From playful and positive to progressive and passionate, Michael Whalen’s new Phonic is an extremely expressive and, in many ways, groundbreaking single. Michael is always trying new things in the studio, and Phonic is no exception. It showcases a brand-new sound that captures modernity and city life perfectly (the music video underlines and refines this impression). Phonic is also a key track on myndstream’s Summer Song Flight, which will be released on Friday.
Michael Whalen is a composer of over 650 television and film scores and thousands of advertising jingles. He has won two Emmy Awards. He is also a beloved artist in the ambient/New Age music field, and his piece I Have Loved You For A Thousand Lifetimes has been streamed over 37 million times on Spotify. His most recent albums are Future Shock (2021) and Like Rain Through My Hands (2021).
Phonic
In video number two below, you can hear Michael talking about Phonic. He says it is a “fun, romantic, beautiful summertime song.” But I think he is too modest. If you hit play and expect something like Mungo Jerry’s In The Summertime, you will see – and hear! – that this is something quite different. Phonic is complex, hypermodern, and genre-defying. Notice how the melody develops; from the first playful loops to the epic conclusion, Phonic tries to redefine our perception of sound. I think the video does a great job in describing what this is all about:
Here Michael Whalen talks about Phonic and myndstream’s Summer Song Flight:
In a world where myriads of synth sounds are available by the push of a button, I’m always amazed by how Michael manages to stay ahead of the curve and sound different and fresh every time. We saw that last year with the release of Sacred Spaces and the 2021 releases, Future Shock. Phonic is in the same league, raising the bar for all other artists out there. And the most interesting part: It is not about state-of-the-art synths, but storytelling and understanding the time we live in.
Phonic takes the temperature on the post-Covid19 era and emphasizes the importance of listening. It is a piece of great advice, I think.
myndstream’s Summer Song Flight consists of six tracks. Though they are being released separately, they are all part of the same body of work. It offers a radical and refreshing twist on the old album/single perspective. When you get to know the release, you will see that a new way of releasing music takes shape. It is a concept where every track counts even more than before, both as a part and a whole.
For more information and music samples, visit michaelwhalen.com