Cerca:dr hook

Leonardo Del Vita and vocalist Sabrina Anselmi, epitomized the sun-soaked italo grooves of the 1980s. This short-lived group unleashed only a handful of singles between 1985 and 1988.

Their debut single, “Sombrero” surfaced in 1985 as a promo-only 12” on the Roman label LGO, in exceedingly limited quantities, garnered relatively little attention.
Fast forward nearly four decades, it has become one of the most coveted Italo 12”s, fetching exorbitant sums in collector’s circles.

“Sombrero” stands out among aficionados of obscure Italo-disco, embodying a distinct vein: that of summer-themed tracks. With its tantalizing blend of airy arpeggios, Juno 60 synth lines and bass, punchy percussions adorned with claps, DX 7 cowbells and a seductive saxophone solo. “Sombrero” has it all to seduce new discerning listeners, also thanks to the infectious alternating vocals in English and Spanish, featuring hilariously sultry hooks such as “Te quiero, Sombrero!” or “I love muchachas!”

Disco Segreta fulfils another Italo disco dream by reissuing this absolute gem for a broader audience, presented in a meticulously remastered 12” edition featuring the original vocal and instrumental versions, along with the stellar “Estate Dub” by the Chilean-Swedish maestro of Italo-disco, Claudio Burgos, aka Mr. Fantasy, which we are sure will become an absolute dance classic.

Sombrero, te quiero!

Originally released in 1996 as a limited fan-club pressing for Rockathon, Guided By Voices’ Tonics And Twisted Chasers has always existed as an anomaly in Robert Pollard’s vast discography. In many ways, the album serves as the tail of a creative comet that in just two years included the “classic line-up” trilogy of Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars and countless singles that crammed endless hooks in their grooves. In the intervening space, Tonics And Twisted Chasers has taken on a mythic status. It’s arguably Pollard’s strangest, gnarliest, most enlightened record and also the fans first chance to see the stitches that bind his galaxy of songs. It’s like peering at the caliber inside a watch, responsible for making the whole enterprise tick. This nineteen-song collaboration with guitarist Tobin Sprout could be interpreted as spontaneous sketches, late-night improvisations, ideas that blossomed later in the timeline (“Knock ’Em Flyin’” and “Key Losers”), but as with anything in Pollard’s orbit, its intention is clear when heard as a cohesive whole. The Pollard tenet that “less is more” is on full display here. The songs rarely creep past ninety seconds and coalesce much like Pollard’s collage-styled visual art. Arena anthems in miniature (“158 Years Of Beautiful Sex”) bash up against eerie piano laments (“Universal Nurse Finger”) without any time to breathe, acoustic lullabies that sound like a Midwestern summer’s twilight (“Look It’s Baseball”) segue into monochromatic post-rock (“Maxwell Jump”). The euphoric joy and obtuse melancholy in Pollard’s voice is so palpable on the album’s standout, “Dayton, Ohio 19 Something & 5” (which has since become a live staple), that it’s impossible to find a more autobiographical yarn in his catalog. The album’s closest analog is 1993’s Vampire On Titus, as it contains that album’s prickly, dark and shimmering obfuscation that only reveals its beauty after repeated listens. Tonics And Twisted Chasers maintains the lore because the melodies are so strong. Using a primitive drum machine, Radio Shack effects, minimal instrumentation and the DIY spirit that guided them in the first place, Pollard and Sprout constructed a masterpiece of pop that could only come from a basement in north Dayton, Ohio. Anyone in that hallowed era who happened upon it, kept it as a secret.

