Johnny Goth - Demons LP
Words by Sean Tayler
In his boldest and most ambitious release to date, California lo-fi producer and vocalist, Johnny Goth delivers his stunning album, Demons.
Opening with ‘Take Me Away’, Johnny Goth embraces in his lo-fi roots, allowing the track to be driven by a powerful, yet mellow synth. ‘Let It Slide’ follows, a faster and more upbeat track, that builds a sense of urgency as the lyrics reflect upon the nature of second chances. Title track ‘Demons’ manipulates distortion to create a cinematic single that’s half bedroom pop, part shoegaze. ‘Land of the Evil’ fades in with a sinister kick, noticeably being the most gothic-inspired track; even featuring a spooky, Halloween drone.
‘Graves’, the first released single from the project is the most outright electronic sounding track, with recurring looping reminiscing an alt-J song being played during a thunderstorm. The energy of ‘Graves’ plays perfectly into an acoustic lull that ‘Moonlight Beams’ serves to interlude Demons with a more traditional Johnny Goth track. Transitioning into ‘Hideaway’, Johnny Goth embraces a lo-fi spin-off of a 90’s alt-rock sound, manipulating unconventional key and synthetic structure in the gradual climax of the track.
For my personal favourite track, ‘Breathe’ Johnny Goth distorts his vivid voice. The track then transforms the textured lyrics into a raw ensemble, in a gorgeous lo-fi tribute to The Cure’s ‘Pictures of You’. Demons closes with the emotionally empowered ‘Bad Dream’, a gentle closer that draws upon both the sparkling synthetics of ‘Take Me Away’ and the acoustic aspects of ‘Moonlight Beams’.
Johnny Goth’s ‘Demons’ is an eclectic electronic wander from a talented lo-fi producer; one that feels nostalgic already, much like a dream.