San Mei – In The Machine

San Mei’s first new music of 2021 sees her taking her dreamy pop in a new direction.

‘In The Machine’ opens with a throbbing electronic beat and acid-style synths. It’s heavier, more industrial, driven by an incessant electronic bass and skittish drum patterns and sounds. It’s like you’re trapped in the machine with her, giant cogs grinding and sparks flying.

Being stuck in the machine, for San Mei, is when you’re running your life on autopilot. “This song,” she says, “is me telling myself to wake up and get moving.”

San Mei sounds better than ever in this darker soundscape, the contrast between music and voice giving her reverb-drenched vocals extra dreaminess and fragility. Washes of synth and harmony in the chorus just add to the battle between light and dark at the heart of the song.

Jamie Summerfield