Eclectic Dystopia - Album by Disconnectica - Press Release

Release Date: 13 July 2024 - Out now!
Sounds like: Nothing really, but depending on the track people heard Beatles, David Bowie, Pink Floyd, Dissociatives, Frank Zappa, Talking Heads, Peter Gabriel, White Stripes, Radiohead, Beck
Link page (buy, stream, watch, follow): https://push.fm/fl/eclecticdystopia
Bandcamp: https://disconnectica.bandcamp.com/album/eclectic-dystopia
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/album/6elYrUrtFpDExQS8KTUZDm
Apple: https://music.apple.com/us/album/eclectic-dystopia/1752929924?ls=1
Deezer: https://www.deezer.com/album/604688122
SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/disconnectica/sets/eclectic-dystopia
High-def cover art: https://disconnectica.com/Art/EclecticDystopia-Big.jpg

Eclectic Dystopia: a Musical Odyssey by Disconnectica

Embark on a genre-bending adventure with Disconnectica's debut album, Eclectic Dystopia, released on 13 July 2024. Drawing inspiration from iconic artists such as The Beatles, Bowie, Radiohead, Pink Floyd, Peter Gabriel and The White Stripes, Disconnectica crafts a sonic landscape that defies categorization. Elements of art rock, prog rock, and baroque pop are all on display here as we leap around under a broad alternative rock banner. Eclectic Dystopia traverses diverse musical and lyrical territories as each track explores its own personal dystopia.

“Maybe the dystopian future is already here. Not caused by a singular event which affects us all, but 8 billion individual dystopias personally tailored to each of us.” - Disconnectica

We start right out of the gate with the huge driving drums and organ stabs of Deviate, the official single to coincide with the album release. Its dystopian message looks at our tendency to turn away from tragedy. The industrial beat reaches a climactic finale before descending into pure glitch. But this melts away into the lush string and harp arrangement that announces the second track Somewhere Always. The eclectic nature of the album is on show here, taking us from Nine Inch Nails to something more like The Beatles or a Disney soundtrack. Sitar, and pitch-shifting vocal effects generate a mystical allure.

White Noise enters White Stripes territory as electric guitar takes the front seat. This old-school rock anthem tackles racism, sexism and homophobia. We are treated to endless musical deviations and some epic wailing guitar solos along the way.

Treat is next, described by Kate Kingsmill from Melbourne's 3RRR as "psychotic madness". The deep combo of trombone, bass and drums takes the wheel, and sets a sinister course for gluttony and guilty pleasures. One of the catchiest tracks, you'll find yourself singing "Gonna have myself a treat" next time you indulge yourself.

Possibly the craziest track, Kindest Regards is next, described as "bonkers" on Big Satsuma Radio in the UK. The first half is psychobilly post-punk chaos, mostly with 7/8 timing, as the singer decries "I got you nothing for your birthday!". The song takes various twists and turns before completely changing for the second half. Then we're back in baroque pop territory evoking Beatles again or ELO, and a relaxing change after the chaotic first half. The track fades away leaving just an acoustic guitar which takes us smoothly into the next track.

The Shape of Pears is an epic journey, hinting in riddles at a fractured, broken relationship, with a protagonist unwilling to acknowledge reality. Phrases land on off-kilter notes that keep us off-balance. The track builds from a small start to a dramatic end, with lots of exploration and variation along the way. Harp makes another appearance, alongside strings and piano, in a luxurious instrumental section in the middle, which falls into a quiet but creepy section with pizzicato strings and cryptic lines like "When there's no one home / I sit in all the chairs".

Another departure in style is next with Thought Bubble. This is the most electronic-sounding track on the album, featuring an 808 drum machine rather than the real drum sounds found elsewhere. It acts as a bit of a palate cleanser, starting at a slower pace. Minimal beats at the start and vocals drenched in airy reverb give the sense of floating in space. The tempo gradually increases throughout the track however until strings and brass explode onto the scene to carry us through to the thunderous end. A montage of breaths and reversed sounds follows, leading us into the next track.

Reveal is the biggest production on the album. More baroque pop, this time with a playful circus vibe. There's so much going on here. So many different directions explored, and so many instruments at play. African and Western percussion both take part, along with guitars, piano, harpsichord, glockenspiel, strings, synths, organ and even a kazoo! But the instruments always leave space for the crystal clear vocals. We find intricate lyrics like "Slay the slave that lives in your heart / Sever your two selves apart / Spill your soliloquy / Share your darkest thoughts with me". A sprawling epic with never a dull moment.

The only instrumental track on the album, Still Life with Zombies, takes us into a world of suspense and fear, and screams to be used as a soundtrack for a zombie movie or game. Creepy quiet moments with slow ominous breaths. Tension building as danger nears. Squealing guitar stabs that tells us to run for our lives. There's even snippets of honky-tonk piano meandering in and out like tumbleweed, evoking the unsettling sense of an abandoned town in the old West.

Finally the album concludes with a surprise twist: Letters to Santa, a whimsical Christmas song full of playful Christmas sounds like sleigh bells, harp, glockenspiel, and pizzicato strings. Naomi Summers appears as guest vocalist to deliver a beautiful operatic performance worthy of any festive season variety show. But despite the Christmas atmosphere and the title Letters to Santa, the lyrics never actually mention Christmas or anything related to it. Instead they describe being stuck on hold, waiting to leave a complaint for some faceless but ever-so-polite corporation, and hoping your message will reach someone who matters. Hopeful messages sent into the void. Letters to Santa, if you will. Our final dystopia.

Eclectic Dystopia is a testament to Disconnectica's boundless creativity and willingness to push musical boundaries. It takes us on a wild journey through ever-evolving musical styles and arrangements. Disconnectica always finds something new up his sleeve, delivering unexpected changes around every corner. This is the kind of old-school innovation and experimentation we associate more with the 1970s than the 2020s. You're sure to make fresh discoveries with every listen.

Press

“Disconnectica has crafted a masterpiece of genre-bending brilliance, a work that will stay with you long after the final track fades.”
- Review by Edgar Allan Poets

“Disconnectica's debut album, “Eclectic Dystopia”, is a tour de force of musical exploration and innovation.”
- Review by We Write About Music

“This incredible journey through genres defies simple labels like art rock, psychedelic rock, or progressive rock. It's a unique blend of influences that creates a truly one-of-a-kind experience. Dive into the eclectic sounds and let the music take you on an unforgettable ride!”
- Review by Rock Era Magazine

“As the album flows along, Robert's stylistic choices go from Indian-inspired sitars (“Somewhere Always”) to idyllic post-punk landscapes, like the ones heard on highlight “Reveal”... Robert always finds a way to merge all of his sonic influences together into one seamless picture... “Eclectic Dystopia”...ventures on the most exquisite experimental routes... filling in the gaps of a sonically boring mainstream musical landscape... His provocative vision of what contemporary music could be really stands tall as one that could never be matched by anyone else. On his debut album, the Melbourne-based artist goes all in relentless and unafraid to do the impossible, and he emerges on the other end as one of the most alluring and ingenious artists of our generation.”
- Review by LT1KF