Artist: Mickey Moonlight
Title: Mickey Moonlight & The Time Axis Manipulation Corporation
Label: Ed Banger
Rating: 7.5

Taking things back to some early 1980s brand of psychedelic funk combined with chill electro house—Mickey Moonlight’s debut LP Mickey Moonlight & The Time Axis Manipulation Corporation just recently came out on Pedro Winter’s Ed Banger Records (also home to Justice). Bringing sounds like the soundtrack to a theatrical acid-inspired stage production or just bright endearing music to extend the capabilities of yourimagination, these guys seriously don’t give a fuck. Pop conformity holds no existence in the Mickey Moonlight vocabulary.

This album begins with an introduction (“Welcome Aboard”) somewhat in the style of the classic old school Midnight Marauders intro by A Tribe Called Quest. A cover of legendary jazz performers: Sun Ra’s “Interplanetary Music” comes off bouncy and in a good vibe. Solid vocal performances are key enhancements on a well-produced album. Smartly selected variation of sounds and performances creates a warm coalition throughout a record that dips into styles melding tribal percussion, disco, and sci-fi space journeying.

There are great layers and depth to the record and it tends to take on new shapes and forms with each listen. Stories in the lyrics reportedly touch on science fiction realities from time travel field recordings and voluntary euthanasia to the unimpressed world saving ideology found on album closer “Come On Humans!” (‘Come on humans, what are you thinking?… Is this as good as it gets?’)

While this record sits far enough outside of the norm that it won’t appeal to everyone, with an open mind this is a pretty nice at-home listen for the creatively inspired. Or put it on your stereo during some interesting road trip to the moon.

Sarah Ferguson