The Manhattan Project

“How could you communicate with the future?” asks a voice at the beginning of the Manhattan Project’s first release, Atomic Bomb Party Vol. I. The duo immediately provides their answer in the form of precise drums and explorative keys. Where other live electronica acts have ventured, the Manhattan Projects steps off the beaten path by writing songs that are more tight and narrative than the loose improvisational style of bands like The New Deal, EOTO, or STS9. I don’t mean to say that the Manhattan Project don’t improvise, but their style and sound is much cleaner – as if we were actually listening to robots and not two guys from Rochester, NY.

But that’s really the point behind their songs. Instead of humanizing electronic music like the other livetronica bands, drummer Shawn Drogan and keyboardist Charlie Lindner tiptoe along the line of being indistinguishable between human and machine, making their songs more intriguing and enjoyable. You’ll want to dance, but you’ll also want to stop and think about what you’re listening to. This isn’t your club electronica.

“1984? kicks off Atomic Bomb Party and kicks the album into high-gear immediately with a fast, driving rhythm. With no bassist, Lindner covers the bass lines on his keys. His bass sound reminds me of the funk lines that would act as an anchor for Herbie Hancock on his albums Head Hunters and Thrust – not overly complex, but fun enough that they’ll get your foot tappin’. As his bass beat sets the mood for the opener, he brings in the droning synths as Drogan provides the tight tempo that would make a metronome jealous.

The duo moves on to “Evolutionary”, which continues the furious tempos that “1984? set. The synths twist and twirl like a tornado on this one, as Lindner’s bass line gives the keys some ground to key some balance. As the storm fades, the listener is left with a soothing rhythm that segues nicely into the trance song, “Glitter & Dust”. As a voice tells the listener to slowly relax, you can’t help but fall victim to the groove. It’s a perfect song to place in the middle of the EP, giving the listener a nice break before things take a little bit of a turn.

“Bright Lights (Dark Nights)” and “Dance Hall Trance” end the EP on the darker side. The Manhattan Project turns down the lights with the former continuing the trance trend and the latter sounding like a mirrored version of “1984?. At the album end of the album, you feel confident in the Manhattan Project’s answer to the opening question -”THAT is how we could communicate with the future.” - Tympanogram.com

"This live electronic duo has chosen to learn from their robotic counterparts rather than dismiss them. In fact, the Project's main goal seems to be making human music more robotic. Armed with an arsenal of percussion and synthesizers, they march the fine line between analog and digital." - Rochester City Newspaper