Indica in Decay and Lumpy decided to start 2024 off by announcing a split EP on New Year’s Day to come out in early 2024 on Lavasocks records, and what better way to announce a split EP than to drop 2 singles- one for each artist.
For anyone unfamiliar with these artists, Indica in Decay (temporarily rebranded as IndiSKA in Decay) is Ilan Moskowitz also from the Bay Area’s Sad Snack. Last year they began releasing a synth rock opera that tells the musical journey of their main character, Indica and their magical guitar. In this track they also feature Sad Snack, Holy Schnikes!, Flip and the Combined Effort, the Hellas, Musicubes, and it is produced by Dynastic.
Lumpy is the solo ska project by Minneapolis based Bryan Highhill, whose last album, Burn the Page was released in October 2022. Lumpy is a DIY mellow indie ska artist that everyone needs to experience.
With the first of these two singles, IndiSKA in Decay reimagines one of their tracks from their rock opera as a synth ska song, and renamed it “Coulda Been Ska”. From the very intro, this song feels powerful. The performances of so many different musicians collaborating adds a texture I was not expecting, and the vocal styles and layering is perfect for the track. The song feels like an epic journey on its own and the tonal shifts through the song add to the journey.
Then Lumpy follows it up with a dreamy ethereal track called “Dreamt Me Up” whose tone is perfectly captured in the title. Slow snaps over deep voiced vocals and an ethereal melody. The rhythms slowly shift to a reggae like ska rhythm as a flugelhorn adds in the perfect horn to accompany the feel of the song. Never too sharp or punchy. These two songs couldn’t be more dissimilar and still feel like they belong on the same album.
Definitely listen to these two amazing DIY artists and expand your tastes.
The full split ep will be available on Lavasocks records in the not too distant future. For now you can download “Dreamt Me Up” here or “Coulda Been Ska” here.
Written by Gimpleg