MECHANICAL PTERODACTYL releases haunting duet STRIKE UP A MATCH
Mechanical Pterodactyl is the creation of Melbourne-based multi-instrumentalist/producer Yen Nguyen.
Nguyen brings eclectic sounds and production techniques together to make unique and layered
compositions that he releases under the moniker ‘Mechanical Pterodactyl’. His latest single ‘Strike Up A Match’
​is testament to his unique approach, piecing together electronic and acoustic instruments, and
drawing influence from the likes of Bon Iver, Frank Ocean and James Blake.
‘Strike Up A Match’ is the first single from Mechanical Pterodactyl’ second full-length album Timelapse, which was written and produced all by Nguyen over a period of seven years!
All of the guitar, bass, synth, keys, and drum parts that feature in the song were played by Nguyen and
recorded one at a time. However, the song is not a solo effort entirely as it does feature long time
collaborator Jenny Lee and her elegant alto voice. Lee’s vocals are soft and enchanting and the perfect
element to weave rich and haunting harmonies around Nguyen’s baritone. The two voices act like two
devils on the shoulders of the song’s protagonist;
“Gotta make a decision, there’s no time for precision”.
Underneath the ethereal vocals growls an insistent synth bass fuelled on by the pulse of dual drum kits.
The song culminates as a string quartet emerges over layers of guitar, Rhodes piano, and synths as Lee’s
voice proclaims “I’d have made it out the door, if I had somewhere to go”
“It’s the feeling of being stuck in a loop, of playing out the same routine from week to week. Strike Up a
Match is a song about snapping out of it.”
– Yen Nguyen (multi-instrumentalist/producer)
Strike Up a Match’ is the first single to be lifted off the new album,Timelapse.
This is the follow-up to Mechanical Pterodactyl’s critically praised 2012 album, Watercolours

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