Livetronica band Papadosio are some of the hardest working musicians in the business, constantly pushing boundaries with innovative musical compositions and powerfully energetic live performances. Their sound is the distinct intersection between live instrumentation and electronic experimentation, and the band captures that quality immaculately on their latest release, Night & Day.
The album is a collection of unreleased music, filmed recorded in a mountain cabin near Asheville, NC. The whole Night & Day live sessions can be streamed through Papadosio’s Bandcamp page, or watched through Papadosio’s YouTube channel. This is a highly recommended opportunity to explore the depth of this band’s catalog.
Night & Day kicks off with the space-age synthesized rumbling of “New Love,” which settles into a head-bopping guitar melody accompanied by an ethereal keyboard soundscape. One minute into the album, and the listener is already transported into Papadosio’s mind-altering musical realm. The song is catchy yet spiritually rich, and thoroughly captivating, as it moves seamlessly from section to section.
Only on the next song, “The Elephant I Presume,” do we hear vocals from lead singer/songwriter Anthony Thogmartin. Thogmartin’s music has real soul, and it pours through with his passionate singing and delicate acoustic guitar melody. What starts as a poppier, feel-good track develops into a strong groove before reprising the chorus, and ultimately dropping into a soft-spoken, emotional moment. The band’s ability to segue between these different musical segments shows their full emotional range, and the complexity of their compositional abilities.
Another track on the album, “We Choose,” stands out as more of an attempt at rock and roll. Opening with a feedback-laden guitar riff, the song drops into an entrancing beat as Thogmartin sings, “Everything is something that we choose.” Only halfway through the track do we hear any prominent synthesizers, dropping a haunting melody between verses.
Night & Day ends with a 12-minute long improvisational session, just showing how spontaneously creative these five musicians can be. All in all, this fantastic album is a testament to Papadosio’s ability as musicians. With music that demonstrates artistic complexity and spiritual depth, the Night & Day album is undeniable proof that Papadosio are one of the best groups in the game today.
Be sure to check out Thogmartin’s solo project, EarthCry, along with Desert Dwellers, at Cameo Gallery on 11/6. More info can be found here.
-David Melamed (@DMelamz)