Originally released in 1996 as a limited fan-club pressing for Rockathon, Guided By Voices’ Tonics And Twisted Chasers has always existed as an anomaly in Robert Pollard’s vast discography. In many ways, the album serves as the tail of a creative comet that in just two years included the “classic line-up” trilogy of Bee Thousand, Alien Lanes, Under the Bushes, Under the Stars and countless singles that crammed endless hooks in their grooves. In the intervening space, Tonics And Twisted Chasers has taken on a mythic status. It’s arguably Pollard’s strangest, gnarliest, most enlightened record and also the fans first chance to see the stitches that bind his galaxy of songs. It’s like peering at the caliber inside a watch, responsible for making the whole enterprise tick. This nineteen-song collaboration with guitarist Tobin Sprout could be interpreted as spontaneous sketches, late-night improvisations, ideas that blossomed later in the timeline (“Knock ’Em Flyin’” and “Key Losers”), but as with anything in Pollard’s orbit, its intention is clear when heard as a cohesive whole. The Pollard tenet that “less is more” is on full display here. The songs rarely creep past ninety seconds and coalesce much like Pollard’s collage-styled visual art. Arena anthems in miniature (“158 Years Of Beautiful Sex”) bash up against eerie piano laments (“Universal Nurse Finger”) without any time to breathe, acoustic lullabies that sound like a Midwestern summer’s twilight (“Look It’s Baseball”) segue into monochromatic post-rock (“Maxwell Jump”). The euphoric joy and obtuse melancholy in Pollard’s voice is so palpable on the album’s standout, “Dayton, Ohio 19 Something & 5” (which has since become a live staple), that it’s impossible to find a more autobiographical yarn in his catalog. The album’s closest analog is 1993’s Vampire On Titus, as it contains that album’s prickly, dark and shimmering obfuscation that only reveals its beauty after repeated listens. Tonics And Twisted Chasers maintains the lore because the melodies are so strong. Using a primitive drum machine, Radio Shack effects, minimal instrumentation and the DIY spirit that guided them in the first place, Pollard and Sprout constructed a masterpiece of pop that could only come from a basement in north Dayton, Ohio. Anyone in that hallowed era who happened upon it, kept it as a secret.

After a debut LP a couple of years ago, Patrick McEachnie (Chain Whip) is back with a stunning sophomore LP. Where the first LP was Pat taking care of everything, this time it is a full band, resulting in a album of bouncy, power-poppy rippers with great hooks and pop sensibility, inspired by the less abrasive, more melodically driven side of ’70s punk. 13 brand new songs to full in love with. Summer never tasted so good

Since first splashing on to the Southern California circuit in the mid-aughts, Geneva Jacuzzi (née Garvin) quickly cemented herself as the queen of the Los Angeles underground. Her immersive and unhinged multimedia performances are the stuff of legend, a psychotropic gallery of masks, costumes, confrontation, and massive art installations. Jacuzzi’s recordings are equally revered, catchy hooks and cryptic moods dusted in 4-track grit. The arrival of her third official full-length, and Dais Records debut, is cause for such celebration. Triple Fire vividly expands and crystallizes Jacuzzi’s signature fusion of midnight melody and mutant aerobics across a 12-track hit parade of wildcard synth-pop and sly post-apocalyptic camp. Her enthusiasm for the album is as bold as her body of work: “Halfway through, we started calling this the record of the prophecy, the record that’s going to save mankind.”



Opener “Laps of Luxury” sets the template – a strobe-lit dreamer’s delight of swaggering synth bass, Haçienda drum machinery, and sultry vocal spellcasting (“Tragic mysteries I’ve known for centuries / I burned all memories and turned to fantasy”). The collection burns through shades of sardonic strut (“Art Is Dangerous,” “Nu2U,” “Keep It Secret”), coldwave kiss off (“Speed Of Light,” co-produced by Andrew Clinco of Drab Majesty), retro-futurist body music (“Dry,” “Scene Ballerina,” “Bow Tie Eater”), and cheeky glitterball pop (“Take It Or Leave It,” “Heart Full Of Poison” co-produced by Roderick Edens and Andrew Briggs). She likens the eclectic spectrum of moods to the continuum of human emotions: “Funny, sexy, sad, scary, witty, hopeful, menacing. Eventually it deconstructs, turns into a party, and then ends sweet and soft.”



