Dawn Richard's 'creole culture' Is a Brash, Joyful Masterpiece of New Orleans Futurism
“New Orleans culture doesn’t have to live in the past to be authentic,” Richard says. It “can be progressive,” “can be global,” “can be pop culture” — and “can look like me.” Merge frames the record as the closing panel of a triptych with New Breed and Second Line: “Steeped in history but with its flag planted firmly in the future.”
The Sonic Breakdown
The Production & Mix
The Low-End: Machinedrum takes three tracks — the Big Freedia-fronted intro, “only fans” and “groove city” — and Paste caught the best of it, calling “only fans” “a sleek and sexy garage-lite heater, with the kind of jittery drum kit that would be just at home in a Burial track.” Paste’s summary of the shift is the keeper: “Her new sound is brash and loud and made to be heard through a loudspeaker.” Eric Heigle mixed, Roye Robley mastered.
The Spatial Dynamics: This is an electronic record played by a band, and the band is why it breathes. Brandon Cordoba covers synth bass, organ, keys and piano on ten of eleven tracks; David Otis adds saxophone to eight, Jonah Levine trombone to six. “groove city” builds on a sampled Chocolate Milk vocal from her father, Frank Richard — lineage dropped into the mix rather than explained in the notes.
Standout Performance
Greg Paul, who plays drums on all eleven tracks and whose Inglewood collective Katalyst co-executive produced the album. He is the one element never swapped out, and the record’s bounce is his posture. Honourable mention to Tarriona “Tank” Ball on “l v r”: Shatter the Standards reckoned Richard “grants the album’s best verse in the song” to her.
Why It’s Certified
Clash called it “a real standout in her catalogue” — “a bold, colourful and dramatic document, matching personal revelation to no small degree of humour.” Paste described “a mercurial, emotionally complex journey” and noted that with Machinedrum and “a revolving cast of contemporary NOLA luminaries, the album sees Richard open her practice to fruitful collaborations.” Album of the Year has it at 75. Five years away, and she came back loud.