33] [34] | |
| Japan | 28 October 2009 |
| Village Again | [35] [36] |
| United States | 3 November 2009 |
| Peacefrog | [28] [37] [38] |
| Australia | 26 November 2010 |
| EMI | [39] |
Cascada is a German dance music act founded in 2004 by singer Natalie Horler and DJs/producers DJ Manian and DJ Yanou. They are best known for their hit singles "Everytime We Touch", "What Hurts the Most", "Evacuate the Dancefloor", and "Miracle". Cascada represented Germany at the Eurovision Song Contest 2013 in Malmö, Sweden with "Glorious". While being one of the most successful acts of the dance music genre itself, Cascada was named as the 3rd most successful German act of the 21st century.
Anna-Catherine Hartley, known professionally as Uffie, is an American-French singer, songwriter, rapper, DJ, and fashion designer formerly signed to French electronic music record label Ed Banger Records.
The discography of Akon, a Senegalese American singer, songwriter, rapper and music producer, consists of five studio albums, four mixtapes, one extended play, thirty eight singles, eight promotional singles and ninety-two music videos. Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Akon lived in Senegal with his family until the age of seven, when they returned to the United States to live in New Jersey. A three-year prison sentence inspired Akon to begin recording songs in his home studio: Universal Records signed him after becoming aware of his music, and his debut album Trouble was released in June 2004. Two of its singles – "Locked Up" and "Lonely" – reached the top ten of the US Billboard Hot 100, with the latter topping numerous singles charts worldwide and being certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Trouble also included the singles "Gunshot ", "Ghetto", "Belly Dancer (Bananza)" and "Pot of Gold", and was eventually certified Platinum by the RIAA and by the British Phonographic Industry in the United Kingdom, where it reached number one on the UK Albums Chart.
Amazon Music is a music streaming platform and online music store operated by Amazon. Launched in public beta on September 25, 2007, in January 2008 it became the first music store to sell music without digital rights management (DRM) from the four major music labels, as well as many independents. All tracks were originally sold in 256 kilobits-per-second variable bitrate MP3 format without per-customer watermarking or DRM; however, some tracks are now watermarked. Licensing agreements with recording companies restrict the countries in which the music can be sold.
Velocifero is the fourth studio album by English electronic music band Ladytron and their first to be released by Nettwerk. The album was first released digitally on 19 May 2008, followed by a physical release on 2 June in the United Kingdom and on 3 June elsewhere.
Yukimi Eleanora Nagano is a Swedish singer and songwriter. She is the vocalist for the Swedish electronic group Little Dragon.
Little Dragon are a Swedish electronic music band from Gothenburg, Sweden, formed in 1996. The band consists of Yukimi Nagano, Erik Bodin (drums), Fredrik Wallin (bass) and Håkan Wirenstrand (keyboards).
Little Dragon is the debut studio album by Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon. It was first released in Japan on 15 August 2007 by Village Again Records, and subsequently in the United Kingdom on 3 September 2007 by Peacefrog Records.
I Am... Sasha Fierce is the third studio album by American singer Beyoncé. It was released on November 12, 2008, by Columbia Records and Music World Entertainment. In its original release, the album was formatted as a double album, intending to market Beyoncé's dichotomous artistic persona. The first disc I Am... contains slow and midtempo pop and R&B ballads, while the second, Sasha Fierce, focuses on more uptempo beats that blend electropop and Europop elements. In composing the songs' lyrics, Beyoncé worked with writers, with each session accompanied by live orchestration.
Sounds of the Universe is the twelfth studio album by English electronic music band Depeche Mode, released on 17 April 2009 by Mute Records. The album was supported by the 2009–2010 concert tour Tour of the Universe. Three singles were released from the album: "Wrong", "Peace", and a double A-side of "Fragile Tension" and "Hole to Feed". "Perfect" was also released in the United States as a promotional single.
La Roux is the debut studio album by English synth-pop duo La Roux, released on 26 June 2009 by Polydor Records. The album peaked at number two on the UK Albums Chart and was certified platinum by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). It includes the singles "In for the Kill" and "Bulletproof", which reached numbers two and one on the UK Singles Chart, respectively.
Lungs is the debut studio album by English indie rock band Florence and the Machine, released on 3 July 2009 by Island Records. After working on various projects, Florence Welch formed a band which included Robert Ackroyd, Chris Hayden, Mark Saunders, Tom Monger, and former collaborator Isabella Summers. The album features production from James Ford, Paul Epworth, Stephen Mackey, Eg White and Charlie Hugall, with additional production by band member Isabella Summers. The album has been reissued several times: an expanded version titled Between Two Lungs (2010), a digital EP subtitled The B-Sides (2011), and a Tenth Anniversary Edition (2019).
