Those familiar with Irish-born, London-based singer-songwriter Michael Gallagher, aka Mining Co.’s previous work will know him for a raw and splendorous mix of folk and country. Those listeners may find themselves thrown somewhat off guard by his new album Phenomenology, which takes an unexpected route off that dusty rootsy track onto a retro-futurist electronic superhighway. That’s not to say he’s abandoned his past entirely, and there are echoes of the likes of Grandaddy and Sparklehorse in the LP’s combination of vintage synth sounds and indie Americana.
Embracing his love of science fiction, Phenomenology is an eleven track narrative tells the tale of Talby, the main character in John Carpenter’s cult 1974 sci-fi film Dark Star, as he takes a journey into the unknown, flanked by synths that buzz and swirl and guided along by Gallagher’s warm vocal that adds an emotional warmth to the dark, empty expanse of the universe he inhabits.
We are delighted to bring you the first chance to hear the album in full today on Joyzine, accompanied by Gallagher’s own cryptic guide to navigating its tracks.
Talby is a witness to intergalactic stories through time. Passing Earth in the future and seeing human reoccurrences, that he left behind hundreds of years ago.
Unexpected – A chance meeting, by accident.
Talby Drifts – Like Talby, drifting through the vast of space, we humans, are also carried.
Deity Arrived – worship of the tangible and intangible.
Superhero – the lost, insecure and lonely can sometimes find solace in being whoever they want, in a fantasy world.
IWBHM – a child that dreams of being a Heavy Metal star and worshipping the devil.
Submariner – search for the new that comes in the guise of a ship called The Eliza Trent.
Freaks – the tales that are told about Earth’s inhabitants. Eccentric lives that are now gone and replaced by the mainstream.
Storyline – the unforgivable act of letting a dying person down, and living with the guilt.
Universal Son – Talby, now part of the universe, has familiar sights that welcome him on his journey.
Beatify – Talby eventually becomes one with the heavens. His body a beacon of light in the night sky. The all-knowing guide, as we are all drifting endlessly.
Phenomenology is out on 1st October on PinDrop Records
Find out more about Mining Co. on his official website
Introduction by Paul Maps
Photography by Pablo Errea
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