Word of mouth led to Portugal’s Maquina playing a sold out gig at Edinburgh’s Sneaky Petes. Having already graced the stages of Groningen’s Eurosonic and Grauzone at The Hague this year, the trio’s 2025 is off to flyer. Add to that the re-issue of their 2023 debut album Dirty Tracks for Clubbing via Fuzz Club. And therein lies the clue to their music. Inspired by the metronomic beats of krautrock and blended with industrial techno, this is music for the dancefloor. However there is not a synth in sight, this is all produced on bass, guitar and drums. The Edinburgh gig is the fourth night of Maquina’s debut UK headline tour following Newcastle, the Golden Lion in Todmorden, and Glasgow.
The performance was visceral, Maquina looking like giants on stage as they produced beats which seemed to seeped up from the floor and worm their way into every single person in the venue. The performance was non-stop, not even a broken guitar string and its quick replacement slowed down the show. There was never going to be a “we’re just going to slow things down” moment in this set. The beats were relentless and exhilarating, by the end the whole room was bouncing with huge grins and whoops of delight. All too soon it was over and the merch stand did a roaring trade, a clear barometer of the success of a gig. Their second album PRATA released last spring is also available on vinyl via Fuzz Club.
Maquina continue their UK tour with full details listed below, finishing in London on 22 February.
Maquina UK Live Dates
February
16 Birkenhead, Futureyard
17 Leicester, The International
18 Birmingham, Hare & Hounds
19 Manchester, Yes Basement
20 Bristol, Rough Trade
21 Brighton, Hope & Ruin
22 London, Strongroom Bar
For more information on Maquina please check their bandcamp and instagram.