MX Analog on “Automaton Man” and Building PNEUMA

On February 20, MX Analog released “Automaton Man,” featuring longtime collaborator Jorden Michael. The track now sits inside something much larger.

After stepping back, reworking his direction, and ultimately deciding to restart his catalog entirely, he’s now preparing to release PNEUMA Vol. 1 on May 15, the first part of a three part concept album. The project opens with seven tracks, including “Automaton Man,” but it’s meant to be experienced as more than just a release.

At its core, PNEUMA follows a narrative. The story follows a character representing humanity, split into two parts: the spirit and the flesh. While the spirit moves forward as the main character, the flesh becomes the central opposition. It initially feels connected, but eventually reveals itself as the thing leading toward destruction. Over time, that tension turns into a realization: the battle isn’t external, it’s internal.

“There’s this idea that if you’re only operating from the law, without understanding who Jesus is and how He fulfills it, you’re kind of just going to be a robot," says Max Logan, the artist behind MX Analog.

That idea shows up directly in “Automaton Man.” Drawn to the way “delete ya” by Djo captured emotion through production, Logan built the instrumental first, letting the sound shape the direction before developing the lyrics. What started as a sonic idea eventually became a character within the larger story, one that represents legalism without love.

But PNEUMA isn’t just a narrative album. It’s meant to feel immersive. Logan describes the project almost like a video game, with certain tracks incorporating dialogue, sound design, and moments that place the listener inside the world of the story. Some songs push the narrative forward directly, while others step back slightly, reflecting the same themes in a more standalone way. He’s also hoping to eventually turn the project into a playable video game, building out the world beyond the music itself.

It mirrors the core idea of the project. Throughout the album, the main character moves toward confronting the flesh, gathering pieces of the “armor of God” along the way, a reference to Ephesians 6, in preparation for a final battle that ultimately can’t be won alone.

“There’s going to be a point where a Christ figure has to step in,” Logan explains. “Because a human can’t defeat that on their own.”

Even outside of the story, that idea carries into how the project was made. For Logan, PNEUMA marks a shift from how he approached music in the past. Where earlier work often started with production and moved into lyrics based on whatever he was feeling at the time, this project was built with intention from the beginning, with defined themes, characters, and direction.

It’s also the first release following a major decision to take down his previous catalog entirely. After his distribution deal ends, Logan plans to remove earlier releases and move forward under MX Analog, a name he originally used before switching to MX vs The Railroad Industry. The decision wasn’t just practical. It was personal.

After months of wrestling with direction, faith, and what it actually meant to surrender his work, he felt a clear pull to start over.

Now, PNEUMA Vol. 1 feels like the first real step in that direction. Even with the depth of the concept and long term vision, including the possibility of turning the project into a playable game, Logan keeps it simple.

“I want people to genuinely enjoy the music,” he says. “And if the message connects too, that’s everything.”

For now, PNEUMA starts there, not just as a release, but as something you step into.