Michael David: "Rain II"

Over the last decade and a half, Michael David, popularly known for his work as one half of LA duo Classixx, has made many kinds of records, but always with other people. In 2015, he made something of his own for the first time ― a bleak, post-apocalyptic single released under the name Studio Paradiso. Now, Michael David steps out on his own with his first first solo release, entitled “There In Spirit / Rain II”, on Cascine.

Recorded late at night on a Tascam multitrack tape recorder, the record finds Michael David bending and melding organic instrumentation into something layered and uncanny: guitars chop and glimmer, beats cascade and push forward, but always with a sense of gentle resignation. This is the sound of a mind searching through time, exhuming memories and emotions ― good and bad ―to try and know, recapture, reclaim, and most importantly, feel. Our first taste comes in the form of “Rain II”, a finely-crafted tune. Give it a spin below, and drive slow.