Handing over the mic to artists/musicians who break down their new albums track by track/share the thought process behind the creation. Today we’ll hear from Chris (aka Moose), New York musician whose debut EP “As Advertised” was supposed to be a Valentine’s gift to his wife, but we found it to be far more than just a mere novelty item, intriguing and thus worthy of inclusion in our TBT archives. The EP comes with a corresponding video for each song, which further piqued our interest….
Taking artistic integrity and creative freedom to unique extremes, New York’s Moose has crafted a full-length project of provocative yet funky, synth-soaked originals, and proceeds to explore the world of medical dramas, nature documentaries, rom-coms, social media, and a whole lot more. – Stereo Stickman
Lo-fi, plodding, grinning, with keyboard keys held a moment too long, or tapped ever so slightly, and guitar strings plucked and strummed seemingly without care. – Gas Mask Magazine
I started writing pop/rock songs as Valentine’s presents for my wife, and it got a bit out of hand, to the point where I’m now releasing my debut EP as Moose, which is the pet name she gave a long time ago (don’t ask me why). The EP “As Advertised” consists mainly of love songs to her, with a mix of silliness and earnestness. I recorded the instruments and vocals here in our apartment on Roosevelt Island in New York City—after which my friend Orion gave them a professional mixdown. It’s a concept album, where the seven tracks use cultural reference and genre-specific sampled soundbites to inhabit seven different slices of popular media, including medical dramas, romantic comedies, and spy thrillers, many of which she and I enjoy together.
COVID-appropriate medical-themed retro synth funk about providing support through difficult times—it lays out an array of reasons to be anxious in today’s world and says, “Write me down as your emergency contact; we can handle this, babe.” This tune features a few jazzy fills & a solo on a vintage Fender Rhodes keyboard and was one of two songs I gave to my wife for Valentine’s Day in 2019.
Funky electro disco about physical attraction: “What I’m lookin’ at here is a fine specimen.” The tune plays with the tension of maintaining composure while having the hots for someone, contrasting sampled animal noises with the erudite discourse one might hear in a nature documentary. The song ends with a snarky aside by my wife.
Fun & lighthearted 80’s-style synth pop proposing the whole shebang: courtship, fight & break-up, and a dramatic reconciliation. “Let’s have a meet cute, then I’ll begin my pursuit, . . .” Complete with samples from romantic comedy movies, including many of the favorites my wife and I have watched together. This was one of two songs I gave to her for our 11th wedding anniversary last year.
Another quarantine-appropriate piece, started with the thought of how wishing a happy work anniversary on LinkedIn pales in comparison to actual human interaction. That idea evolved into a song about the experience of feeling sad while following an ex-lover on social media: “TBH I would prefer to share these feelings with you IRL.” It’s electropop with synth, typing-like clicking percussion, recordings of being on hold, and some keyboard & electric guitar. Pro tip: talk to your Android phone like you’re depressed to get it to say, “I bet a lot of people like you; I know I do.”
Ominous soul about the danger of downfall and becoming irrelevant. “One minute you’re drunk with power to abuse, but you could count ten seconds and find out you’re old news.” The tune is played on upright bass, keyboard, and bluesy slide guitar and is peppered with sampled news clips from the Depression Era to modern times.
Marketing-themed rock slow dance tribute to the durability of the relationship my wife and I have: “Still going strong as advertised.” It features interplay between rock guitar and jazzy keyboard together with samples from TV ads about products being long-lasting and preserving freshness. This song was the other 11th anniversary present for my wife.
My wife and I are huge fans of the Bourne series and love action movies generally. One often hears people with military training in the movies refer the 360 degrees around them in terms of positions on a clock, where “I got your six,” means “I got your back.”
Minimal espionage-themed synth darkwave that’s designed to sound like a spy movie theme and imagines the two of us as covert operatives who have each other’s backs. “I got your six; it’s part of the contract.” The track is filled with samples from action movies and TV shows that my wife and I watch together and my second Valentine’s present to her last year.
