Machine Dreams

{{distinguish|Dream Machine (disambiguation){{!}}Dream Machine}}

{{Infobox album

| name = Machine Dreams

| type = studio

| cover = Little Dragon - Machine Dreams.png

| released = {{Start date|2009|08|17|df=yes}}

| recorded = 2007–2009 in Gothenburg, Sweden

| genre = * Synth-pop{{cite magazine |last=Hermes |first=Will |author-link=Will Hermes |url=https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-album-reviews/ritual-union-109516/ |title=Ritual Union |magazine=Rolling Stone |date=26 July 2011 |accessdate=11 August 2018}}

dream pop{{cite web |last=Chun |first=Kimberly |url=https://www.sfgate.com/thingstodo/article/Little-Dragon-Swedish-band-feels-the-love-in-U-S-3244176.php |title=Little Dragon: Swedish band feels the love in U.S. |work=SFGate |date=3 February 2011 |accessdate=11 August 2018}}
{{nowrap|new wave{{cite web |last=Kellman |first=Andy |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/ritual-union-mw0002164879 |title=Ritual Union – Little Dragon |website=AllMusic |accessdate=11 August 2018}}}}

| length = {{duration|m=43|s=52}}

| label = Peacefrog

| producer = Little Dragon

| prev_title = Little Dragon

| prev_year = 2007

| next_title = Ritual Union

| next_year = 2011

| misc = {{Singles

| name = Machine Dreams

| type = studio

| single1 = Fortune"/"Blinking Pigs

| single1date = 26 January 2009{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fortune-Blinking-Pigs-Little-Dragon/dp/B001KZLHPG |title=Fortune/Blinking Pigs: Little Dragon |website=Amazon (UK) |accessdate=11 August 2018}}

| single2 = Feather"/"Stranger

| single2date = 9 July 2009{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/se/album/feather-radio-edit/327789730?l=en |title=Feather (Radio Edit) by Little Dragon |website=iTunes Store (Sweden) |date=9 July 2009 |access-date=11 August 2018}}

| single3 = My Step"/"Looking Glass

| single3date = 10 August 2009{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/se/album/my-step/325388972?l=en |title=My Step by Little Dragon |website=iTunes Store (Sweden) |date=10 August 2009 |access-date=11 August 2018}}

| single4 = Runabout

| single4date = 7 June 2010{{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/se/album/runabout/373077599?l=en |title=Runabout by Little Dragon |website=iTunes Store (Sweden) |date=7 June 2010 |access-date=11 August 2018}}

}}}}

Machine Dreams is the second studio album by Swedish electronic music band Little Dragon. It was released on 17 August 2009 by Peacefrog Records.

Composition

In making Machine Dreams, Little Dragon focused more on making uptempo dance tracks suited for live performances than on ballads like they did on their self-titled debut album.{{cite web |last=Gao |first=Boyuan |url=http://beyondrace.com/articles/features/2288-little-dragon |title=Little Dragon |work=Beyond Race Magazine |accessdate=15 April 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100222051621/http://beyondrace.com/articles/features/2288-little-dragon |archivedate=22 February 2010}}{{cite web |last=Yeoh |first=Kevin |url=http://juiceonline.com/interview-little-dragon/ |title=Interview: Little Dragon |website=Juice |date=14 December 2009 |accessdate=15 April 2017}} Vocalist Yukimi Nagano described the sound and style of Machine Dreams as more "anonymous" than the "naked" sound of their debut, being influenced by electronic and pop music.{{cite web |last=Freeman |first=John |url=http://thequietus.com/articles/05442-little-dragon-interview-machine-dream |title=Fruit Coming To Flower: Little Dragon Interviewed |website=The Quietus |date=14 December 2010 |accessdate=15 April 2017}} The album's title refers to its instrumentation and sound palette, which is a combination of organic and analog sounds with digitally produced sonic textures, "machines that sound human with humans playing machine-like parts" in the words of journalist Tim Chester. AllMusic reviewer Andy Kellman described the LP's instrumentation as consisting of "rubbery rhythms and liquid synthesizer patterns", while Patric Fallon of XLR8R compared it to the works of Prince, The Knife and Tom Tom Club.

