New Artist Highlight: Mike Gale Injects Some Enjoyable and Fancy Into Lofi as He Finds His ‘Twin Spirit’
Reviewer Paul Jetten on his summarized Mike Gale and his new album Twin Spirit on his Bandcamp web page thus: “Think about Ween and Sparklehorse being curated by The Caretaker. This album is a triumph.” That’s nearly as good a spot as any to begin with this very, very indie lofi launch. Hardly truly new with 9 solo releases and an additional 9 beneath his belt with different initiatives, Mike Gale is right here to inject some much-needed whimsy into the largely chilled out style.
Going by Gale’s catalog, there are undoubtedly lashings of the afore-mentioned Ween, Sparklehorse and The Caretaker, particularly within the earlier works along with his different initiatives, Black Nielson and Co-pilgrim. Largely rock in nature and likewise containing the enjoyable and fantasy of mid-era Flaming Lips, these early ventures even have a type of Roxy-Music-if-Brian-Eno-came-back-and-tied-up-Ferry-in-the-corner vibe. It appears clear that whereas his work along with his bands was soulful and attention-grabbing, very similar to Frank Black with the Pixies, it may need been a bit formulaic for Gale.
Because the discography merges into his solo ventures beginning with the album Finger Bone from Swan Wing in 2015, it’s clear that Gale actually needed to discover the manufacturing and digital facet of lofi. On this album there are some particular Bon Iver vibes, however fortunately it will get way more numerous from there. Gale’s experimentation with electronica and synths started in 2018 with the idea album Beachhead Galaxy. With Moog-style supporting synths and a few fairly prodigious sound design, the tracks on this album present Gale’s development into unorthodox folks and folk-tinged electronica.
One thing should have clicked for Gale after Beachhead Galaxy as a result of on the very subsequent album Summer time Deluxe, every monitor is rife with experimental sound design and merges the lofi vibes from his outdated rock albums with classic synths and ambient sounds to provide a extremely sun-bleached, sepia-tinted, reel-to-reel really feel to the music whereas nonetheless being modern and attention-grabbing. It’s a tricky steadiness to carry however Gale appears to have a preternatural skill with it.
After two extra largely acoustic albums in 2020 the place some jazz and world music affect begins to creep in, Gale determined to go full-on experimental with Twin Spirit. Now extra Zappa versus Vampire Weekend or Al Jolson versus Flaming Lips than Bon Iver versus Liz Phair, Twin Spirit sees Gale actually taking possibilities with each single monitor: enjoying with distortion, pattern loops, beat progressions and extra to make some actually attention-grabbing lofi sounds.
Tracks just like the intro “Don’t Thoughts the Climate” and “Welcome to Amsterdam” channel that basically zany, chaotic jazz fusion vitality that Miles Davis and Frank Zappa pioneered within the 70s whereas others like “Awake Awake” and “One other Trick of the Mild” are extra conventional-sounding lofi rock with classic 80s touches. Nonetheless others like “Betteriver” and the title monitor are enjoyable, trippy musical interludes the place it’s clear Gale was actually having fun with messing with the sound design to make all types of various mixtures and vibes.
Twin Spirit closes with probably essentially the most cohesive and emotive monitor on the album or so it appears. “Don’t Thoughts the Satan” is only a modernized re-imagining of the opener “Don’t Thoughts the Satan,” and with it, the album type of comes full circle and proves what could also be Gale’s level for this launch: there are a whole bunch of the way to construct each tune, and he clearly doesn’t need to be restricted to only one approach.
It’s all the time attention-grabbing to find an artist whose type is already established but they’re nonetheless pushing their very own boundaries. With such a protracted and storied discography, it’s simple to see how Mike Gale has progressed whereas nonetheless making the music he loves. Including increasingly types and affect and actually breaking out of his stylistic shell, Twin Spirit could also be Gale’s seminal album. That stated, it’s probably he’ll proceed to evolve his sound much more. so he’s additionally one to maintain watching each for lofi and experimental electronica.
Twin Spirit is out now and might be streamed by way of a number of platforms by clicking here. His complete discography, together with his different initiatives, might be streamed or bought on Mike Gale’s Bandcamp page.