This Machine Kills Music collaborators Jim Boraas and Phacet focus on the use of sounds from their environment, recording and manipulating these sounds into unusual musical elements. Digital production combined with a variety of "real world" processes result in a sound that is both deliberate and imminent.

Formed in 1997 in Vancouver, BC (originally as "Victory Gin"), This Machine Kills Music released completed work only sporadically, in limited quantity, and via unconventional means. Continued dissatisfaction with the prevalent "find a label or perish" mentality, combined with Jim's increasing focus on his piano instrumental efforts, led to the group's unofficial hiatus in 2002.

In 2009, the duo began working on a new release, inspired by the increasing success of digital distribution in allowing unconventional music to find its audience. "The shift toward digital has put an end to the superstar and encouraged a huge diversity in music," says Boraas. Phacet concurs: "There's a far broader variety of music available to a greater number of people than ever before. It's an exciting time to be an artist and a music fan."