Cover art

Japanese artist Hideyuki Katsumata, whom the group met via Myspace, was responsible for making the cover art of Machine Dreams. Nagano explained, "We had a mutual respect for each other's work and we found that his expression really added something to our sound. We love him!"

Critical reception

{{Music ratings

| ADM = 6.5/10{{cite web |url=http://www.anydecentmusic.com/review/591/Little-Dragon-Machine-Dreams.aspx |title=Machine Dreams by Little Dragon reviews |website=AnyDecentMusic? |accessdate=31 January 2020}}

| MC = 74/100

| rev1 = AllMusic

| rev1Score = {{Rating|4|5}}

| rev2 = The Boston Phoenix

| rev2Score = {{Rating|2.5|4}}{{cite web |last=Brockman |first=Daniel |url=http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/88539-little-dragon-machine-dreams/ |title=Little Dragon {{!}} Machine Dreams |work=The Boston Phoenix |date=25 August 2009 |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090906113425/http://thephoenix.com/boston/music/88539-little-dragon-machine-dreams/ |archivedate=6 September 2009}}

| rev3 = Drowned in Sound

| rev3Score = 6/10{{cite web |last=Grant |first=William |url=http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14616/reviews/4137730 |title=Album Review: Little Dragon – Machine Dreams |website=Drowned in Sound |date=1 September 2009 |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archive-date=13 March 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110313094609/http://drownedinsound.com/releases/14616/reviews/4137730 |url-status=dead }}

| rev4 = The Irish Times

| rev4Score = {{rating|3|5}}{{cite news |last=Carroll |first=Jim |author-link=Jim Carroll (journalist) |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/rock-pop-reviews-1.727566 |title=Little Dragon: Machine Dreams (Peacefrog) |newspaper=The Irish Times |date=28 August 2009 |accessdate=14 September 2018}}

| rev5 = Mojo

| rev5Score = {{rating|4|5}}{{cite journal |title=Little Dragon: Machine Dreams |journal=Mojo |issue=191 |date=September 2009 |page=92}}

| rev6 = Pitchfork

| rev6Score = 7.7/10{{cite web |last=Perpetua |first=Matthew |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/13701-machine-dreams/ |title=Little Dragon: Machine Dreams |website=Pitchfork |date=16 November 2009 |accessdate=24 November 2009}}

| rev7 = PopMatters

| rev7Score = 7/10{{cite web |last=Hung |first=Estella |url=http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/110032-little-dragon-machine-dreams |title=Little Dragon: Machine Dreams |website=PopMatters |date=31 August 2009 |accessdate=4 September 2009 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120906101353/http://www.popmatters.com/pm/review/110032-little-dragon-machine-dreams |archivedate=6 September 2012}}

| rev8 = Spin

| rev8Score = 7/10{{cite web |last=Reeves |first=Mosi |url=https://www.spin.com/2009/12/little-dragon-machine-dreams-peacefrog/ |title=Little Dragon, 'Machine Dreams' (Peacefrog) |work=Spin |date=23 December 2009 |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091225231043/http://www.spin.com/reviews/little-dragon-machine-dreams-peacefrog |archivedate=25 December 2009 |url-status=live}}

| rev9 = URB

| rev9Score = {{Rating|4.5|5}}{{cite web |last=Mahoney |first=Douglas |url=http://www.urb.com/2009/11/29/little-dragon-machine-dreams-2/ |title=Little Dragon – Machine Dreams (Review) |work=URB |date=29 November 2009 |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20091202081050/http://www.urb.com/2009/11/29/little-dragon-machine-dreams-2 |archivedate=2 December 2009}}

| rev10 = XLR8R

| rev10Score = 7/10{{cite web |last=Fallon |first=Patric |url=https://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/2010/01/machine-dreams/ |title=Little Dragon: Machine Dreams |work=XLR8R |date=14 January 2010 |accessdate=14 April 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150910083301/https://www.xlr8r.com/reviews/2010/01/machine-dreams/ |archivedate=10 September 2015}}

