MCMGM is a reincarnated musical form of Gunnar Madsen. Madsen is most known for creating scores for many movies, video games and so much more and he’s an acclaimed composer and a Grammy nominee. However, there is another side to him, and it’s his eternal love for funk:
“I grew up wanting to be in the Beatles, but they broke up before I could join them. At high school parties, I would dance into a frenzy when funk music came on I loved going to rock concerts; my favorites were Sly and the Family Stone, Tower of Power, and Talking Heads (Speaking in Tongues era). Funky music.”
The 2020 Pandemic hit. I had time on my hands, and a desire to dance, so I began to write funky music. But gathering a horn section together to spread the virus was not a great idea. So I turned to the computer, and started churning out my danceable grooves via electronics. This was major shift in direction from my previous genre of acapella/classical/children’s/video-game. So I invented an EDM avatar for myself, MCMGM.
He embraced the art of electronic music and the endless capabilities of computers. The artist found inspiration from his son’s musical experiments – he self-taught Logic Pro and learned to create stunning new sounds by twiddling knobs and listening out for cool combinations. MCMGM’s musical worlds hold many twinkles of influences in inspiring sonic explorations, rethinking music, and freeing himself from the boundaries of what is considered traditional songwriting.
“Okay, I’m not trying to match Skrillex drop for drop, but I do know what makes me (and other people) want to dance. My other musical experiences bring a unique depth and width to my electronic music, so that it ends up sounding, well, like nobody else. You can dance, but you can listen, too.”
“On The Floor” is the debut album of MCMGM, home to 15 tracks and it runs for a little longer than 1 hour. Written both as a catharsis and a means to escape and explore, the album takes a dive right into the bewildering soundscapes. “Straight Six”, the album’s beginner does the job well and brings on a large burst of energy with thick hazy bassline navigating the popping soundscapes. There are also introspective calm moments, such as the following track “Lion” which floats in the ethereal and represents the pulsating expansive nature of the universe.
The groovy bassline and dancy beat of “Jungular” is laced with thick synths and feels quite old-school in comparison to much more aggressive sounds of “Atacama”, a song uniting hyperpop elements with stripped-back atmospheric soundscapes. “Kidday” follows with a much darker and mellower sound with hints of trip-hop and jazz weaved into the mix.
“Skint” takes a turn into piano-driven music, feeling through the simple yet carefully measured structures, before returning to rhythmic synth-laden sounds of “Transmit”. Driving on top of layered sounds, the song reassembles itself to bring on new elements, building towards a futuristic synth rave. “Boba Battle” moves on to evocative soundscapes with a lot of little things happening on top of long sustained bassy synth notes. 
“Around You” is a departure from the percussive songs, incorporating a string-like synth that weaves between the wintery chords and sings a song of pondering thoughts. Beats return in “Father’s Day” along with an electrifying buzz, bringing on popping synths. “Deep Room” is a contrast to that with nighttime feels in slow percussion and echoing synths, making it a dark song with an unsettling vibe.
“Tumble” offers minimalist vibes full of warm synth kicks and traditional music elements, an earthy song merging that visceral energy with open-eyed future. “Bubble Shack” comes in with plenty of rhythmic elements, a soulful song looking to find a great rhythmic pattern from daily life and feel the beat. “Plastic Rhino” is an evocative song with some of that earthy feel from “Tumble” and tribal drum patterns. Album closer “Voco Bosso” follows with a funky synth with secret agent vibes and never dropping the suspense.
The album is full of synth goodness. Each song holds its own unique story not told by any lyrics – it’s an instrumental album – but instead, they are formed by ever-evolving soundscapes. What happens in those stories is entirely up to the listener’s imagination.
MCMGM offers plenty to all friends of experimental electronica and anyone who loves synths and free expressive sound.
Don’t forget to support this project and to follow on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, and Spotify. You can also check out his official website. If you enjoy his music and are able to provide monetary support, you might consider downloading it on Bandcamp.
You can obviously find it in the following Playlists: Less Than 1,000 Followers, Fresh Singles, Debut Bands (Off The Radar), and, Take It Easy.
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This coverage was created via MusoSoup #Sustainablecurator