What is your name?
Beckie
What is your genre of music?
Such a hard question to answer! I think future pop, mixed with a little synth wave and experimental bits!
Give us a little bio about you.
BEKIMACHINE is a singer, songwriter and producer from Kent/London. Her music displays elements from various electronic styles, including future pop and synthwave. Heavily influenced by video games and the cyberpunk genre, BEKIMACHINE seeks to bring these elements together to create a unique sound whilst evoking a captivating aesthetic.
What made you go into music?
Back at school I originally studied science subjects, and failed. I’ve always loved singing, and played the flute from a very young age, so I decided to follow my gut and take music performance and music technology instead! I then formed my first band Instransient as a singer, until I eventually started my solo project after University
Are you a signed?
Nope, I’m an independent artist
You set to release your new EP ‘SAGA’ as a re-release, tell us more about the EP.
So ‘Saga’ was my first original release as a solo artist, which I’m re-releasing under my Twitch name, ‘BEKIMACHINE’. It was written with the underlying story of a girl who finds herself plummeted into a world of control, war & a thirst for cybernetic power. Remodeled as a cyborg, she must escape & in doing so, discovers her new found abilities made possible by her ‘Ionheart’.
What is the meaning behind ‘SAGA’?
A ‘Saga’ is a narrative, or story of sorts. I thought it sounded cool and it worked with the theme of my EP! I eventually ended up referring to the main character of the story as ‘Saga’, who is on the front cover of the EP which I created.
Describe each track in two words.
The Sea Change: Ocean storm
Oblivion: Trippy pink
Super Machine: Powerless change
Flux: Purple control
Ionheart: Turquoise escape
What was the writing process like?
The writing process was a first for me. I’d written lyrics and produced cover songs in the past, but I’d never really written/produced my own original music. When I wrote this EP, I used Logic Pro X. I would generally start out with an idea, for example if there was a synth sound I liked I’d make a melody out of it, then flesh the song out from there. Generally I would write the song from start to finish, but as I wrote more I started moving sections around. Once I had the main song made, I’d write the lyrics and map out vocal melodies on a keyboard
What was the recording process like?
I wrote and recorded all the vocals in my bedroom using my AT4040 and an Apollo Twin. Generally I would record out demo vocals to get a feel of the song, then re-record them properly once I am happy with the vocal lines and lyrics. Originally I had written out a midi bass line for the tracks, but then had a couple of friends play bass for me, which I used in most of the songs. For some songs it became a little more experimental like in ‘Flux’ where I played with a panned delay on the bass, or ‘Super Machine’ where I reversed it in some sections!
Listen to SAGA
Do you have any shows coming up?
Yes! I’m playing a show for Twitch London’s 3rd birthday on 21st March! Such a great opportunity and I’m excited to be part of it!
If so where will you be heading?
The Oval Space in London.
What else can we expect in Early 2020?
I have a new song, ‘Siren’ set to release in early 2020, and later in the year I want to start working on my first album.
Do you have any collaborations coming up with any up coming artists?
Yes, I’ve been working with a band called Code: Marla on some of their new tracks which has been fun!
Would you be up for collaborations if other musicians wanted one with you? And who would they have to contact?
I am open to collaborations! All business enquiries should go through bekimachine@gmail.com
Do you play any instruments?
I’ve played the Flute since I was about 9 years old. I got my Grade 8 and then put it down for a few years. Now I play it in a ska/punk band called Just Say Nay! I can also make my way around a keyboard for song writing and also know a few chords on guitar & ukulele, but still just a beginner with those!
Who are your influences?
I listen to all sorts, but I would say Grimes, Purity Ring & HANA are my main ones at the moment
How do you get inspiration to write songs?
For me, I picture a place or storyline and just go from there. I work well with imagery as I play ALOT of computer games – and especially love getting immersed in fantasy & cyberpunk worlds!! I definitely take a lot of inspiration from them.
Where do you see yourself now in 5 Years?
I’d like to think I’ll have played gigs all over the UK and released a couple of albums by then!
When you’re not doing music, what do you do?
I put a lot of time into my Twitch channel. I LOVE streaming and love the community that is building from it. I’ve been streaming for about 2 years and one of my long terms goals is to hit Partner. But I won’t stop there! I also work full time at a company that does sound design & audio post production for TV, radio & cinema.
What was the song you listened to most that influenced you to go more into the music scene?
A hard question to answer but when I was about 16, I used to listen to many female fronted bands. One of those that really inspired me to start my own rock band was VersaEmerge. I loved them, their songs were amazing. One of my favourite songs of theirs was ‘Consider The Sea’
What’s the best advice you have ever been given?
My Mum has always told me since a young age to make the most of every opportunity. That’s what I’ve always done, and will always do!
What advice would you give to aspiring musicians not about the industry and just as an artist?
One thing I’ve learnt the hard way is learning when to finish a song. I can tweak, tweak, tweak for months on one song and just never finish it. I’ve now learnt that working this way means you won’t release anything! So I’d say set yourself deadlines to work to and stick to them, set a date you want to release and go for it!
What quote or saying do you always stick by?
I always think if you have a dream or want to do something you just have to go for it. Sitting idly by will get you nowhere. You have to learn, grow and improve to achieve. If you work at something long enough you will succeed. You just have to keep trying.
Where in your hometown is a must go to visit?
Natural History Museum in London. It’s filled with dinosaurs and it’s AWESOME!
When you are at a gig, what are 5 things you cannot forget?
Earplugs, my laptop, my Akai APC40 mkll, keyboard and my mobile phone with my instrumentals just in case everything breaks!
Do you have social media accounts so your fans can follow you?
Twitch
Twitter
Facebook
Instagram
Soundcloud
