To truly write about The Cymatic’s new EP “Prequel”, it’s important that I also mention their release party. A labyrinth was constructed with plastic sheets stretched between trees. Two dancers in white paint contorted their way through work by local artists, never once breaking character. In the middle of the labyrinth, a fountain appeared, and eager participants drank tea with a hidden guru and watched the dancers literally climb through the walls. When a wanderer finally arrived at the end, past planks of wood nailed to the wall, he or she was given a beautifully crafted booklet emblazoned with abstract symbols and the words: The Cymatic.
You had arrived.
The first page of the booklet was a link to download the EP for free. Then a guide of sorts: Each symbol from the front cover corresponded with one of the songs. I can imagine these symbols appearing mysteriously on sidewalks around town. Or on street signs, the sides of buildings. Or even in your dreams.
A throng of people pressed into the house. The Cymatic took the stage like mystical creatures, singer/bassist Chris Davis wrapped in red tulle and keyboardist/singer Angie Calderon wearing a mischievous smile. Then they dove into their set, joyful and passionate, and the crowd undulated with every upbeat anthem. They ended long before anyone wanted to see them go, disappearing into the labyrinth from whence they came.
That hint of the otherworldly permeates Prequel. You’ve heard the elements before. Guitar, bass, drums, keyboards. A lilting female voice. Then: rapping. And that’s not the only curveball. These guys are funky. They’re like the Black Eyed Peas if they were in college and wanted you to feel better about yourself. There’s a youthful exuberance here that had me starting the EP over the moment it ended. In “Enough to Live For”, they make a list of things that are indeed enough to live for. Comic books, Mozart, Dragonball Z, and Hieroglyphs all get a shout out. In “Alchemy”, high-pitched whoos in the chorus will get you singing along and cranking the volume. That’s the thing here. These songs are catchy as hell. Over the last week, I’ve had so many of Angie Calderon’s choruses stuck in my head that I feel like a member of the band.
The Cymatic are the real deal. A band with a cohesive aesthetic, a positive message, and faint whiff of mystery. Their infusion of eye-popping visuals only sweetens the deal. And they’ll get you dancing. What more could you ask for? — Written by Josh Denslow