For fans left unsatisfied by the muted atmospherics of Adore and the sometimes over-processed and obtuse first MACHINA, MACHINA II was a welcome return to the band's hard rock roots. The end result was a collection of heavy rock songs with a very raw, "lo-fi" sound intentionally characterized by pops, scratches, and other distortions. This sound was further defined by the manner of the album's release: the tracks were sourced from hand-cut vinyl records and then uploaded to the internet. Its underground popularity can most likely be attributed to its hard, raw sound and rough energy. Though not as well known among Pumpkins fans as the band's commercial releases, MACHINA II perhaps enjoys greater popularity among die-hard fans than its sister album, MACHINA. Virgin declined a double album from the band as the previous Pumpkins album, Adore, had not sold well. Originally, the songs were intended to be the second disc of a double album instead of two separate releases. The vinyls were shipped via FedEx to several heavily active fans in the online community, with instructions to immediately redistribute it among the fans. As a final farewell, and as a snub to the unsupportive label, it was released independently. As is evident by the title, the band was fed up with Virgin. Virgin Records was unwilling to release MACHINA II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music so close to the first (and commercially unsuccessful) MACHINA. At the time the album was released it was to be the final Smashing Pumpkins studio album, but as of the summer of 2006 the band has reformed and is in the process of writing a new album. It consists of three EPs full of B-Sides and alternate versions, and one LP being the actual album. A sequel to MACHINA/The Machines of God, it is the sixth album from the Pumpkins, though there are many fans who remain ignorant of its existence because it was never commercially released. MACHINA II/The Friends & Enemies of Modern Music is an album by The Smashing Pumpkins that was released for free on the Internet on September 5, 2000.
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