Deakin (aka Josh Dibb), the mysterious member of famous art-pop band Animal Collective, finished his long waiting solo debut. I said long, because he started the album about 7 years ago.
He also had a weird kickstarter story, funding him to go Mali to play in a concert, in a non-profit concert. But I really don’t wanna go in the details of that, because there is no fraud(or any other bad intentions), I don’t have to even care. He is a musician who tried a kickstarter and it did not work very well overall. But he is a musician and that’s why I’m writing about him.
Sleep Cycle is a short album, it’s only 6 songs under 35 minutes. I have the web version with 2 bonus songs, they are both live from Tomboctou and I have to admit, they are amazing.
Sleep Cycle is a great album, a perfect example of neo-psychedelica. I also read that Sonic Boom involved in mixing. I wanna say few things about Mr. Sonic boom’s career. He was the co-founder of most famous/underground psychedelic rock duo Spacemen 3. He made amazing albums with his own band Spectrum. As a producer , he worked with MGMT,Panda Bear.
The opening song Golden Chords is giving us the directions in this eclectic album. The beginning is amazing, and then around the first minute the guitar kicks in. Now you are in the sleep cycle of Deakin in Mali.
Mali is a beautiful place. Mali is a musical place. And Deakin didn’t go there for vacation. He wanted to be there to make this album, and it’s a beautiful homage to Mali.
Golden Chords is beautiful in a lyrical way too.Deakin sings : “Please stop repeating your terror you choose what you see It's always "what if?" and "why not?" Man you gotta just be Simplify define your goals and watch them grow Be your own true self the you that I know” . Or the second song of the album “Just Am”-has also the first video from this album- says almost like what he did there :
“ Standing in the desert, faces stare back from the dunes
Brought here by courage or delusion, I won’t stop but I feel ripping mad
So I am crying words that don’t make sense to me or them
But I am singing, I am singing, beams the child inside then disappears again”
But also now he knows and understands himself :
“ When I let go, I just am
Conjured back to myself I just am
In holding on I’ve grown too tight
My joints are cracked my eyes gone white
Stop holding “.
The album ends with an epic song, Good House, mixed by Sonic Boom. Deakin is brave and mature now, he understands things better compare to beginning;
“Too bright
But then too dim
You always find reasons you’re frightened
So frightened
That you won’t go in” .
“ Breathe in with all
Spit out all that rage
You're safe now, don’t fight
Your body’s engaged
Just flow and get right
Like following angels
You're following angels “.
The bonus song , number 7 is called Super Khoumeissa is almost 14 minutes of African Psychedelica. The last song ,which is number 8 called Khaira Arby is a little under 13 minutes. These two songs are live in Tomboctou(Timbuktu), both has local instruments. Although Khaira Arby is more like a Afro-Rock jam rather than weird,psychedelic Super Khoumeissa. But you have to hear those local drums at this song.
Deakin made us wait for 7 years, so I’m hoping we won’t have to wait this long for his next album because this is really a great album…
