Mellowdrone
by Keavin Wiggins

This EP is more or less a tease from ARTISTdirect. Once they signed up Mellowdrone they decided to re-release this previously self-released EP to give fans a glimpse into what is to come when Mellowdrone’s full-length debut hits stores later this year. That was good thinking on their part because once you get a taste of the musical genius that is in play here you instantly crave more. In other words, this EP makes you sort of like music’s version of an alcoholic. 

It might be constructive to look at a little background on the label and band before we delve into the songs. 

ARTISTdirect is a relatively new label founded by Ted Fields. Yes, the same guy that started Interscope. So the musical credentials are there. What’s exciting about ARTISTdirect is the fact that they are a forward thinking label that plays the game quite a bit differently than most labels. Most online music fans already know the ARTISTdirect name since the web network published by the company is more or less the Yahoo of music and they also produce official websites for many of today’s most popular bands. So far they have released a few CD’s and their future looks promising judging by their track record of seeking out new and interesting artists to sign instead of just putting out “product” that seems to follow the current trends. All is their favor is the fact that if any label knows how to use the Internet for full advantage, it would be ARTISTdirect. 

Mellowdrone definitely fits into the “new and interesting” category. The brainchild of Mellowdrone is a talented signer / songwriter by the name of Jonathan Bates and in many ways he has a lot in common with other modern “out in left field” artists such as Beck, Angie Aparo and Vast.  The music isn’t nearly as heavy as Vast’s. I draw the comparison due to the fact that Bates is a songwriting / recording machine unto himself. He sequesters himself in his bedroom studio to write, record and produce his own music and as a result you get the full measure of his musical vision not the vision of some high priced record producer. Of course, Angie Aparo’s method is a bit different. He has equipment rigged in his car and he composes and records as he drives around. (Angie produced an amazing debut album for Arista but as Arista is known to do they dropped the ball. One of the songs he composed for that album had a second chance at fame when Faith Hill used it as the title track to her 2002 album “Cry”). Mad musical geniuses? Mad? Not really. But musical geniuses? Definitely! 

This EP is billed as “lovingly recorded in a bedroom."  Upon hearing that you might draw some conclusions that the production of the music will be on par with the standard demo or garage band recording but that assumption is wrong. If anything the production here just demonstrates what is possible with modern recording technology and a musician with enough patience and vision to relentlessly pursue the task of capturing that vision on tape (or rather harddrive). 

Stylistically the music has an experimental feel to it but Jonathan Bates doesn’t fall into the trap of being a self-absorbed visionary who creates music only he can understand that to the outside world comes across as mental masturbation rather than entertainment. The songs have a freeform feel but underneath you find that they really are quite structured and contain most of the elements of successful pop tunes; melodic hooks, a moving rhythm and vocals you find yourself singing along to after hearing the song only a few times. 

Mellowdrone may not be for everyone but those with an ear for the melodious musical explorations of Beck and Radiohead should feel right at home with this disc. As the name suggests the music is on the mellower side of the street and has a droning quality to it. But for the most part, the droning has an almost hypnotic power that evokes curiosity and compels you to keep listening.  The exception here is the third track “And Repeat”. A song that takes it’s name to heart and seems to really drone on, waiting patiently for a turn in the road that never comes. That’s not to say the song doesn’t have it’s own charms but it does become a bit tedious after awhile as you wait for it to go somewhere different but it never does. I suspect that was the intention of Jonathan Bates when he wrote the song and if it is was then he succeeded at achieving that goal. On the other hand, if you cut this song in half and add a chorus that differentiates itself from the verses then this could an exception pop song. But I doubt that was Jonathan’s intention here; as you delve into the lyrical subject matter you do find that the droning qualities fit perfectly with the theme of a person questioning how he fell in love with the wrong person and can’t seem to break away. 

On “No More Options” Jonathan does find the before mentioned formula. The verses are compelling escapades into Radiohead “Creep” territory that lead to powerful choruses that sound like what you would get if U2 put some real power into their music and discovered the magic qualities of fuzzy distorted guitars. The vocals are just dripping with emotion as Jonathan takes you on a ride into his consciousness. 

“Fashionably Uninvited,” is the closest Mellowdrone comes to producing a radio friendly hit single while not sacrificing his artistic integrity. It really captures the essence of the best parts of Jonathan’s musical personality and presents it in a commercially compelling package. That being said, this song may be too good for the mindless realm of commercial radio. But you never know because from time to time quality recordings do manages to sneak onto the charts. 

Upon first listen to this disc I drew parallels to Beck but after subsequent spins I find myself comparing this body of work to Radiohead. It has the same ethereal textures and overtones as well as thought-provoking qualities to it but set against sensible pop beats. Now I find myself in the precarious predicament of contradicting myself because the ultimate conclusion I find myself coming to is Jonathan Bates is either a mad musical genius or a skillfully convincing imposter. The end result is the same in either case, and that alone places this EP at the top of the hypothetical list. 

If this EP is anything to go on then 2003 promises to be an exceptional year for music. But I suspect that at this time next year we will look back on this CD as the exception rather than the rule and this disc will be viewed as a true musical highlight of the year. There is no way we are going to find the airwaves and popular culture filled with music of this caliber.  I’m just grateful that the landscape is indeed changing and we have labels like ARTISTdirect releasing quality music at a time when it seems like most labels are lost in a sea of mediocrity. 

The bottom line is Mellowdrone would still standout even if the musical universe was filled with high quality artists. So given the reality of the moment, this EP looms that much larger and gives us one more artist to add to that small faction of musicians who opt for substance over mass appeal, quality over popularity and music over what really amounts to commercial jingles designed to sell product, in this case CDs. So yes I will state unequivocally for the record that Mellowdrone is one of the few new artist that is worthy of attention from serious music fans. And this EP is only a first glimpse, it's hard to imagine what may be coming next but I for one can't wait to hear it!

"Fashionably Uninvited"
HI | LO

"And Repeat"
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"Motivation"
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"EPK" – great introduction into the world of Mellowdrone. 
HI | LO

Official Website

Visit the official website for information where you can purchase the EP or simply sign up to download it instantly.

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