Sometimes you come across records that you don’t just hear, but feel. That’s what happened when we stumbled upon two remarkable albums by The God Machine: Scenes from the Second Storey (1993) and One Last Laugh in a Place of Dying… (1994).
Young, ambitious, on the road to London
Robin Proper-Sheppard (vocals and guitar), Jimmy Fernandez (bass), and Ronald Austin (drums) grew up in San Diego. In their local scene they quickly felt held back. So, in the early ’90s, they set out across the world, via New York and Amsterdam, heading toward London. There, they wanted to be closer to the heart of alternative rock and to be heard.
Life there was anything but comfortable. They had little money, often lived day to day, and played wherever they could, even on the streets. But their determination was strong: this was their chance, and they were going to take it.
Two albums, two chapters
Their story needed to be heard. And it was through two intense albums.
Scenes from the Second Storey is not a collection of separate tracks, but a 77-minute experience. Silence and storm take turns, tension builds and erupts. It feels like a catharsis: as if you’re inside a film for an hour and a half, left breathless and in awe. Recorded in London (Blackwing, Maison Rouge, Matrix Studios with engineer Kenny Jones) and completed with sessions at Joe’s Garage, this debut shows what the band was striving for: a balance between beauty and unrest.
One Last Laugh in a Place of Dying… was completed in 1994. The recordings took place in Prague, in the cellars of the stately Obecní Dům. But before its release, tragedy struck. Jimmy Fernandez was admitted to hospital with severe headaches and soon after died of a brain hemorrhage. The band ceased to exist immediately. What remained was an album that unites strength and fragility. Released in a simple white sleeve, with working titles left behind by Fernandez. A farewell and a testament.
