M4CH1N3 is Jacob Machine, a self-proclaimed dreamer from Huntsville, Texas. This industrial electronic Hip/Hop artist has produced and released his own music, published books, as well as independent feature films. M4CH1N3 takes a unique approach to his music and has kept a record of his life every day since September 2006, using it to craft his artistic creations. His music is raw and inspiring, blending rap with well-produced beats, resulting in a powerful outcome of a distinctive and one of a kind hip/hop sound. He is well on his way to achieving his goal of becoming “the dream machine of all arts for this generation”.
This past summer M4CH1N3 went on tour playing Los Angeles and Hollywood. 2019 has seen him release five singles, two albums, one book, and two EP’s. In spite of this busy year, on December 13th he is set to release his first self-produced album "Clockboy & The Adventures Of The Kid From The Back Of The Classroom" in conjunction with his second film "A Motion Picture of Youth", as well as performing at Buskerfest in Miami. He will also be publishing his second book before the end of the year, making it clear to us that M4CH1N3 contains the drive it takes to excel artistically.
Check out M4CH1N3's music here!
Welcome back to BuzzMusic Jacob! You're definitely an artist of many talents! What inspires you to create so many different mediums of art?
The root of what inspires me to create all the art that I do is simply a love for words. I believe that words are the greatest force for change on Earth, for both small and large scale, personal, individual, group or mass. With words, I can make music, write scripts for movies or books. I write it, then see what I can do to speak and take action towards making it a reality. I am simply testing the possibility without expectation or hesitation. The things we choose to do with every moment of each of our time changes the world around us constantly. What we all do matters. With the voice & mind that I have, I choose to speak and create, reflecting my own experience to share understanding for whatever it is worth to anyone at any time. From the unknown beauty of life to the brutal truths of reality to all the pains, joys, fears and loves, understanding is needed to bridge the divides in modern society. How can I help with that? To just create what I feel and constantly share what I see, from the best to the worst with honesty.
I've been writing before I knew how to spell. Making movies with the neighborhood kids at 7. I started writing what happened every single day 13 years ago. Taught myself music and released over 20 albums worth of independent material over a decade unknown. Why? Creating is what I did to survive through the hard times of my life and it's what I do now because why not? I'm just trying to empty my head, but new songs pop up every day. I've got 19 movies outlined to make before I'm dead and there'll probably be more. I know what my next 3 albums are. I don't know why I have the ideas that I have in my head, but I feel like it is my duty just to do my best every day to get them out of my head. No matter where I am or what I'm doing, I have to inspire myself to keep moving forward every day.
2019 seemed like a busy year for you with the release of multiple projects, which did you enjoy working on the most?
Out of all the projects I have worked on this year, I enjoyed A Motion Picture of Youth the most. As said before, I've been making movies since I was 7 years old. I would write the scripts, gather up my friends of kids in the neighborhood and film movies. I'd edit them and transfer them over to VHS back in the day. After some years, I was afraid that VHS players may eat the tape of the only VHS tapes of my existing childhood, so I shelved the old memories of movies for 15 years. I found some people I trusted to work with the old film this year after not watching any of the material a single time since my childhood and got all my old movies transferred to digital. With that, I was able to have the most nostalgic experience of my whole life re-experiencing my own forgotten childhood and editing together a new movie to share with everyone else what the childhood of a creative kid in the country looks like. It'll be out on Youtube Dec 13th for anyone to watch.
Despite the vibe of some of my music at times, recently I actually haven't stopped feeling really f*cking good every day since I saw the movies and began my new project. Like something clicked in my head. I've been doing this every day for my entire life and I'm going to be doing it more every day for the rest of my entire life. With that said, what on Earth is there worth worrying about? Yeah, the world is messed up, but it's up to us to make the best of what we have, what we want and what we see as well as to not take our time and planet or neighbors for granted. Whether I've got a buck and a fan or a billion and a dream machine, I'ma be writing every day and just making new art because it's what I do. I think watching my childhood somehow cured me of ever worrying about anything again possibly. I'ma just do my thing, make my story and enjoy the process rain or shine.
Will 2020 be a heavy release year like 2019?
Oh yeah, every year is gonna be release heavy. Within the next decade, I hope to have a production studio where not only can I provide jobs and opportunities to others, but I will be capable and have the help and resources to crank out even more quality work than I am able to do alone. You never know, maybe 2020 that'll begin. I will be working every day regardless. My first self produced album drops Dec 13th, but I'll have another new song with a completely different vibe being released January 1st to kick off 2020. It's just what I do.
What was it like self-producing your album? Did you enjoy that process more than working with other producers?
Self-producing my album was fun for sure. I love just working to myself and having complete freedom of thought with the assistance of technology to determine what best fits to express the ideas I had. I'm at a point now though where frankly I'm tired of working alone. I'm sure I'll continue to release self-produced albums just because I make the time, but also greatly I would like to work with some other producers. I'm not leasing out any more beats, maybe a few if I find some artists that are good people that I want to support and work with, but too many sound the same and have no personality.
What I want is to go to a studio with a producer that wants to work with me without me having to pay him like a job. Someone who looks at working with me as a collaboration and a dedication to a project rather than just another income source. I want to meet other workaholic artistic producers and create entire albums with specific vibes and stories. Then sell the albums and help each other make that happen. Collaboration. If it's not that... I'll be working alone. I need people I can respect, trust and be inspired by. Clockboy and the Adventures of the Kid from the Back of the Classroom, my first self produced an album that I wrote, programmed the music, mixed and mastered myself will be released Dec 13th. It is written from the perspective of the eyes of my younger self in High School back in prison city Huntsville, Texas. It is my best and favorite work to date. Industrial rap and folk hop for the age of anti-pop.
Your song 'Face the Day' is very relatable, what were you hoping the intended reaction to be?
What's next for M4CH1N3 in 2020?
Face the Day is one of my favorite songs. It's produced by Anno Domini, who on the subject of producers and leasing beats is one of the few producers I have ever truly enjoyed working with. I even took the time to come meet with me in person while he was in Hollywood and talk over ideas, which I have great respect for even in itself and still appreciate it. To indie artists and rappers out there looking for a great producer to lease work from, go to him. Legion Beats is good as well as Gray Matter Beats. As said, I'll be producing all my own work or looking for single producers for individual albums in real settings from now on. If you need leases for music to write to, go check out these guys. They are some of the best I know around.
With all that said now too, the Face the Day track is the closing track from the Become the Machine album and was used it in that place to represent a feeling of being awake all night thinking about the world and getting up still with a good attitude to work another day, even if you have no love or no money or no sleep you just keep pushing forward without worry or fear. Everybody has to face every day, so I hoped I'd made a song to help anybody along with their life for a moment possibly with a listen. 2020? If you like what you see, just sit back and watch the show.