When we chatted with Billy Corgan, over a decade ago, the Smashing Pumpkins' about the reissue of 1998's Adore, he mentioned that he had started working on a reissue for Machina I and Machina II. "The record was written as a pseudo-rock-opera type deal, and when the band completely fell apart in the middle, the album never really got finished in the way I’d written it, so I view it as kind of an unfinished album," he told Ryan Leas in 2014. Now, it seems Corgan stuck to his word and both reissues will see the light of day.
Corgan recently launched a Machina solo tour, which saw him reunite with Melissa Auf der Maur onstage in Montreal. Today, the Smashing Pumpkins finally detailed the reissue of 2000's Machina/The Machines Of God and its companion album Machina II/The Friends & Enemies Of Modern Music. It's out in multiple formats on August 22 via UMe and through Madame Zuzu’s Tea Shop.
The remastered release of Machina/The Machines Of God will come in various formats including a black 180g 2LP vinyl reissue; a 180g limited-edition color 2LP in corona red/black, as well as CD and digital formats.
Billy Corgan's Madame Zuzu’s tea shop in Highland Park, IL is exclusively offering an expansive 80-song vinyl box set featuring a 48-track Machina plus an additional 32 bonus tracks of demos, outtakes, and live performances, marking the first time these two records will officially be united. That vinyl box set is the only way to hear all 80 songs in its entirety in that format.
“It’s taken some 25 years to finally release Machina as we in the band had hoped it would be, and with MadameZuzus.com as the only place one can get this expansive, 80-song collection, I personally could not be more proud,” said Corgan. “Machina was meant as our swan song, and it was truly a labor of love to bring it to fruition, however broken we were back then. But with the band about to embark on a global tour in 2025, as well as my solo tour with The Machines Of God, this set stands as a celebration and testament of will, for the songs alone have helped James, Jimmy, and I keep the faith.”
See the package images below.
Machina/The Machines Of God and Machina II/The Friends & Enemies Of Modern Music are out 8/22 via UMe and through Madame Zuzu’s Tea Shop. Pre-order the box set here.
