"I don't think it's overly dramatic to say that Drum Machine probably helped to save my life.
I've had some very dark times in the last 10 years and Drum Machine was the one thing that got me through.
Even when I couldn't leave the house just to go to the shops or do anything productive, I made an effort every Wednesday to get to Drum Machine because it feeds my soul.
Being part of Drum Machine has not just given me some of the best ever times performing but it's given me some of the best times of my life.
Standing up at the front of the band on the main stage at Beatherder when Aid couldn't lead the band, that was a moment of absolute joy.
That was in my top 3 of lifetime moments ever.
So thank you Drum Machine.
And thank you Aid."
Colin Bell
“I was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 2010 after months of tests and investigations. I had been struggling with my health for years previous to this. With strong medication I usually manage my symptoms well but occasionally MS takes over and I have to take time to recover. I was going through a divorce in 2015 and my friends decided to take me out for the evening to cheer me up.
THAT was when I heard the machine.
I couldn’t believe my ears-the sound was incredible. Drum Machine entered and I couldn’t believe how the sound made me feel.
It was the best thing I had ever heard and I instantly felt like a different person.
A few weeks after, I saw that drum machine were recruiting.
I felt like I needed to be a part of this band.
Having never played an instrument before I was sure they’d just ask me to leave.
I completed the beginners course auditions and I couldn’t believe it when I received an email afterwards to say I was IN!
YES! 3 years later and still loving it more than anything.
When I play in the band I feel AMAZING. I feel like I could take on the world.
MS doesn’t exist when Drum Machine are playing. The sound is hypnotic and it takes away my pain.
My legs work, I can see again and I feel incredible!”
Becky Mayo
"I first saw Drum Machine play in the Trades years ago and was instantly blown away by the energy, performance and uniqueness of the sound.
I wanted to be part of it and kept telling people about it.
Then, I saw the ad for the recruitment drive and I knew it was my chance.
Nervously I attended as I'm not too good with new situations and new people.
3 years later, being part of the Drum machine family has really helped my confidence and socialising issues and I couldn't imagine not being in DM.
Everyone is amazing and friendly and really lovely and obviously Aid is an absolute genius when it comes to the beats and how to get it over in a way
everyone will understand."
James Willis Davies
"They say you can choose your friends but not your family but with Drum Machine you get both.
Not being a natural drummer, musician or even being able to tap my feet in time, I find Drum Machine a real challenge mentally and physically.
With Aid's teaching style plus the support and encouragement I get from the gang, I was able to achieve something I thought was unachievable.
The camradery is second to none and you're always made to feel welcome and valued as a team member. There is always someone to help if you're struggling either personally or with band related issues.
The gigs and festivals we play are awesome to be part of and always strengthen the bonds between the team.
Also being part of such a large group makes it comfortable for those less confident members whilst on stage.
Add to this, our band leader is a musical genius meaning that the gigs we play are absolute stomping live dance sets.
All in all, Drum Machine is an element of my life that I am deeply proud to be part of and an effort that is definitely worth the pay off.
Viva DM!"
Joe Duffield
"'Trance' has become known as an EDM musical genre. It is though a very ancient concept I suspect, understood and deliberately sought out since humans stared into the flames and hit things to dance around a fire millennia ago.
Trance states may be meditative or ecstatic, or both I guess...
Collective trance states and the experience within that can be known as 'liminal.' Liminality is the state whereby through an induced collective experience the individual loses their sense of self and becomes One, or At One with a mass. Like the height of a rave or a big gig where everyone peaks simultaneously.
DRUM MACHINE have always induced this in me. So much so that family and dear friends, playing in the band almost immediately dissolve into that black slab of pulsating energy, and the individuals within it melt away in the entrancing sway.
I was Drum Machine's video documenter from the very start. Here is a video I made of Drum Machine at the Trades Club, Hebden Bridge with Mental Elf on NYE. I made this video as a psychedelic experience in itself to match the live one, which for me IS a hypnotic and psychedelic state of trance. A chance to space out but simultaneously lock in. Trance dance.
As an audience member it is a matter of seconds before the hypnotic sway takes me away, and the mighty wall of sound quietens everything else in my mind. The visual block of black becomes one mass, and the machine takes over. It's delicious.
As a fan, video documenter and recently bass drum player I adore that sense of dissolving into the live DM experience. It's not like any other band. I have seen thousands of bands since being a young punk in '77 and played in several other percussion based bands. The only band I would compare DM to in their shamanic strength is the inimitable Killing Joke - no ordinary band, still improving with age and endlessly keeping that simple and effective strength and groove.
I think I can personally claim to have seen DM play more than any other person as a fan, filmed days’ worth of footage and now played many many gigs.. The experience is almost always the same whatever the very diverse contexts we play in. Whether it be a main stage, in a field or a night club, whoever the audience are, Drum Machine call people in. We start the party.
(Bestival start the party video link https://youtu.be/W4H9LCmCOGk )
There isn't any other band I've seen over a hundred times and feel as entranced still as I did the first time. It's a magical mystical thing, I'm endlessly delighted to be part of. Numerous incarnations, members and musical tweaks over around a decade, and I suspect and hope DM will continue to evolve and dissolve for years to come.
Viva Le Machine!"
Doug Lyon