Angell & Crane Premiere Their Improvisational “Twin Machines” Music Video

You might think it’s not possible to condense 40 hours of music into 40 minutes, but Angell & Crane will gladly prove you wrong with their just-released self-titled album. Today, the duo premiered the music video for “Twin Machines” (by Tracy Maurice), the record’s opening track. It encapsulates the essence of what this record is all about with its heavy emphasis on spontaneity.

It’s a nice look into who guitarist Simon Angell and drummer Tommy Crane are as musicians. They approach their music-making with an open mind, not bound by any sound or style. For over 20 years, the two have lent their instrumental talents to artists from across the spectrum of genres. Now, they are taking this opportunity to collaborate, recording days’ worth of musical explorations. With these raw recordings, they then rearrange and reinterpret these sessions, using a full suite of modern production techniques to slice and dice everything.

Elaborating on the track, Angell states:

“Twin Machines began as an electronic drum loop created by Tommy. Once the loop was constructed, we let it play ad infinitum and improvised atop it. Tommy on drums and Simon on an open-tuned 12-string electric guitar that, by design, evokes the swaying textures of synths rather than traditional guitar tones. Later, Tommy added congas to give the track that extra drive. It is a piece we love to revisit live, and each performance takes it in new, unpredictable directions.”

In Angell & Crane’s view, production is often overlooked with more improvisational music. They specifically sought to buck this trend with their own recordings. They weave together various sounds and genres from different time periods, cleverly binding it all together. The bulk of this album was put together over the course of six days of improvising in the studio. Using several different microphones, they recorded as much as they could. Their attempt was to make things sound as three-dimensional as they could. Then they took all that tape and remarkably condensed it down into something very coherent. If you’re seeking adventure, then what’s what Angell & Crane are all about.

Angell & Crane ‘Angell & Crane’ album artwork