Taken as a whole, Triple Fire comes as close as any document yet to capturing Jacuzzi’s kaleidoscopic alchemy of pop sugar and chaos energy, flickering between icy and ironic, chic and surreal, hungry and heartsick. Hers is a muse as rare as it is regenerative, forever reborn at the precipice of the next chorus: “Someone said that Alcatraz had fallen into the sea / Almost sounded like an angel calling me in a dream / I felt an electric shock when I picked up the microphone.”

You could call Wishy's story a lucky one. After prior monikers and iterations, Wishy was born as a kaleidoscope of alternative music's semi-recent history, with traces of shoegaze, grunge and power-pop swirling together. On Triple Seven, Indiana songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites' musical synergy proves itself to be a rare one-the kind that sounds like someone striking gold. Part sly wink and part warm gratitude, it's only fitting their much anticipated full length debut is titled Triple Seven, where Wishy's penchant for indelible hooks is couched equally in pillowy atmospherics and scathing distortion. By day Krauter works as a music teacher, giving drum and guitar lessons to students, while Pitchkites is a seamstress by trade and often makes embroidered merch for the band. Coming up in a scene defined by hardcore and emo, Krauter and Pitchkites instead found themselves writing melodies in their heads while driving to work, pulling music from the air and arriving at a blearier, more ethereal interpretation of Midwest expanse. Initially, their music oscillated between hazy dream-pop and heavier alt-rock. The subject of their songs create a loose web of vignettes and snapshots, capturing Krauter and Pitchkites in a whirlwind couple of years _ exiting the pandemic, embarking on an embryonic project, making sense of their musical pasts while forging a musical future alongside one another, each of them on a journey of self-acceptance and self-understanding. Sometimes gorgeous, sometimes festering, and always cathartic, Triple Seven is a vibrant and exhilarating document of self-discovery with the scope and heft of the bygone big-budget rock albums that inspired it.

Recorded by renowned producer Andy Bell at the remote Red Kite Studios in Wales, Silver Horizon features 11 hook-driven indie folk songs set in a captivating, dream-like sound world, infused with Sam’s love for the ethereal textures of slowcore and dream pop bands such as Low and Cocteau Twins. Guitarist Stuart McCallum (The Breath) weaves epic reverb-drenched soundscapes around many songs, which are simultaneously otherworldly and deeply personal. “I’m still dealing with themes of love, loss, and change that have been a part of my earlier work, but at the moment, sketching events in an impressionistic way instead of documenting them in detail gives the songs more room to breathe.” This seamless blend of the intimate and ethereal makes Silver Horizon the most remarkable album of Carter’s career.

This new and heavyweight 12" from Robot84 is a fresh fusion of Italo and house vibes that are defined by lively percussion, lush pianos, 808 drum fills, and an irresistible vocal hook. The original of this has already garnered attention with high praise from Manchester legend Justin Robertson who dropped it at a Hacienda 51 gig for its 30th anniversary. Sean Johnston, Heidi Lawden, Laurent Garnier and more have all also been playing it out recently which tells you all you need to know, really. Flip it over for a dubbed-out headwrecker that is just as good.

You could call Wishy's story a lucky one. After prior monikers and iterations, Wishy was born as a kaleidoscope of alternative music's semi-recent history, with traces of shoegaze, grunge and power-pop swirling together. On Triple Seven, Indiana songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites' musical synergy proves itself to be a rare one-the kind that sounds like someone striking gold. Part sly wink and part warm gratitude, it's only fitting their much anticipated full length debut is titled Triple Seven, where Wishy's penchant for indelible hooks is couched equally in pillowy atmospherics and scathing distortion. By day Krauter works as a music teacher, giving drum and guitar lessons to students, while Pitchkites is a seamstress by trade and often makes embroidered merch for the band. Coming up in a scene defined by hardcore and emo, Krauter and Pitchkites instead found themselves writing melodies in their heads while driving to work, pulling music from the air and arriving at a blearier, more ethereal interpretation of Midwest expanse. Initially, their music oscillated between hazy dream-pop and heavier alt-rock. The subject of their songs create a loose web of vignettes and snapshots, capturing Krauter and Pitchkites in a whirlwind couple of years _ exiting the pandemic, embarking on an embryonic project, making sense of their musical pasts while forging a musical future alongside one another, each of them on a journey of self-acceptance and self-understanding. Sometimes gorgeous, sometimes festering, and always cathartic, Triple Seven is a vibrant and exhilarating document of self-discovery with the scope and heft of the bygone big-budget rock albums that inspired it.

