Prog-Rock supergroup DarWin have released their new single “Man vs. Machine” via Origin Of Species/Alliance Entertainment. Musically, the song bursts with spirited grooves, impassioned vocals and luxurious instrumental passages that zig where others might zag. Guitarist DarWin and bassist Mohini Dey lock into bracing unison lines in flowing cadence with Matt Bissonette’s purposeful lyrics, and Greg Howe’s sustained guitar solo outro is a corker interweaving around drummer Simon Phillips’ dynamic, driving rhythms.
Says DarWin, “We encourage people to ask big questions about what’s happening around them, such as with AI and humanoid robotics in the case of this song. But our lyrics and concepts are impressionistic. We don’t try to spoon feed our own answers to the audience. The power is in the courage to consider the question. It goes on for a while longer than most end solos, but that’s because we didn’t want it to end.”
DarWin is an ongoing musical exploration led by songwriter/guitarist DarWin and drumming legend Simon Phillips (Toto, Jeff Beck, The Who, Judas Priest, Tears for Fears). Since forming in 2015, the duo has collaborated with vocalist Matt Bissonette (Joe Satriani, Ringo Starr, Elton John) and has steadily established themselves as a true original. Bass sensation Mohini Dey (Steve Vai, Willow Smith, Guthrie Govan), who has been with the group since 2022, contributes her fiery power along with virtuoso guitarist Greg Howe (Michael Jackson, Protocol, Justin Timberlake) providing jaw-dropping performances. Joining up with a hall of fame of musicians over the years, including Derek Sherinian, Billy Sheehan, Guthrie Govan, Julian Pollack (J3PO), Jesse Siebenberg, Andy Timmons, and many more, the group seeks to celebrate a shared love for musicianship and virtuosity. The result is something that must be experienced, and preferably at high volume.
The music of DarWin, which is all produced by Phillips and DarWin, has its own identity – nothing quite sounds like it; it seems to exist in its own orbit – and the second you think you’ve got the band figured out, they go somewhere fresh and new.
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