Machine Girl in Chicago

About Machine Girl

Machine Girl is the Brooklyn-based duo of Soufiane Ouissi and SeanNU that treats hip-hop like a construction site. They started around 2014 making abrasive, maximalist beats that sound like they're falling apart and rebuilding themselves mid-track. Their production is dense—samples stacked on top of each other, vocal chops pitched into oblivion, percussion that feels like it's being struck with industrial tools. Tracks like HAHA and WDYM became underground staples, showcasing their ability to make something genuinely unpleasant sound oddly compelling. They've collaborated with everyone from 100 gecs to Lil Ugly Mane, always pushing toward weirder territory. Their appeal isn't in smoothness or catchiness but in the sheer audacity of their sound design and their refusal to make anything easy on the listener.

Machine Girl shows are chaotic and confrontational. The sound is overwhelming—distortion and density cranked past comfort. The crowd is usually small, devoted, and there specifically for this. There's no real moshing, just people standing close together absorbing the assault. They don't perform to crowds; they perform at them.

Known for HAHA, WDYM, HEAD HEAVY, Even Though, MOLTO BENE

Machine Girl + Chicago

Machine Girl pulled into House of Blues on a December night that felt appropriately unhinged for a band this relentless. They moved through twenty songs with the kind of controlled chaos you'd expect from a project that refuses to sit still — "Ionic Funk (20XXX Battle Music)" hit like a sugar rush of distortion, while "Psychic Attack" showed why they've built such a fervent following in the underground. The setlist leaned into their more abrasive material, "Schizodipshit" and "Black Glass" landing with particular weight. They closed on "Scroll of Sorrow," which felt about right for a band this uncompromising.

Machine Girl in Chicago News

• Machine Girl straddles the line between hardcore punk and hardcore rave music Chicago Reader · Dec 7, 2024
• Machine Girl announce fall tour (Halloween at Brooklyn Steel included) BrooklynVegan · Jul 16, 2024
• Review: 100 gecs Bring Maximalist Chaos to Sold-Out Chicago Show Third Coast Review · Apr 24, 2023
• 100 gecs announce North American tour dates with Machine Girl The Fader · Jan 19, 2023
• Machine Girl Tickets, Concerts & 2026 Tour Dates Event Tickets Center · Jan 13, 2022

Live Music in Chicago

Chicago's noise and experimental underground runs deep—the city's long history with industrial and harsh sonics means there's always been room for artists pushing into uncomfortable territory. Machine Girl's chaotic blend of distorted production and deadpan delivery slots naturally into a scene that's never been afraid of ugly sounds. They find their people here.

Chicago road trip to see Machine Girl?

Stay in Lincoln Park or Wicker Park depending on your vibe—both neighborhoods have real character and plenty of late-night options. Book dinner at Alinea if you're feeling ambitious, or hit RPM Italian for something excellent and less impossible to get into. Spend an afternoon at the Art Institute, then walk along the Lakefront. The city's got enough to fill a weekend without feeling like you're checking boxes. Catch the show, eat well, and remember why you liked this band in the first place.