Search - Dykehouse :: Midrange

Poppy shoegaze

J. HANSIS | United States | 05/12/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"dykehouse's first album was IDM/techno, but he has taken a new direction. there are plenty of comparisons-- i must admit he's not entirely original -- but using just a guitar, a computer, and his voice he makes some amazingly produced music. my bloody valentine is an obvious influence, but also depeche mode's guitar-based stuff (like "i feel you") and 90s rock bands like foo fighters. it has a lo-fi sound especially in the programmed drums, but it is so dense and lush that it often sounds like a full band. this is definitely the most radio-friendly release from ghostly international."

Lush Flashback Soundscape

Christopher E. Roberts | Kalamazoo, MI United States | 06/30/2004

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This album is an upbeat, full-bodied pop masterpiece. Graduates of the class of '86 will hear The Cure, Jesus and Mary Chain, New Order, maybe even a little Alan Parsons Project and undoubtedly others. Younger ears may pick up on the potpurri of more contemporary influences, including Happy Mondays, Catherine Wheel, The Faint, and other bands I haven't given a proper listen. His voice is fantastic and the music is irresistable across the board. This CD is the first in the wallet for my upcoming 9 hour drive to New York and back, and it will rest assured make its proper impact on the rotation.Michael Dykehouse is a native of Kalamazoo, Michigan, but I randomly discovered this release while I was filing through some Ghostly International records in Ann Harbor. Though he has been in the techno/electro music scene for some years, this bold, brilliant creation may just push him onto the surface of American radio pop music, or at least catapult him onto the regular big city club circuit. Oh, and I almost forgot: Dykehouse made this album with a guitar, a computer, and a microphone."

Retro sweet tooth satisfier

Stargrazer | deep in the heart of Michigan | 10/31/2005

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is a very impressive production piece for being recorded in a bedroom. It still manages to capture a slice of the My Bloody Valentine wall of guitar, the trebly drums, the muzzy-fuzzy vocals that occasionally float over the music and are occasionally drowned within the music. Its merits go far to outrun its debits -- most obviously the cliche-ridden lyrics.



(Go back and listen to My Bloody Valentine lyrics, though, and you'll see that Dykehouse is not so far off the mark.)



These are tight pop songs musically, and loads of fun to listen to. Stephin Merrit or Tim Harrington he is not -- sometimes it's better to turn off your brain when spinning this disc -- but as a shoegaze love letter to a bygone era, "Midrange" is a dizzyingly fun musical confection."