New Jersey roots rocker DownTown Mystic (aka Robert Allen) returns with a very cool new project. Over last two years The Static Dive has featured a slew of new music from Allen and his cohorts at Sha-La Music. The independent music publishing company and record label is home to DownTown Mystic’s music as well as that of associated artists like guitarist Bruce Engler. Readers of The Static Dive have been lucky enough to be the first to hear songs from DTM’s 2020 album “Better Day” and the 2021 album “DownTown Mystic On E Street Deluxe” which featured Hall of Fame inductees Max Weinberg and Garry Tallent of Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band.
“Downtown Demos” is the latest EP from DownTown Mystic and Sha-La Music, released worldwide to all major streaming services on Friday September 10, 2021. The EP is an experiment of sorts. Allen is currently working on the next DTM album. The ‘demos’ of the EP are early versions of songs that will eventually be re-recorded and included on the new album. DTM teamed up with production team ‘Bong Bros’ to package the demos as an interactive experience, involving fans in the entire album creation process.
The idea is to show the process of how the project proceeds in real-time, from demo to finished product.
Robert Allen (DownTown Mystic)
The six tracks on “Downtown Demos” include instrumental and vocal versions of rootsy rockers “(I Want to) Live” and “Shadow Walk.” Each matches tasty Blues guitar with lo-fi beats and soulful, raspy Southern Rock-style singing (on the vocal versions). The instrumental “Koolskool” is a real highpoint featuring 2:38 seconds of smoking guitar riffing and solos. “Acoustic Heart” is an instrumental take of a Country/Pop/Rock track that already sounds like a hit.
The new DownTown Mystic EP “Downtown Demos” is a fascinating peek inside the creative process of a deeply talented team of musicians. It’s also a lot of fun. We’re already looking forward to hearing the final versions of these songs on the next DTM album. Check out the record in its entirety below or listen on your favorite streaming service. You can also hear the track “Koolskool ” on the Deep Indie Dive playlist. Follow the links below to connect with DownTown Mystic and follow the progress as this interesting project unfolds.