}}

Machine Dreams received generally positive reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalised rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream publications, the album received an average score of 74, based on 10 reviews.{{cite web |url=http://www.metacritic.com/music/machine-dreams/little-dragon |title=Reviews for Machine Dreams by Little Dragon |website=Metacritic |accessdate=11 August 2018}}

Tim Chester of Wondering Sound viewed it as a "more refined version" of Little Dragon's debut album.{{cite web |last=Chester |first=Tim |url=http://www.wonderingsound.com/review/little-dragon-machine-dreams/ |title=Little Dragon, Machine Dreams |website=Wondering Sound |date=19 August 2009 |accessdate=15 April 2017 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150602034316/http://www.wonderingsound.com/review/little-dragon-machine-dreams/ |archivedate=2 June 2015 |url-status=dead}} Andy Kellman of AllMusic praised the album as an "[electric] quiet storm, deceptively intense and even sensual."{{cite web |last=Kellman |first=Andy |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/machine-dreams-mw0001761852 |title=Machine Dreams – Little Dragon |website=AllMusic |accessdate=11 August 2018}}

In a less enthusiastic review, Loud and Quiet critic Tom Goodwyn described Machines Dream as "slick, efficient pop music", writing that "each song flows beautifully into the next, driven by an equally infectious keyboard groove and comes in a perfect pop song length." However, he also criticized the record for not taking any chances, labeling the lyrical content as "throwaway" and overall calling the album "cold, vacuum packed and devoid of heart and soul."{{cite magazine |last=Goodwyn |first=Tom |url=https://issuu.com/loudandquiet/docs/issue8 |title=Albums |magazine=Loud and Quiet |volume=3 |issue=8 |date=August 2009 |page=36 |issn=2049-9892 |accessdate=14 April 2017 |via=issuu}}

Track listing

{{Track listing

| all_writing = Little Dragon

| title1 = A New

| length1 = 4:02

| title2 = Looking Glass

| length2 = 4:55

| title3 = My Step

| length3 = 3:27

| title4 = Feather

| length4 = 4:53

| title5 = Thunder Love

| length5 = 3:54

| title6 = Never Never

| length6 = 3:37

| title7 = Runabout

| length7 = 4:22

| title8 = Swimming

| length8 = 3:38

| title9 = Blinking Pigs

| length9 = 3:39

| title10 = Come Home

| length10 = 4:13

| title11 = Fortune

| length11 = 3:12

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = European iTunes bonus track

| total_length = 47:58

| title12 = Tendencies

| length12 = 4:06

}}

{{Track listing

| headline = US iTunes bonus tracks

| total_length = 65:23

| title12 = Feather

| note12 = Dimman Remix

| length12 = 6:55

| title13 = My Step

| note13 = IndieAnimalJones Remix

| length13 = 9:07

| title14 = Runabout

| note14 = Zick Remix

| length14 = 6:58

| title15 = Swimming

| note15 = Zick Remix

| length15 = 6:31

}}

Personnel

Credits adapted from the liner notes of Machine Dreams.{{cite AV media notes |title=Machine Dreams |type=liner notes |others=Little Dragon |publisher=Peacefrog Records |year=2009 |id=PFG134CD}}

Little Dragon – production, mixing
Guy Davie – mastering
Dimman – backing vocals {{small|(track 4)}}
Hideyuki Katsumata – illustration
Harry Lindgård – mixing
Petter Lindgård – mixing
SEEK – photography
La Skrocka – timbales {{small|(track 7)}}

