Music

At the Speed of Ten Machines, by Voice Box

Pinning down this Chicago-based group’s sound is difficult. But it’s easy to name resemblances: the progressive song structure and guitar work of Yes; the spoken-word interludes of Frank Zappa and Ken Nordine; the slithery funk of 1970s David Bowie. Half the songs on Machines stretch out five minutes or longer, but “Great Stone Forest” (at 2:44) sounds like a nocturnal crawl through a far-flung wilderness, anchored by Jim Quinn’s tasty percussion layers.

Louis R. Carlozo

Louis R. Carlozo is a music producer in Chicago.

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