At the core of electronic dance music is innovation. There are no bounds. Some of the greatest tracks and artists in history are able to seamlessly mix anything and everything to create magic. Today, childhood friends Ben and Evan, aka Gilligan Moss, have just released their unbounded sophomore LP, Speaking Across Time. A 12-track musical journey featuring an array of genres but at its core a timeless and exuberant project via ODESZA’s Foreign Family Collective.
Gilligan Moss’ music has always radiated a positive and pastoral energy. Their self-titled debut album and previous releases exemplify that. This album continues this journey, but is far more layered with influences from across the musical spectrum. The title track features a sample from poet and longtime mentor of theirs David Mason that says, “I don’t write just for myself, I write to speak to other people and to speak across time to people I’ve never met about what it’s like to be alive in the world.” That is the ethos of this project for Gilligan Moss and I must say, they nailed it.
The album’s last single “Mystic Pebble,” which they released yesterday, is a groovy lo-fi house track and is a standout from the project. Gilligan Moss themselves described it as “brain massage music” and it is the perfect song that you would show someone if you were introducing them to Gilligan Moss. Their sampling skills are on display with “Mystic Pebble,” but quite frankly on the entire album. “Upstate Miracle” is a honky-tonk piano house/country ballad which shouldn’t make sense but does and is spectacular. The album’s lead single “Still Wonder” sees vocalist Charlie Houston wondering about the past with an old lover and is arguably the best and most cohesive track on the project. “Waste of Time” and “Turn Back Time” play back-to-back near the end of the album and provide the upbeat, sunny energy Gilligan Moss is so good at evoking and sound like the happy ending to the movie that is this album.
Speaking Across Time is a beautiful album. An eclectic journey through time and sound that truly represents the innovative nature of electronic music. Gilligan Moss begin their Speaking Across Time tour tonight in their current residence of Brooklyn at Elsewhere and includes dates in Toronto, San Francisco, Seattle, Denver and Los Angeles.
On the album, Gilligan Moss shared this:
“The album is a couple years in the making, and is the result of a period of growth — equal parts uncomfortable and joyous. We wanted to make a record that draws from different corners of our lives, and explores how creation and collaboration change over time — and how music can outlast us.”
Listen to Speaking Across Time below and enjoy!
Gilligan Moss – Speaking Across Time
-Written By: JD Scribner