365 ELECTRONIC MUSIC ALBUMS IN 365 DAYS

Day 14: ...Because I'm Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For — Machine Girl

Genres: Breakcore / Jungle / Hardcore
Year: 2017
Country: United States

(This is a personal opinion; I have no formal knowledge of music theory, but I love electronic music. Please keep that in mind while reading.)

A lot has been said about Machine Girl within the underground electronic scene, yet somehow it still feels like people haven't talked about them enough.

Machine Girl is one of those projects that refuses to stay inside a single genre. Constantly shifting between experimental electronics, digital hardcore, noise, and breakcore, the project has built a reputation for pushing intensity to its limits.

Founded by Matthew Stephenson and later joined by drummer Sean Kelly, Machine Girl emerged during a period when electronic music was undergoing significant changes. While mainstream EDM dominated festivals and charts throughout the mid-2010s, many artists began looking back toward the underground, embracing experimentation, internet-born subgenres, and complete creative freedom.

Machine Girl first gained widespread attention through WLFGRL, but in my opinion, their true potential emerged with ...Because I'm Young Arrogant and Hate Everything You Stand For.

Breakcore itself traces much of its history back to the legendary Amen Break, one of the most sampled drum loops ever recorded. Yet this album goes far beyond simply speeding up breakbeats and layering samples.

This is the first Machine Girl album where Matt's vocals take center stage, and it also marks Sean Kelly's debut as an official member of the project.

And the result is explosive.

This album is pure chaos.

The chaos of adolescence.

The chaos of anger.

The chaos of wanting everything to burn simply because the world already feels like it's on fire.

Matt's lyrics channel frustration, isolation, anxiety, and survival within an increasingly alienating digital age. Even the cover art screams disorder, aggression, and emotional overload.

Musically, the album never stops moving.

Amen Breaks race at absurd speeds, synthesizers collide, distortion floods every corner of the mix, and each track feels like it's moments away from collapsing under its own weight.

Highlights include "Bullet Hell," "Sad Claps," "Athoth A Go!! Go!!," and "うずまき (Uzumaki)," named after Junji Ito's legendary horror manga.

Listening to the album, I couldn't help but imagine it as the soundtrack to a cyberpunk shooter or an ultraviolent experimental anime from the 1990s.

And that's no coincidence.

Much of Machine Girl's aesthetic is heavily inspired by Japanese cyberpunk, body horror films like Tetsuo: The Iron Man, and the fascination with merging flesh, metal, and technology.

If previous albums in this journey encouraged relaxation, dancing, or introspection, this one throws you directly into the chaos.

There is no comfort here.

Tempos frequently push beyond 200 BPM, and the intensity rarely lets up.

PERSONAL CONCLUSIONS

Consider this a warning: this won't be the last time we visit the more extreme side of electronic music.

Because while some records inspire us to dance or reflect, others exist as outlets for anger, frustration, and raw emotional energy.

Machine Girl belongs firmly in that category.

I'd love to talk about their more recent work—or even their upcoming release—in the future, but this is not an album I'd recommend to everyone.

It's for listeners who enjoy extremes.

For those looking for the intersection between sonic destruction and electronic experimentation.

For people who grew up with ultraviolent anime, chaotic video games, and dystopian science fiction.

Machine Girl doesn't want to comfort you.

Machine Girl wants to hit you with a wall of noise and emotion.

And if that sounds appealing, this album might be exactly what you're looking for.

DAY 14 - ... BECAUSE I'M YOUNG ARROGANT AND HATE EVERYTHING YOU STAND FOR

If you like those crazy-ass japanese movies, Machine Girl is definitely for you...

[ LISTEN TO THE ALBUM ]