Dance Gavin Dance - 'Space Cow Initiation'
Emo royalty, Dance Gavin Dance, return with a pure blend of creation.
Dance Gavin Dance have returned for the first time since 2022, releasing 4 singles from the upcoming album ‘Pantheon’. This song features the crown prince of funk himself, George Clinton. Clinton’s feature creates a majestic blend of genre-bending and wall-breaking sonic experience. The band gel really well with George and add all they can to explore every avenue and back alley that they possess in their musical toolkit.
This track encapsulates all four seasons in just under four minutes, with the verses piling up and colliding in an emphatic manner, keeping you guessing. It begins with a beautiful pop-influenced shoegaze riff that cuts through your headphones and establishes a mellow mood to get the feelings flowing. The vocals Jon Mess produces here are reminiscent of earlier tracks by this band and others from the surrounding scene. This lovely medley then descends into a breaking and chaotic auto-tune section that perfectly captures the vibe the band is aiming for, and then, before you realise it, you’re propelled into a sheer Saturday night groove.
George Clinton bursts onto the scene as the switch happens, creating an air of wonderful confusion and optimism. His consistent questioning of whether the audience “wants the funk?” can only be met with one answer: yes. This thumping groove and elation then transform into one of the nastiest breakdowns this band has ever produced. It’s impossible not to pull your best bass face as Andrew Wells and Will Swans shred along the lower frets to build nail-biting tension, while Matthew Mingus pounds you over the skull with a brutal sequence of intermittent blast beats. The song repeats this formula, creating something truly special; it is undoubtedly a rollercoaster, and the three previous singles capture that more natural and instinctive essence of their talents.
This album signifies a comeback for the band, despite the previous controversy surrounding the former front man. Dance Gavin Dance have demonstrated they can endure the test of time and overcome rough patches. This song is an excellent showcase of musical tenacity and I am riddled with excitement to see the rest of “Pantheon” being released on 12th September via Rise Records. Don’t sleep on this, ladies and gents, as it’s truly something special.
Words by Josh Pook
