The Beta Machine (A Perfect Circle) Singled Out Week: Palindrome

04-05-2019

The Beta Machine, which features A Perfect Circle's Matt McJunkins and Jeff Friedl, just released their debut album "Intruder" and to celebrate we asked Matt to tell us about some of the songs. Today he tells us about "Palindrome". Here is the story:

Another one of our favorites on the record. The very birth of this idea started with its exact title. The idea of creating a musical palindrome of sorts where there would be a phrase that would sound the same whether it was played forward or backward, thus creating a never ending loop.

Eventually it was tweaked a bit to be a little more pleasing to our ears but that was the initial idea. That's also how it ended up not being in a traditional 4/4 time, but rather a 6/4 pattern.

Once that loop was sussed out, we started building melodic ideas on top and bringing in a somewhat straightforward groove to sort of be a juxtaposition with the syncopated nature of the loop.

And at the time I was really developing a large appreciation for songs that don't have many chord changes. Maybe just one chord or two at the most the whole song. It's a good way to see if you can write something compelling enough without taking a bunch of twist and turns. Just stay the course and try to tell a good story or write something meaningful and engaging.

So we went with the idea of what the song started as, just a loop. Feeling stuck. Lost even. And eventually it turned as a look inward but also outward as a look into the psyche of anxiety/depression or even suicidal depression. But approaching it from a place of compassion. Coming from a place of understanding and empathy and reaching out to anyone who is currently or has ever felt that way and saying "You're not alone".

Hearing is believing. Now that you know the story behind the song, listen for yourself and learn more about the album right here!