Having shared stages with rock legends such as Foo Fighters and Slash with previous band Hawk Eyes, innovative musician and songwriter John MacKenzie has now branched into more experimental territory with new solo project, UKofA. With influences ranging from Nine Inch Nails and PiL, to Wu Tang Clan, he’s set to release his genre-defying new album, Mister Oblivion, on 5th December 2025.
Following our first taste of the album, in the form of synth-driven anthem, ‘Hope Assassin’, last month, now UKofA is sharing a swirling reflection on the decisions we make as humans. Of new single, ‘Commit’, Mackenzie explains:
“….it feels simultaneously profound and absurd, which I think is a lot like life in general. We can care so much about the tiniest details whilst still acknowledging that we’re on a ball of rock flying through an endless universe. Yet there are important choices to be made as a species – it’s just whether we can collectively figure those out in time.”
Oozing a dark majestic allure , ‘Commit’ builds with a seething energy and raging sense of urgency to a fierce climax. As the angst-driven power of Mackenzie’s impassioned vocals ripples alongside propulsive beats and fizzing synth-heavy hooks, it showcases UKofA’s willingness to experiment with sampling and loop-based layers, fusing together a raw organic rock power with innovative electronic soundscapes.
Initially starting out as a guitar riff that Mackenzie absent-mindedly started playing whilst sitting at his desk one day, the track soon developed into something much more. Moving the riffs to the synths and weaving together an eclectic array of influences, ‘Commit’ morphed into the immense sonic explosion that you hear today.
Recorded and mixed at Mackenzie’s home studio as an entirely solo project, and mastered by Big C at Big Seas Production, ‘Commit’ is accompanied by a homemade video, combining edited clips of John playing the track with beautiful time-lapse footage of plants, which he felt contrasted and complemented the message of the song – “Everything develops at its own pace and just like these plants, our development as humans is subject to the natural elements and things outside of our control.”
Having previously received acclaim in the bands Hawk Eyes and Godzilla Black, Mackenzie has worked alongside a number of legendary names, such as Richard O’Brien (Rocky Horror Picture Show, The Crystal Maze), Dale Crover (Melvins), and members of Napalm Death and Cardiacs, as well as sharing stages with the likes of Foo Fighters, Slash and Gang Of Four. Now, branching out from the more conventional rock trajectory with this experimental solo project, he marks himself out as an innovative creator of immersive soundscapes.
‘Commit’ is released on 29th October 2025 via We Go To 11 (a sub-label of Trapped Animal Records), ahead of UKofA’s new album, Mister Oblivion, which is set for release on 5th December 2025.
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