Although the human mind is a unique and complex entity, there are certain things that even the most different and bizzare of brains can share. While we may not agree on which artists we love above others, I’d venture to say there are a handful of musicians that we think, for whatever the reason may be, can do no wrong. A very select few whose every single creative output perfectly meshes with our creative needs – a person on my list of said musicians is none other than Spencer Krug.
Krug is an incredible artist, constantly creating and releasing new works. Whether collaborating with other musicians in acts like Wolf Parade, Frog Eyes, Swan Lake and Fifths of Seven or off doing his own thing with friends in Sunset Rubdown – Krug is certainly embracing the starving artist mantra of “publish or perish”. Even though he’s been releasing music since 2002, Krug boasts an absurdly large discography and manages to (somehow) stay hungry whilst not sullying his style.
The latest branch added to Krug’s ever-growing family tree of monikers and affiliations lies within the solo strength of Moonface. Inspired and based off of interpretations from his own lucid dreaming, I originally thought it was going to be an outlet for Krug to express his excess creativity and nothing more … boy, was was I wrong. His latest, the Dreamland EP, was released today online via an In Rainbows-esque “pay what you want” format. Moonface appears to be a great way for Krug to release his inner opus, his latest EP consisting of one 20 minute song with tons of marimba and a healthy dosage of effects mixed with electronic drums. Check out a five-minute preview below of “Marimba and Shit-Drums”:
[MP3] Moonface – Marimba and Shit-Drums (Preview)
Think of this as some sort of cerebral peep-show; we’re getting a glimpse straight into Krug’s unfiltered subconscious, rather than experiencing his creativity through the limiting prisms cocooning his other projects. Best of all, it can be had for free if the holiday season is hurting your wallet. Check out the download page for the entire track, as well as lyrics, crazy dream journals, and a dream forum.
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I don't know if you knew this, but this was actually Krug's second "release" as Moonface this year — he had another great (albeit not as epic) 7'' this past spring entitled "Introducing Moonface". The A-side featured the piano ballad "Coming at Dawn" — which he's played a full band arrangement when he was on tour this summer (here's a video: https://youtube.com/watch?v=G_HsfX4DmBc&feature=player_embedded). The B featured him on electric and was called “Insane Love Is Awakening" and was also quite good.
I'm with you, this Marimba and Shit-Drums is absolutely mind melting, both conceptually and in execution.
gaga gorgeous
Not to be a stickler… but "publish or perish" is a slogan from academia used to describe the highly competitive atmosphere surrounding tenure appointments. It has nothing to do with the starving artist mentality.
am aware! it's the main reason i did not go the masters/PhD route.. although, the same slogan could easily be applied to blog/internet fueled fast paced music biz.
Krug kills or Dragonslays, i mean. hehe. :X
Spencer = God. I'm so thrilled he made a marimba ep, it's such an amazing instrument.