You could call Wishy's story a lucky one. After prior monikers and iterations, Wishy was born as a kaleidoscope of alternative music's semi-recent history, with traces of shoegaze, grunge and power-pop swirling together. On Triple Seven, Indiana songwriters Kevin Krauter and Nina Pitchkites' musical synergy proves itself to be a rare one-the kind that sounds like someone striking gold. Part sly wink and part warm gratitude, it's only fitting their much anticipated full length debut is titled Triple Seven, where Wishy's penchant for indelible hooks is couched equally in pillowy atmospherics and scathing distortion. By day Krauter works as a music teacher, giving drum and guitar lessons to students, while Pitchkites is a seamstress by trade and often makes embroidered merch for the band. Coming up in a scene defined by hardcore and emo, Krauter and Pitchkites instead found themselves writing melodies in their heads while driving to work, pulling music from the air and arriving at a blearier, more ethereal interpretation of Midwest expanse. Initially, their music oscillated between hazy dream-pop and heavier alt-rock. The subject of their songs create a loose web of vignettes and snapshots, capturing Krauter and Pitchkites in a whirlwind couple of years _ exiting the pandemic, embarking on an embryonic project, making sense of their musical pasts while forging a musical future alongside one another, each of them on a journey of self-acceptance and self-understanding. Sometimes gorgeous, sometimes festering, and always cathartic, Triple Seven is a vibrant and exhilarating document of self-discovery with the scope and heft of the bygone big-budget rock albums that inspired it.

This album was a self imposed ambitious project for us. Something to kick in the creative flow. The last few years, having been a challenging time in general, felt like a good time for a pivot. The last two albums were so guitar and keyboard centric, I wanted a weird and fun set of parameters for us to work with. I demo’d everything at home on cassette 4 track (harkening back to simpler times) using drum loops, and just had at it 'til I had a pile of “songs”. Tom and I chose one sound each using synths and created a range of 3 octaves of that sample, then loaded them into Roland SPD-SX samplers and learned the transcribed songs using drum sticks. The idea was to change the way we wrote and to have 4 people along the front of the stage essentially playing percussion. So no guitar, no keys. As we were recording I kept thinking how the sounds, when paired up, sounded a bit like brass. So, we added a saxophone horn section to round out the horniness of the sound with a bit of reedy bell tones. Thanks to Cansfis Foote & Brad Caulkins on tenor and Baritone saxophones :) Sort of a Dexy’s Midnight Runners meets Von LMO meets The Flesh Eaters meets the Screamers kinda punk junk. Poppy and hooky, heavy at times.. Sort of vacuous and maybe a bit sci-fi in sound. Boneheaded in riff and heady in lyrics. Recorded at Stu-Stu-Studio by me on 8 track 1/4” tape . So pretty hot and raw. Lots to write about today. A lot of these lyrics were taken from things people said in passing about taking on life right now that stuck with me. Things that made me reflect. Things that made me laugh. Things that made me WTF. Some folks are kind, genuine & give you love and energy. Some are greedy manipulative ghouls who hang off your veins. You must be strong, composed and take care of yourself. Be self aware and check your mind for cracks. Learn to relax and be well. There are moments of beauty and redemption. Its not all bad news and there’s always hope. People continue to surprise me one way or another. Anyhow, Hope you enjoy and good luck out there. — John Dwyer

Following a stunning introduction to the world with her 'Sometimes I Forget You're Human Too' EP release in early 2021, Bored At My Grandmas House (AKA Amber Strawbridge) is back with the compelling new single Detox.