Release history

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"
scope="col"\| Region ! scope="col"\| Date ! scope="col"\| Format ! scope="col"\| Label ! scope="col"\| {{abbr\|Ref.\|Reference}}
scope="row" rowspan="2"\| United Kingdom \| 17 August 2009 \| {{hlist\|LP\|digital download}} \| rowspan="4"\| Peacefrog \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/machine-dreams-bonus-track/321244487 \|title=Machine Dreams (Bonus Track Version) by Little Dragon \|website=iTunes Store (UK) \|date=17 August 2009 \|access-date=20 November 2011}}{{cite web \|url=http://www.peacefrog.com/releases/machine-dreams \|title=Peacefrog : Releases : Machine Dreams \|website=Peacefrog Records \|accessdate=20 November 2011 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721151225/http://www.peacefrog.com/releases/machine-dreams \|archivedate=21 July 2011}}
31 August 2009 \| CD \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=39701 \|title=Little Dragon: Machine Dreams \|website=HMV \|accessdate=20 November 2011 \|archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120711162742/http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=39701 \|archivedate=11 July 2012}}
scope="row"\| Sweden \| 9 September 2009 \| {{hlist\|CD\|digital download}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://music.apple.com/se/album/machine-dreams-bonus-track-version/321244487 \|title=Machine Dreams (Bonus Track Version) by Little Dragon \|website=iTunes Store (Sweden) \|date=17 August 2009 \|access-date=20 November 2011}}{{cite web \|url=http://cdon.se/musik/little_dragon/machine_dreams-6984353 \|title=Machine Dreams – Little Dragon \|website=CDON.com (Sweden) \|language=Swedish \|accessdate=20 November 2011 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007061106/http://cdon.se/musik/little_dragon/machine_dreams-6984353 \|archivedate=7 October 2012}}
scope="row"\| Germany \| 16 October 2009 \| {{hlist\|CD\|LP\|digital download}} \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://music.apple.com/de/album/machine-dreams-bonus-track/321244487 \|title=Machine Dreams (Bonus Track Version) von Little Dragon \|website=iTunes Store (Germany) \|date=17 August 2009 \|language=German \|access-date=20 November 2011}}{{cite web \|url=https://www.amazon.de/Machine-Dreams-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2Z6 \|title=Machine Dreams: Little Dragon \|website=Amazon (Germany) \|language=German \|accessdate=11 August 2018}}{{cite web \|url=https://www.amazon.de/Machine-Dreams-Vinyl-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2YW \|title=Machine Dreams [Vinyl LP]: Little Dragon \|website=Amazon (Germany) \|language=German \|accessdate=11 August 2018 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818211132/https://www.amazon.de/Machine-Dreams-Vinyl-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2YW \|archivedate=18 August 2010}}
scope="row"\| Japan \| 28 October 2009 \| {{hlist\|CD\|digital download}} \| Village Again \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=http://v-again.co.jp/artist/little-dragon.html \|title=Little Dragon \|website=Village Again Records \|language=Japanese \|accessdate=20 November 2011 \|archive-date=20 October 2017 \|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020152253/http://v-again.co.jp/artist/little-dragon.html \|url-status=dead }}{{cite web \|url=https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/machine-dreams/id335938363 \|title=Little Dragon「Machine Dreams」 \|website=iTunes Store (Japan) \|language=Japanese \|accessdate=20 November 2011 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617082126/https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/machine-dreams/id335938363 \|archivedate=17 June 2014}}
scope="row"\| United States \| 3 November 2009 \| {{hlist\|CD\|LP\|digital download}} \| Peacefrog \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/machine-dreams/id388076113 \|title=Machine Dreams by Little Dragon \|website=iTunes Store (US) \|accessdate=20 November 2011 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822080520/http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/machine-dreams/id388076113 \|archivedate=22 August 2011}}{{cite web \|url=https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Dreams-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2Z6 \|title=Machine Dreams: Little Dragon \|website=Amazon (US) \|accessdate=11 August 2018}}{{cite web \|url=https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Dreams-Vinyl-LITTLE-DRAGON/dp/B002G1X2YW \|title=Machine Dreams (Vinyl): Little Dragon \|website=Amazon (US) \|accessdate=11 August 2018}}
scope="row"\| Australia \| 26 November 2010 \| {{hlist\|CD\|digital download}} \| EMI \| align="center"\| {{cite web \|url=http://getmusic.com.au/littledragon/store/detail?id=116166 \|title=Little Dragon Store – Machine Dreams \|website=Getmusic (Australia) \|accessdate=20 November 2011 \|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217110103/http://getmusic.com.au/littledragon/store/detail?id=116166 \|archivedate=17 December 2011}}

class="wikitable plainrowheaders"

scope="col"| Region

! scope="col"| Date

! scope="col"| Format

! scope="col"| Label

! scope="col"| {{abbr|Ref.|Reference}}

scope="row" rowspan="2"| United Kingdom

| 17 August 2009

| {{hlist|LP|digital download}}

| rowspan="4"| Peacefrog

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/gb/album/machine-dreams-bonus-track/321244487 |title=Machine Dreams (Bonus Track Version) by Little Dragon |website=iTunes Store (UK) |date=17 August 2009 |access-date=20 November 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://www.peacefrog.com/releases/machine-dreams |title=Peacefrog : Releases : Machine Dreams |website=Peacefrog Records |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110721151225/http://www.peacefrog.com/releases/machine-dreams |archivedate=21 July 2011}}

