"Machinist Auxiliaries, Needles of Needless Emphasises" features a video clip that unfolds in a disrupted narrative, alternating between processed gameplay footage of "Twisted Metal: Black", subjected to intense glitch and emerging on-screen-text that appears against a backdrop of AI generated quarry explosions footage. These explosions intertwine with the relentless beats of distorted, accelerated drums, punctuating the harsh ambient soundscape with piercing screams.
The title of the track underlines the role of machines and technology as auxiliary forces in the context of war. Explored through "Twisted Metal: Black", a vehicle combat game where vehicular warfare and explosive chaos reign supreme, and AI generated footage, the video functions as a critical gaze to dissect the symbiotic conjunction between technology, warfare, and extractivism.
Extracted materials are metamorphosed into essential components for high-tech military apparatus: missiles, weapons, electronics, computers and vehicles to name a few – a nuanced process which is entangled with geopolitical conflicts and blackened landscapes fueled by unchecked extractivism, the blurred boundaries between industrial pursuits and the machinery of warfare.
The deliberate choice of the term "Metal" further extends the commentary to encompass extractive practices. "Twisted Metal: Black" transcends its role as a mere game title; it becomes a signifier that encapsulates the malleability, endurance and strength of metal that is twisted to serve military purposes through high-tech applications, resulting in the blackening of terrains, biomes and spacetime.
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