Secret Machines: Brandon Curtis Works Them Out

"My brother Andrew lives in Beijing and I am excited to visit him again!"
- Brandon Curtis

Before conducting this interview with The Secret Machines (www.myspace.com/secretmachines), I went through all their albums – days later, the psychedelic thunderstorm of “First Wave Intact” and the innocent love story in “Alone, Jealous & Stoned” are still living in my head. As the band prepares to tour Beijing (Mar 19) and Shanghai (Mar 20), we talked to Brandon Curtis, vocalist/keyboardist/bassist, about the music that brought them to this point.

the Beijinger: How did The Secret Machines come together?
Brandon Curtis: We all met in Dallas, Texas. It was a relatively small music scene and people of common interests sort of gravitate to each other.

tbj: Who would you consider as your musical influences?
BC: Neu, Can, Kraftwerk, Gong/Steve Hillage, Swans and Scott Walker – plus (the obvious ones) Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, The Beatles.

tbj: What are you listening to right now?
BC: Birdsongs of the Mesozoic’s Magnetic Flip.

tbj: Your top five all-time favorite albums?
BC: The Rolling Stones’ Exile On Main Street, Fennesz’s Endless Summer, Beethoven’s Symphony No. 3 in E flat major (“Eroica”), Cocteau Twins’ Victorialand, David Bowie’s Station to Station.

tbj: What was the story behind “Alone, Jealous & Stoned”?
BC: I was thinking of it from the point of view of a very young person, and the first connection with the great vast nothing, which is sure to be full of happy people. The song is about great distances and naive heartache.

The Secret Machines play "Nowhere Again" at MTV

tbj: Your opinions on music reviews?
BC: I think good music reviews talk about the music and how it affects the listener on a personal level. Great music reviews are about personal experiences that happens to also be universal, sort of “It's about me, but also everybody.”

tbj: Does it offend you when the press keeps going on about your famous friends (i.e. David Bowie)?
BC: No, it's flattering. But it's not real, so I don't really pay any attention.

tbj: Have you been feeling as part of the scene after moving to New York?
BC: We are definitely of the independent sort, not really associated with any scene or group in NYC.

tbj: Have you ever been to China before?
BC: I have been to China twice. My brother Andrew currently lives in Beijing and I am excited to have the chance to visit him again!

tbj: Name three things that come to mind when we say China.
BC: Lots of people, long train rides and amazing food.

The Secret Machines play at Yugong Yishan on March 19 (Friday), RandomK(e) and Girl Kill Girl support. RMB 200, RMB 150 (advance). Door opens at 8pm. 3-2 Zhangzizhong Lu (100m west of Zhangzizhong Lu subway station), Dongcheng District (6404 2711). 东城区平安大道张自忠路3-2号(地铁五号线张自忠路站往西100米)