Derek Simpson underscores connection and attraction on Signs - (8/4/21)
Derek Simpson releases his second full-length album “Signs,” available August 4th on Digital Formats and Vinyl via Trailing Twelve Records.
Trailing Twelve Records presents Signs: the second full-length album from Long-Beach-based bedroom-pop auteur Derek Simpson set for release on August 4th. A follow-up to his 2019 album KiNG SUN and a conclusion to the steady stream of singles and music videos released over the past year, Signs finds Simpson taking a playful approach to both production and thematic content. The result is a cohesive blend of hypnotizing dub revival, alternative R&B, and laid-back disco cast upon messages of human connection, gender identity, and the supernatural.
The forced solitude of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that Simpson spent the better part of 2020 into February 2021 holed up in his Long Beach, CA studio, endearingly named “Rancho Relaxo.” During this hermitage, Simpson began work on Signs, handling the bulk of production, writing, recording, and mixing - enlisting only a handful of close collaborators to finalize the songs. Gracie Gray, Alessandro Maione, Ry Mohon (Chloe Navarre), Dan O’Rourke (The White Electric), & Joshua Tarantino all appear throughout the record to varying degrees. Simpson recounts calling O’Rourke regularly for consultation throughout the process along with enlisting his own sister Alexandra Simpson to create the album artwork.
Derek Simpson, photograph by Sergio Bruce De La Torre
In addition to a global pandemic, Simpson’s domestic and romantic relationship had undergone a significant change. Both the worldwide and more intimate shift provided ample inspiration to explore the concepts of connection and the impact of attraction on communication. These larger concepts show up throughout the album in exciting and at times unexpected ways. The seductively minimal “Talking To Strangers” takes on the anxiety of digital courtship and plays with the concept of “ghosting,” while “Kid The Moon” celebrates the pleasures of late-night chats and moonlit intimacy.
Signs’ creation consisted of a few firsts: it was the first project Simpson wrote with the intention of performing it live, as well as the first project in which he experimented with releasing one song at a time. In title, Signs may allude to the various ways we communicate and discern meaning. For each single release, Simpson designed artwork utilizing the pedestrian symbol commonly seen on road crossing and restroom signage, except in these cases the figures were recontextualized to fit each song’s greater meaning. The artwork for “Sofia” features a translucent female figure hovering above a male figure within da Vinci’s Vitruvian Man. The song, featuring guest vocals from Gracie Gray, is an ode to a supernatural entity that speaks through dreams and intuition.
single artwork for “Sofia",” taken from the upcoming album Signs
The sonic landscape is rooted in laid-back grooves, gentle and hypnotic guitar, and Simpson’s charmingly hazy vocal textures. With the majority of the compositions exceeding the 5-minute mark, the songs feel unhurried, instead aiming to establish an environment for the listener to wander and bask in. In Simpson’s words, his approach to writing and production for Signs is intentionally more playful and subtle than his previous work:
“Though much of this album’s creation looks like a short blur in retrospect, it is clear to me that playfulness & subtlety birthed each song. Their genes show up in different ways on each composition, but their presence as the loving parents of each of these pieces is undeniable.
The subtlety is more rooted in a conscious effort though. Most of my favorite records these days embrace a kind of understatement in performance that invites a listener to lean forward and listen closely. In the midst of the loudness war, interruptive advertising, and 24 hour news stations, I wanted to add to the other side of the scale. We need calm, intimate, unhurried vibe maintenance as much as we need bangers to thrash around to.”
From start to finish, Signs displays Simpson’s deft understanding of groove and his ability to craft vulnerable, thought-provoking compositions with minimal ingredients.
Signs, by Derek Simpson, will be available on digital formats worldwide and physical 12” vinyl LP on Wednesday, August 4th, through Trailing Twelve Records. Pre-order here.
Watch the music video for “Kid The Moon” below.
Tracklist:
Hide+Seek
Sofia
XING
U-Turn
Talking To Strangers
Naked Forever
Ones We Ride
Kid The Moon
Written by Derek Simpson
Produced by Derek Simpson and The White Electric
Performed, and Mixed by Derek Simpson (BMI)
Mastered by Vincent Mazza
© & ℗ 2021 Trailing Twelve Records. All Rights Reserved. Unauthorized Copying, Reproduction, Hiring, Lending, Public Performance, And Broadcasting Strictly Prohibited.
DEREK SIMPSON - Signs LP
TTR-015
Released 4 August 2021
Length: 39:48
BIO
Derek Simpson is an artist, producer, and multi-instrumentalist based out of Long Beach, California. Layering spacey guitar chords and electric piano lines with dense and introspective wordplay, Derek's music often explores the value of holding a positive perspective in the face of confusion or adversity.
Featured by Ones To Watch, Spin, Indie Shuffle, Atwood Magazine, Glide, and Dummy, Simpson’s respect for focus and hard work shows in his recordings - all of which are fully written, produced, composed, and mixed by himself.
Derek has produced music for Kevin Abstract, Dom McLennon, Rockie Fresh and more. His music has also been featured in Comedy Central's Workaholics.
