A New Album, A New Me

I know, I’ve been quiet for a while.

Actually, that’s not true at all. I’ve been very loud, just in the confines of my new studio. Writing, plotting, scheming even. Mostly trying to figure out where to go after my last rock album, Cognitive Dissonance. How to approach the music scene in my new home, Seattle.

The time for secrecy is finally over.

If you’re part of my Officer’s Club or seen any of my recent concerts, you know I’ve been trying my hand at dance music. It’s been an educational 12-18 months to say the least. The journey has humbled me and focused me like never before. And here, at the end of it, I present a new beginning…

Coming Soon: Children of the Stars

Just last night I got the finalized version of a new EP from my mastering engineer, Keith^*. It’s a six-song continuous mix I’m calling Children of the Stars. And it sounds fooking amazing. Seriously, Keith has outdone himself on this one. I wrote, produced, and mixed it… but Keith made it sound like Daft Punk meets Above & Beyond.

After CogDis’ exploration of depression, uncertainty, and conflict, this EP reflects the positive, optimistic outlook I’ve discovered since I began this transition. It’s a work devoted to unlocking the beauty in yourself and the others you encounter. I’ll have more details to share as we get closer to the release date, but believe me when I say this is a solid half hour of good vibes.

The sound is a departure from the albums I’ve released in the past. The genre is progressive house, not piano rock or singer-songwriter. It’s mostly instrumental (though half the songs have vocals, I’m only singing on two). You can (and should) dance to the full length of the album, at any volume.

A Whole New Sound, A Whole New Act

If you looked at the (tentative) album cover, you may have noticed my name’s not on it. Good eye.

While transitioning to a new genre, I’ve struggled with the decision to keep my name or go with a new act name. On one hand, I don’t want to abandon all the goodwill and momentum I’ve developed over the past two decades as Matthew Ebel. On the other, a sudden genre shift like this would be confusing as hell for new fans. In the end, it came down to some key factors:

• Algorithms: When a new fan wants to listen to my dance music, I don’t want Spotify throwing Everybody Needs A Robot or It’s Raining Bankers into the mix. It’s profoundly bad business sense, but more importantly it’ll pull listeners out of the moment and force them to fuck with their playlists instead of just listening. That’s an unforgivable sin as an artist.
• The Business™: With this new sound and new album, I intend to go after record labels, managers, and agents again. I’d all but given up after years of trying led nowhere… but this is a fresh start for me. Just as I don’t want listeners coming across material they don’t want, I absolutely don’t want to tell businesspeople about my new dance act and have to navigate them through two decades of piano rock. Most of them barely have the patience to listen to 45 seconds of a demo, let alone try and unravel a badly-organized brand. And if I’m going to survive this business much longer, I need real industry help. I can’t do this alone any more.

And so… my dance material will be released under a new name: Avian Invasion

Like it? It’s a bit of a pun, I know, but it ticks all the right boxes for me: It can be lighthearted, serious, moody, or downright comical. There’s fantasy and sci-fi wrapped into it, which means I still get to wear cool costumes on stage. I also already own the URL, Twitter, Facebook Page, and so on. Right now I’m working on the logo and nameplate that will sit above that album title.

Honestly, this part is more exciting for me than I’d anticipated. After twenty years of trying to define myself as a singer/songwriter, I get to start from scratch with a clear goal and clear style in mind. If anything, Avian Invasion is the product of everything we’ve been through together as a Robot Army. This is the next step for all of us.

It means I’ll be reverting my website back to a more rock-oriented focus, probably releasing more High Orbit albums in the future, and shifting the dance stuff onto the new web properties. Don’t worry, things like the Officer’s Club aren’t going away- in fact, my Officers are more important than ever now. They’ve been keeping me sane, giving me critical feedback, and listening to advance releases that may not hit Spotify or your ears for another year or two. They’re way ahead of this curve, and I’m so thankful to have them on board.

I hope you’ll stay with me too… it’s gonna be a hell of a fun ride. And I can’t wait to share this new EP with you. Stay tuned…

*Some of you may know Keith as “0ddj0b,” or simply as Oddy. He’s the Furry fandom’s indispensable front-of-house engineer, a hell of a DJ, and a dog. He’s also been my consultant, mentor, and friend through a particularly trying journey to a new genre. You could call me a fan of Oddy. You should be too!