It's a tale of navigating change with Amber explaining it’s about “feeling alienated, not knowing who you can and can’t trust, and figuring out how to be yourself whilst also discovering who you are”. “The lyrics represent exactly how I felt in that current moment, numb, confused to who I was and overwhelmed by all the changes I was starting to encounter”.

While Detox retains a lot of the indie and shoegaze elements prevalent in Amber's debut EP, it also shows growth and maturity in sound, with more contemplative lyrics asking questions of the listener. It's a stunning synth-laden track which broods and swells.

Lyrically, there is a deep introspection and a philosophical desire to question and understand human nature, culminating in the "I think we need to Detox" hook.

The track will be released on a limited edition 7" vinyl via Clue Records with a bottle green vinyl available from the artist and label and a toxic yellow version available at all good indie record shops. Following the first 2 pressings of Amber's debut EP selling out ahead of release date, these will be highly sought after.

The track was recorded by Amber at home in Cumbria before being sent to Alex Greaves (bdrmm, Working Mens Club) to add some elements and mix the track. Amber and Alex worked closely together on the final revisions.

The origins of 21 year-old Amber Strawbridge's bedroom shoegaze project Bored at My Grandma's House are perhaps unsurprising given the name. Facing an extended stay with relatives after a trip to Cambodia, Amber used the spare time to start making beats on her phone with Garageband. Fast forward to 2022, the home set up's more than evolved, she's released her debut EP 'Sometimes I Forget You're Human Too' to critical acclaim ,and now steps back into the light with new single Detox.

Ali Berger has been churning out top-tier, thoughtful house music with plenty of soul and bounce for some time now. Whether he’s releasing via his own label Trackland, or dropping 12”s on labels like Spectral Sound, Clave House, Firm Tracks, and FCR, or DJing either solo or collaboratively with Davis Galvin as Hits Only, Ali’s signature feel is always palpable…there’s a genuine spirit to it all.

This 12” is four bumpers that balance sunshine and introspective, heady, thumpin’ house. A1 “Sun Rising On Harmony” has an ear-worm bass line hook driving the tune with an infectious melody on top riding shotgun. A2 “Inside” brings some acidic tendencies to a back-to-basics house sound we’re always in the mood for. Flip to the B-side and “Thoughts Like Light Snow” give us an electro reprise. B2 “Mint Leaf” brings us home with a swelling bass line and snares that dew-drop over the 4/4 with luscious pads and brain-itch scratching zoinks playing at your ear in the background. House music that’s like fine chocolate. Unpack and indulge!

In den letzten 15 Jahren hat sich Ryan Gustafson von THE DEAD TONGUES zu einer der markantesten Stimmen des modernen Folk entwickelt. So eigenwillig und gespenstisch seine Songs manchmal auch sind, Gustafson hat seine Visionen und Verse immer mit der Art von Hooks verknüpft, die man wie Talismane aufbewahrt und im Notfall hervorholt. "Dust", "Unsung Passage", "Desert": Die Alben von THE DEAD TONGUES gehören nach wie vor zu den fesselndsten und kuriosesten Werken in diesem Bereich in diesem Jahrhundert. Das magnetische "Body of Light" und das diskursive und wunderbar elliptische "I Am a Cloud", besteht aus 16 kompletten Stücken, die sich auf verschiedene, miteinander verwobene Alben verteilen. Auf den Alben sind Auftritte von Jenn Wasner (Wye Oak, Bon Iver), Mat Davidson (Twain), Matt Douglas (The Mountain Goats), Joe Westerlund (Califone, Megafaun), Jeff Ratner (Bing and Ruth) und anderen zu hören. Gustafson wollte die Zeit im Studio nutzen, um nicht nur Songs aufzunehmen, sondern auch etwas Neues zu schaffen, mit neuen Improvisationen. Die beiden Alben, die digital als eigenständige Veröffentlichungen erschienen sind, vereinen sich im physischen Format zu einem wunderschönen, luxuriösen Doppelalbum. Das 2LP-Paket enthält ein sorgfältig geprägtes Cover und wunderschöne, individuell gestaltete Innenhüllen für jedes Album.