31 August 2009

| CD

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=39701 |title=Little Dragon: Machine Dreams |website=HMV |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120711162742/http://hmv.com/hmvweb/displayProductDetails.do?ctx=280;1;-1;-1;-1&sku=39701 |archivedate=11 July 2012}}

scope="row"| Sweden

| 9 September 2009

| {{hlist|CD|digital download}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/se/album/machine-dreams-bonus-track-version/321244487 |title=Machine Dreams (Bonus Track Version) by Little Dragon |website=iTunes Store (Sweden) |date=17 August 2009 |access-date=20 November 2011}}{{cite web |url=http://cdon.se/musik/little_dragon/machine_dreams-6984353 |title=Machine Dreams – Little Dragon |website=CDON.com (Sweden) |language=Swedish |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121007061106/http://cdon.se/musik/little_dragon/machine_dreams-6984353 |archivedate=7 October 2012}}

scope="row"| Germany

| 16 October 2009

| {{hlist|CD|LP|digital download}}

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://music.apple.com/de/album/machine-dreams-bonus-track/321244487 |title=Machine Dreams (Bonus Track Version) von Little Dragon |website=iTunes Store (Germany) |date=17 August 2009 |language=German |access-date=20 November 2011}}{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.de/Machine-Dreams-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2Z6 |title=Machine Dreams: Little Dragon |website=Amazon (Germany) |language=German |accessdate=11 August 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.de/Machine-Dreams-Vinyl-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2YW |title=Machine Dreams [Vinyl LP]: Little Dragon |website=Amazon (Germany) |language=German |accessdate=11 August 2018 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100818211132/https://www.amazon.de/Machine-Dreams-Vinyl-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2YW |archivedate=18 August 2010}}

scope="row"| Japan

| 28 October 2009

| {{hlist|CD|digital download}}

| Village Again

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=http://v-again.co.jp/artist/little-dragon.html |title=Little Dragon |website=Village Again Records |language=Japanese |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archive-date=20 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171020152253/http://v-again.co.jp/artist/little-dragon.html |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/machine-dreams/id335938363 |title=Little Dragon「Machine Dreams」 |website=iTunes Store (Japan) |language=Japanese |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140617082126/https://itunes.apple.com/jp/album/machine-dreams/id335938363 |archivedate=17 June 2014}}

scope="row"| United States

| 3 November 2009

| {{hlist|CD|LP|digital download}}

| Peacefrog

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=https://itunes.apple.com/us/album/machine-dreams/id388076113 |title=Machine Dreams by Little Dragon |website=iTunes Store (US) |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110822080520/http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/machine-dreams/id388076113 |archivedate=22 August 2011}}{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Dreams-Little-Dragon/dp/B002G1X2Z6 |title=Machine Dreams: Little Dragon |website=Amazon (US) |accessdate=11 August 2018}}{{cite web |url=https://www.amazon.com/Machine-Dreams-Vinyl-LITTLE-DRAGON/dp/B002G1X2YW |title=Machine Dreams (Vinyl): Little Dragon |website=Amazon (US) |accessdate=11 August 2018}}

scope="row"| Australia

| 26 November 2010

| {{hlist|CD|digital download}}

| EMI

| align="center"| {{cite web |url=http://getmusic.com.au/littledragon/store/detail?id=116166 |title=Little Dragon Store – Machine Dreams |website=Getmusic (Australia) |accessdate=20 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20111217110103/http://getmusic.com.au/littledragon/store/detail?id=116166 |archivedate=17 December 2011}}

References

Category:2009 albums

Category:Little Dragon albums

Category:Peacefrog Records albums

Category:New wave albums by Swedish artists