Soft Gang are a group of four non-threatening individuals with a combined age of over 160. They are based in New York City, though that fact is largely inconsequential to the sounds they make. Dahm Cipolla (Phantom Family Halo, Sapat) plays the drums. Charlie Hines (Dichroics, Sabers) plays the bass guitar. Darin Mickey (Dichroics) plays the electric guitar and sings a little. Kaori Nakamura (a descendant of the original axis of evil) gets the important messages across with her voice and shakes various percussion instruments when moved to do so.
The full-length at hand serves as a perfect first glance into Soft Gang's cauldron, conjuring whiffs of early-1990s indie art-pop, stirred with witchy long-form free-rock/psychedelia, playful post-punk, and an herbal dash of Plastic Ono's experimental entrada. Kaori croons, howls, and rhetorically ponders with the grace and ease of an evening's reflection, stretching out over the rhythm section's tugs from routine to expressive chaos, while Darin's guitar transmissions decorate the stage -- simple, subtly alienating, yet all the while infectious.
Soft Gang's self-titled debut LP is available via Sophomore Lounge (both digitally and in 12" format) on July 29, 2016.
NOTE: All pre-orders include CD-R of bonus/live material. The first 20 will also include a ltd. edition embroidered SG patch!
Kaori Nakamura vocals, percussion
Dahm drums, percussion, voice
Charlie Hines bass, voice
Darin Mickey guitar, vocals, loops, piano
recorded and mixed by Martin Bisi, BC Studios
mastered by Joe Lambert, JLM Sound
cover embroidery by Kaori Nakamura
back photo by Jason Fulford