This band hit the metal scene like a (sorry) house afire, going double platinum with their 1990 debut and charting with three singles from the album: “Don’t Treat Me Bad,” “All She Wrote,” and the power ballad to end all power ballads, the
5 hit “Love of a Lifetime.”

The accolades soon followed: FireHouse won the American Music Award for Best New Hard Rock/Heavy Metal Band and best newcomer nods from a host of music mags. And you can see, er hear why: this is glam metal perfectly polished (by producer Dave Prater of Dream Theater fame) for pop radio, with hooks and harmonies galore. But it’s never been out on LP in North America; now, we at Real Gone are bringing one of signature metal albums of the ‘90s to “smoke and fire” vinyl as a tribute to lead vocalist C.J. Snare, who just passed away from cancer this year. Includes inner sleeve with lyrics. Folks have been waiting for this one!

Groove-based, hooky, commercial R&R with big singalong choruses that makes you tap your foot, bang your head, shake your booty, play air drums, and sing along, with an incredible guitarist who will blow
your mind.

Amsterdam's Toman is set to release his first EP since 18 months ‚Dolce Far Niente‘ on Cécille Records!

Dutch producer and DJ Toman, based in the country's capital, Amsterdam, has been steadily rising up the ranks of underground house music in recent years. He has released tracks on labels such as Meta, Eastenderz, Cuttin' Headz, and NO ART. As a rising star in the Netherlands, Toman tours the globe, bringing his raw, stripped-back style to many of the hottest locations, including reputed clubs and festivals across multiple continents.

'Courtyard' opens and sees Toman fuse together crunchy drums with an amalgamation of plucked bass tones and pulsating subs alongside filter house synth licks and vocal hooks, with the vocal on the track provided by Toman himself, all dynamically evolving throughout its eight-minute duration. 'De Bongo Man', as the name would suggest, shifts focus towards a more tribal feel, merging organic percussion atop subtly unfurling synth tones, dubbed-out stabs, resonant
flutters, a weighty low-end drive, and a sturdy rhythm section.

Title-cut 'Dolce Far Niente' follows next on the flip-side, a high-octane house cut fueled by a robust drum groove, twitchy synth lines, breathy vocal chants, and multilayered, gritty stab lines. 'Good Old Sunny Day' then rounds out the release on a more stripped-back tip via bumpy reduced drums, choppy vocals, and airy, fluttering chord sequences.

B2 Recordings is back with a second release that is every bit as good as the first. This one comes from Reece Johnson and is a joyous mix of uplifting disco sounds with a timeless edge. 'Comin' In Hot' is a lose-limbed opener with percussive edgy and low-slung drums topped off with dazzling chords. 'Glass Heart' then brings the funk with more expert looseness and this time some hooky and soulful vocals. 'Sup America' keeps the party rolling with instrumental disco brilliance and a Spanish vocal to add real heat while 'Feelin' The Beat' and 'Got To Be Free' close out with higher tempos but no less class.

Yogisoul returns with his first album in 8 years, a timeless throwback offering & an instant classic that will leave you wondering if you somehow missed this record reminiscent of 90’s West Coast Rap. It’s that blunt rolling record, with deep G-Funk grooves, skits, and raps provided by US-based rapper Woof. A record inspired by the albums Yogisoul grew up listening to. A combination of his imagination of the West Coast California landscape portrayed by 90’s records on Death Row Records, and the real-life experiences of California-based rapper, Woof.

