Probably one of the most prolific artists I’ve covered on this blog, John Beckmann and his Mortal Prophets return once again with a new EP.
By Graeme Smith
It’s staggering how many of John’s releases have graced these pages since last summer. He’s given us album after album, always surprising us with a change of styles and influences.
His latest EP, ICNCLST/, sees him venturing into the world of psych rock. From the opening of Flowers For You, we are invited into a timeless world that sits somewhere between the swinging ’60s and modern day. Echoing sitar creates the atmosphere while image-laden lyrics transport us. Listening to it, you could be convinced that the hippie movement never died.
The Sun Is On Fire takes things in a moodier direction with its gritty storytelling. Bang Bang is a highlight, picking up the surrealism and eeriness of The Doors and Bowie to create a moment that will have you on tenterhooks.
Who’s That Girl is a dreamy and stripped-back wonder bristling with mystery and a certain humour. So Real is a gentle moment that’s full of longing. Its rich electronica will envelope you. Like The Night broods with sax and a sense of the nocturnal before Dreamland brightens things with a fantastical finale.
There simply is no other artist out there like John Beckmann. He’s a genre chameleon, slipping from one to another with ease and always capturing the essence of it with his inimitable style. He reminagines classic, sometimes obscure, influences for a 21st century audience in a way that no-one else can.
Never one to rest on his laurels, the next Mortal Prophets album is already recorded and ready for release.
ICNCLST/ features guitar from Gerald Menke. It was recorded at MinMax, New York, produced by David Sisko, and mastered by Mike Tucci. You can give it a listen below.