Machine Command, an EBM project, released the single “Rage” on August 4, 2026. The single follows the 2026 album “Cathected” and is available on Bandcamp and Spotify.

“Rage” holds two versions of the track. The main version runs at 145 BPM as an EBM stomper, with a vocal delivery the band describes as somewhere between Rein and Anne Clarke. The second version, titled “Rage (Vocoder Dub Mix)”, uses vocodered vocals over an electrofunk arrangement the band compares to Cabaret Voltaire. Lyrically, the song addresses how social media places people into echo chambers and sets them against each other.

“Rage” is the first single from a new Machine Command album, scheduled for release sometime in 2027. Machine Command describes its sound as appealing to fans of Nitzer Ebb and Portion Control, as well as newer acts such as Ultra Sunn and Ruined Conflict.

On August 28, 2026, Machine Command supports Rotersand at The Helling in Utrecht, Netherlands. Additional shows are in preparation.

About Machine Command

Machine Command is an EBM project of Pieter Winkelaar and Annemarie Janssen. The project’s Bandcamp discography includes the albums “4PM”, “Deformed”, “Strength”, “To The Point”, “New Socialism”, “Stampfbereit”, “Two Point Zero”, “Decline and Rise Again”, “Nuke It from Orbit” and “Cathected”, the latter released March 11, 2026, alongside the EPs “Tetrarchy E.P.” and “Without Fear EP” and additional singles and remix releases. Side-Line previously covered the band’s “Affected” album. “Rage” continues that release chronology and adds the Rotersand support date to the project’s upcoming live schedule.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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Out now is the new Machine Command album “Affected“. Expect EBM in the vein of Nitzer Ebb or Portion Control with female vocals. You can stream or download it below.

About Machine Command

Machine Command is a collaboration between vocalist Annemarie Janssen and electronics maestro Pieter Winkelaar. The project began in 2013 under the name Halcyon Days, originally featuring singer Daryl Grootfaam. Influenced by classic EBM acts like Nitzer Ebb, Portion Control, and Leather Strip, the band sought to offer an alternative to the prevailing cybergoth trend. Their debut album, “To The Point”, was followed by the singles “Tetrarchy” and “Without Fear”.

In 2018, the band began work on a second album but only managed to record three tracks with Daryl. One of these songs, “Bodyheat”, was eventually released in 2023 as part of the free massive “Electronic Bodies Session 1” compilation by Side-Line. Around this time, Daryl left the band to focus on his poetry and other musical projects.

Due to the popularity of the name ‘Halcyon Days’, the project was rebranded as “Machine Command”. Pieter attempted to find a new vocalist in 2022 but was unsuccessful. Determined to move forward, he completed the second album, “New Socialism”, using samples and AI-generated vocals. The album included four reworked tracks from the 2018 sessions alongside six new compositions and was released digitally in November 2023.

An advertisement for a new vocalist had been online for over a year when Annemarie Janssen came across it. Despite seeing that the latest album had already been released, she reached out. Her background in theatre, experience as a vocalist in acoustic bands, and her admiration for Nina Hagen, Front 242, and Depeche Mode made her a perfect fit for Machine Command.

From March to October 2024, the duo worked intensively on their next album. In September 2024, Machine Command released the single “Not Doing It”, which featured remixes by other artists from the industrial and goth scene. Finally, in November 2024, the third album, “Affected”, was released.

Bernard - Side-Line Staff

Chief editor of Side-Line – which basically means I spend my days wading through a relentless flood of press releases from labels, artists, DJs, and zealous correspondents. My job? Strip out the promo nonsense, verify what’s actually real, and decide which stories make the cut and which get tossed into the digital void. Outside the news filter bubble, I’m all in for quality sushi and helping raise funds for Ukraine’s ongoing fight against the modern-day axis of evil. Besides music I’m also an SEO and AI content flow specialist and have an interest in everything finance from stocks to crypto. There is music in everything!

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