The first track they worked on - “94 Heavy - wastes no time setting a vibe and transporting you back to 1994. It’s an undeniable head nodder, with smooth horns & deep synth bass that will leave no question about the record's low-end power, and a dope drum swing.

Other notable tracks on the record are “Comin Thru”, which is a braggadocious, G-Funk, banger! It contains all the ingredients to classic West Coast Rap albums. A smooth beat for Woof to weave in and out of, talkbox, scratches in the hook, and samples of legendary Los Angeles voices. A track that will make you feel like you should have a forty and a doobie nearby.

The title track, “Let the Dopeness Begin”, the self-titled track on the album is an homage to the West Coast Classics radio station on GTA: San Andreas. A cruise with the windows down & a jam that slaps!

To experience Justin R. Cruz Gallego's pulverizing Sub Pop debut is to get burned down to ashes and burst forth, born anew. Grim Iconic...(Sadistic Mantra), the Tacoma-based artist's second album, is driven by opposing forces: noisy abstractions and tightly structured beats, anguish and dissolution at the outside world and empowerment within, apathy and catharsis. Grim Iconic...(Sadistic Mantra) weds scouring electronics to hooky songs and Gallego's powerful drumming in a way that feels visceral and new. It's his most personal statement to date, at once playful and intent, driven and combustible, total fucking chaos mixed into glints of broken-glass beauty. Born in Tucson, Arizona, Gallego experienced culture shock as a child after relocating to the frigid climes of the Pacific Northwest. He found solace in the Seattle punk scene centered around Iron Lung Records and has since remained a fixture in the underground community. "I see this record as first and foremost a musical statement," Gallego says. "I grew up in punk and DIY subcultures, but before that I had Latin music playing in the background through my childhood and every phase of adolescence. It was surprisingly natural to incorporate. I realized I wanted to go deeper into these rhythms. I wanted to make a record that felt as experimental as much as it felt from the perspective of a Latino. When I got a glimmer of that possibility, it felt exciting." Lead single "Dogear" is a face-melting party starter that sounds like someone forced Talking Heads and Rudimentary Peni to share a practice space. "I wanted a song that felt playful in the way it attempted to be dissonant without taking itself too seriously," Gallego says. "Cholla Beat" is even more ambitious, an anthemic mix of WAR and Wire led by unruly synthesizers spiraling down a labyrinth of production. Gallego's influences for the album are vast, ranging from British documentary filmmaker Adam Curtis to electric Miles Davis to audio miscreants like Demdike Stare and Oneohtrix Point Never. But it's Gallego's assured sonic vision that resounds the loudest. And, while J.R.C.G. is a solo project, conceived and executed primarily in Gallego's home studio, he found strength in opening the project to others, starting with Seth Manchester as co-producer. Manchester's penchant for bone-rattling frequencies, as seen in his production work with The Body, Battles, and Mdou Moctar, made him a natural fit for Gallego. Together, they retained the intimacy of Gallego's home recordings while taking advantage of the hi-fi stylings of his Machines With Magnets Studio in Rhode Island. The closing song, "World i," offers a glimpse into the live experience of Grim Iconic...(Sadistic Mantra), with upwards of seven band members blasting off. The album features a fascinating mix of supporting players, many of whom cycle through J.R.C.G.'s live lineup: Morgan Henderson (The Blood Brothers, Fleet Foxes), Jason Clackley (Dreamdecay, The Exquisites), Jon Scheid (Dreamdecay, U Sco), Erica Miller (Casual Hex, Big Bite), Veronica Dye (Terminator) Phil Cleary (U Sco), and Alex Gaziano (Dreamdecay, Kidcrash, Science Amplification). Taken as a whole, G.I.S.M. is a whirlwind of sound, pummeling, and cleansing. It's a sweaty, thrilling aural adventure and, like a great basement show, it'll leave you breathless, exhausted, and wanting to repeat it all over again. As any good mantra should.