{"product_id":"dream_mega-control-you-are-not-the-center","title":"DREAM_MEGA - Control \/ You Are Not the Center","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: justify;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAt a recent DREAM_MEGA performance, Joel Kyack stood alone on stage, directing a \u003c\/span\u003elava flow of sound at the audience. Overwhelmed by the haunted-house frequencies, the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003einvasive rhythms, the untethered, untuned vocals, one attendee bent against another to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewhisper, \"I think this guy's channeling demons.\" Whether spoken in terror or esteem, this\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eaccusation is useful in the face of DREAM_MEGA's second LP, 'Control \/ You Are Not the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eCenter.' The record is laced with menace. You hear it in the mutant war marches, in the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edancehall reflux, in the tolling bass. You hear it in the crystalline melodies and the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eyearning ascensions. You even hear it in the Guided by Voices cover.\u003cspan\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/span\u003eJoel's relationship with unsettling sound-demon channeling-is now decades long. His\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003elong-standing service in Landed, the band he co-founded in 1997, runs parallel to Joel's\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003econtributions to Six Finger Satellite, Men's Recovery Project, Megaf***ers, Dos Mega,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand Street Buddy. This relentless dedication points a straight line to the feverish decay of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ehis present day work, but Dream Mega stands distinct. Borne out of Joel's near-death\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eexperience in 2020-a debilitated week spent isolated in Thailand, coughing blood and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003edrenching bedsheets-DREAM_MEGA commandeers a unique space at the overlap of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003econfrontation and abandon.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eDrawing on his own experiences at both hardcore shows and at street performances,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eJoel pushes DREAM_MEGA into an antipodal state where hyper-awareness and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eliberatory transcendence coexist. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe songs on 'Control \/ You Are Not the Center' stare\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eunblinking at our dumb, dangerous world the same way a Dropdead song might, but they\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esimultaneously lift the burden of this disaster, pushing toward airy respite. Some of this is\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eJoel's compositional approach, setting ancient woodwinds against digital synthesizers,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ecrossing unnatural circuitry with human breath. But the heart of it is Joel's dire,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003emiddle-of-the-night need to address his fear and sadness and glimmers of hope and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etwist it into something that might keep his heart beating, despite. It is an act of clarity and\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eself-preservation so skillfully wrought that every listener is able to feel the demons at\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ework on their own heart.\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e'Control \/ You are Not The Center' features sonic contributions from Ryan Weinstein\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e(Coffin Prick), Cordey Lopez, and Lisa Anne Auerbach. It is recommended for fans of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eHassell \u0026amp; Eno's 'Fourth World, Vol.1: Possible Musics', Houston's chopped and screwed\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003escene, and Captain Beefheart.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat \/ \u003cb\u003eLP\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eReleased \/ \u003cstrong\u003e03\/20\/2026\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eCatalogue \/ \u003cstrong\u003ePPTM-113\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eBarcode \/ \u003cstrong\u003e784300942269\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eArtist \/ \u003cstrong\u003eDREAM_MEGA\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLabel \/ \u003cstrong\u003ePost Present Medium\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eGenre \/ \u003cstrong\u003eElectronic\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cmeta charset=\"utf-8\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Secretly Canadian","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":43041320403005,"sku":"ELE-D-784300942269","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1487\/4550\/files\/4487586-3513307.jpg?v=1773438273","url":"https:\/\/www.plaidroomrecords.com\/products\/dream_mega-control-you-are-not-the-center","provider":"Plaid Room Records","version":"1.0","type":"link"}