Galactic Effect Explains the Alternate Reality Behind His New EP

Almost exactly a year has passed since we last spoke to local musician Galactic Effect. The occasion (other than to chat about a life-changing trip to Burning Man) was a celebration of the release of his newest single, “Sky Fortress,” which preceded an accompanying EP called Life on the Outer Rim. Asked to describe that EP, Mr. Effect told us it was “punching beats and future bass rhythms combined with organic sounds from various world instruments and vocal ensembles." Indeed, Galactic Effect's music is often a gumbo of many different influences, a sort of journey through space, reaching down to earth every now and then to grab an instrument or vocal from a different part of the globe. 

Twelve months later, as if on cue, he’s now ready to grace us with his fourth EP, AUGMNTR.

We sat down with Galactic Effect (who prefers not to use his real name) to talk about the upcoming release and what more we can expect from the Miami artist in the near future. 

New Times: What's happened since we last talked about your endeavors?
Galactic Effect: It's been an interesting year, to say the least. The first half was filled with a fair share of festivals, both local and out of town. The second half of the year so far has been more about creating new content and working on a new live set where I bring out more of the gear and creation tools: synths, vocoders, etc. This has definitely been my favorite year regarding my life as a musician. Sometimes, it even feels like things are falling into place.

What can you tell us about the upcoming EP and its themes?
In a time where we grow more and more dependent on technology, I find our collective consciousness is more and more aligned with the futuristic realm we envisioned in old sci-fi movies — a realm where we can jump between a cyber and organic world all in one instant. I wanted to create the soundtrack to a being I made up in my head called AUGMNTR, one who plucks people out of their world to another. In the augmented dimension, you can explore anywhere you'd like: planets, worlds, nebulas, galaxies, etc. The challenging part was evolving my sound to envelop a more diverse range of frequencies that may or may not glue well together. Taking a risk was essential. Overall, it was fun exploring future bass, classical, dub, ambient, pop, dark and light tones. The artwork was created by Archan Nair, who currently resides in India. This is our second time teaming up. I'm in love with his art and felt this piece fit the vibe well.

What do you hope we take away as listeners?
I hope when people listen to the AUGMNTR EP, they will not only be inspired but also listen to it in a proper way. This EP is heavily layered, so headphones or good speakers are a must. This isn't your generic EDM EP; every track has a different vibe and story behind it. I look forward to listeners hopefully having a good time with it. This EP is dedicated to everyone out there living above the status quo, surpassing their own boundaries and comfort zones — especially when listening to music.

What’s next?
Besides the EP coming out in early September, I shall be releasing a series of music videos late in the month and early October — one which is a collaboration with Chantil Dukart and another directed by the Beach Chronicles.

Night of the Augmented with the Galactic Effect, Y Diz, Skinny Hendrix, The Time Zoo Keeper, Phantasman, Serious Jorge, Kid Blast Sound System. 9 p.m. Thursday, September 8, at Churchill’s Pub, 5501 NE Second Ave., Miami; 305-757-1807; churchillspub.com. Admission is $5. Ages 18 and up.