Miami's Culture Prophet Releases New EP Incerto

When he was seven-years-old, Michael Barksdale's father gifted him a guitar. Ever since, he's been tinkering with sounds. Now known as Culture Prophet, the electronic producer who grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, and Atlanta, Georgia, decided when he made the move to South Beach last September that he wanted to change up his music. He just wasn’t exactly sure what that change would entail. But Magic City living gave him direction.

“It was interesting to see how many different people thrive here.” Barksdale told us. “It’s like living in a foreign country. It’s inspired me and opened me up to other cultural experiences.”

You can hear how his new locale affected his sound with Culture Prophet’s new EP, Incerto, that dropped on July 24. The four industrial instrumental tracks were originally composed three years ago, but after his move to South Florida he remastered them and is now giving them the proper release he feels they deserve.
“It is kind of an in between point between the last full length record and the next one.” That last record he's talking about was called Lies & Deceit. The new full length which he is putting the finishing touches on and should be out in late September and is titled Truth & Honesty. 
“It’s about how truth is harder to deal with than lies," Barksdale says. "It’s the heaviest thing I’ve done. It’s mostly bass oriented using the bass like a guitar. It kind of sounds like an old Nine Inch Nails record.”

But to make ensure he doesn’t rip off his influences he’s been keeping Trent Reznor off his playlist. “I try to listen to music not like what I’m making. So I’ve been listening to some upbeat pop driven music like The Posies and Death Cab for Cutie and some jazz.”

You can get a sample of Culture Prophet's musical library during his regular Wednesday night gig DJing at Kill Your Idol. “I’ll play ‘80s and ‘90s stuff," he says. "Usually I’ll play a Michael Jackson song and Depeche Mode. I don’t really plan out a set I just feel out the vibe.”
He’ll also be playing a DJ set of his original material tonight, July 30, at Fort Lauderdale's Bar Stache. “All the proceeds go to Guitars Over Guns, which is about getting kids playing music instead of getting into trouble. If my Dad hadn’t gotten me that guitar I probably could have used that help too.”  

Culture Prophet with Jay Hero. 5 p.m. Thursday, July 30, at Bar Stache, 109 SW 2nd Ave, Fort Lauderdale; 954-449-1044; stacheftl.com. Suggested $10 cover fee.