While the norm for most tracks go anywhere between 3:30 to 6:00 minutes in length … I prefer 15:00 minutes or longer … like the four seasons. Give me 4 long tracks to fill the hour, and I’ll be one very happy Iraqi. I love tracks that take me on long journeys through various movements.

One of my all-time favorite synth-pop groups is PROPAGANDA from germany … who sound like twisted ABBA + Industrial + TechnoPop + Darkness.

12-inch vinyl cover of P:Machinery

My favorite Proganda track is P:Machinery.

I’ve taken two 12-inch vinyl versions of that track and conjoined them together as one … the way I want to listen to P:Machinery by:

• digitizing them into Protools;
• spending two long months cleaning them up;
• getting rid of every single scratch/pop/click;
• restoring deteriorated sounds through various RE-SYNTHESIS processes and techniques;
• splicing the tracks to separate clips;
• re-arranging and layering clips to my taste;
• throwing in my own synth-stabs, chops and other minor subtleties;
• adding & automating series of chained top-notch effects throughout the mix, utilizing parameters some of you could not even pronounce … thus resulting with more dynamic and reverberated DEPTH to the mix;
• fattening the bottom-end;
• widening overall stereo perception; and
• mixing, engineering and mastering my version of P:Machinery the way I think it’s supposed to be heard.

To my taste, P:Machinery sounds better than ‘sick’ … more like master piece of shit which blasts sonically across the stereo-field … not one element standing still but constantly moving all over the place.

Listen Hashmoderized P:Machinery track…

Propaganda – “P:Machinery” (Hashmoderized) (mp3)

Lyrics…

On joyless lanes we walk in lines
a calm but steady flow
Accompanied by loud commands
our strength is running low.

Another hope feeds another dream
another truth installed by the machine
a secret wish the marrying of lies
today comes true what common sense denies.

Rotating wheels are destiny
in flame the city lies
Machines call out for followers far out into the night

The calls of the machines drowning in the steam.

Another hope feeds another dream
another truth installed by the machine
a secret wish the marrying of lies
today comes true what common sense denies.

The calls of the machines drowning in the steam.

On joyless lanes we walk in lines
a calm but steady flow
our strength is running low.

Another hope – another dream – another truth -
installed by the machine – installed by the machine.

Gear Used By Propaganda…

New England Digital, Synclavier 9600 System

New england Digital, Synclavier II

PPG Wave and Waveterm 2

External Links About Propaganda…

• Propaganda wikipedia page
• Interview with Propaganda’s Michael Mertens

Live Performance…