The Sound of Arrows are a Swedish electronic music duo originally from Gävle, and now based in Stockholm. The duo, consisting of Oskar Gullstrand and Stefan Storm, have remixed tracks for artists such as Lady Gaga, Alphabeat, The Naked and Famous, Natalia Kills and Nicole Scherzinger. They also produced the song "Shoot the Bullet" for electropop artist Queen of Hearts.
Teenage Dream is the third studio album by American singer Katy Perry. It was released on August 24, 2010, through Capitol Records. Primarily a pop record, Teenage Dream also contains elements of disco, electronic, rock, funk, house, Hi-NRG, and hip hop, that revolve around young love, partying, self-empowerment, and personal growth. Perry co-wrote the album, and worked with a number of producers such as Dr. Luke, Max Martin, Benny Blanco, Stargate and Greg Wells.
5.0 is the sixth studio album by American rapper Nelly. It was released through Universal Motown Records and Derrty on November 12, 2010. The album features guest appearances from Kelly Rowland, Keri Hilson, DJ Khaled, Baby, Sophie Greene, Ali, Plies, Chris Brown, T.I., Yo Gotti, T-Pain, Akon, Talib Kweli, Avery Storm, Murphy Lee, Dirty Money and Sean Paul while production was handled by Infamous, Dr. Luke, Mr. Bangladesh, Jim Jonsin, Multiman, Polow da Don, Rico Love and The Runners, among others. 5.0 is predominately a hip hop and pop music album with subtle influences of R&B.
Ritual Union is the third studio album by Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon. It was released on 25 July 2011 by Peacefrog Records. The album reached number 47 in the band's native Sweden, as well as number 28 on the UK Albums Chart and number 78 on the US Billboard 200. The album's second single, "Ritual Union", peaked at number 76 on the UK Singles Chart. Ritual Union received generally positive reviews from music critics.
Greatest Hits is the twelfth major album release by Irish boy band Westlife. It was released on 18 November 2011 by RCA Records and Sony Music. Greatest Hits is the group's second greatest hits album following Unbreakable: The Greatest Hits Volume 1 (2002) and their last before their split months later and reformation six years later. The album is the group's first album not under Syco Music and not under the tutelage of Simon Cowell, having left Syco and Cowell in March 2011. It was also the band's seventh album released as a four-piece. The greatest hits album contains numerous singles that span throughout the band's career, as well as six live tracks, two from BBC Proms in the Park and four from Live at O2 Arena. Another four new songs produced by John Shanks, which includes the lead single "Lighthouse", which was released on 14 November 2011. The compilation was released in two different formats, a standard edition containing the album's eighteen tracks, and a deluxe edition featuring numerous other singles of the band's discography, as well as a DVD containing almost all of the band's music videos on the past fourteen years of their music career.
Lykke Li is a Swedish singer and songwriter. Her discography consists of five studio albums, four extended plays (EPs), twenty-four singles, and twenty-two music videos. Eager to pursue a music career, Li began working with producer Björn Yttling of Swedish indie rock band Peter Bjorn and John when she was 19. The sessions resulted in her debut EP Little Bit, which she released on her own label LL Recordings in 2007. The release garnered attention from indie pop and mainstream publications in Sweden, while its title track peaked at number 20 on the Sverigetopplistan singles chart. Li soon released her debut studio album, Youth Novels (2008), which peaked at number three on the Swedish albums chart and spawned three more singles, including her second chart entry "I'm Good, I'm Gone". She then signed with Atlantic Records to distribute her releases worldwide. Youth Novels received widespread critical praise, but sales were poor.
Ellinor Miranda Salome Olovsdotter, known professionally as Elliphant, is a Swedish singer, rapper and songwriter. Her sound was initially created together with the Swedish production duo Jungle, which consists of Tim Denéve and Ted Krotkiewski. The music they created together caught the attention of TEN Music Group, to which Elliphant signed in 2011. Elliphant also supported Major Lazer, the side project of American producer and DJ Diplo, on their 2015 European tour.
Nabuma Rubberband is the fourth studio album by Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon, released on 9 May 2014 by Because Music. It features collaborations with Dave from De La Soul and Robin Hannibal. The album spawned three singles: "Klapp Klapp", "Paris" and "Let Go". Nabuma Rubberband was nominated for Best Dance/Electronic Album at the 57th Annual Grammy Awards.
{{cite AV media notes}}: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link)