Bay Area musician Will Magid wears a lot of hats. In addition to being a producer and an electronic musician, he’s also a trumpeter, composer and an ethnomusicologist. All of these roles have informed Magid’s second album, Alligator Spacewalk, which is due out May 13. But the last-named might have had the biggest effect of all. Inspired by discoveries he’s made during his studies, of disparate cultures coming together in one big musical melting pot, Magid has crafted his new album with a strikingly diverse set of sonic references.
Not only do the styles that come into play on the album include everything from Cuban rhythms to New Orleans influences and slippery electro-funk—even the aural textures themselves are all over the map. Strings and horns share space with synths and guitars, but the whole thing hangs together. On “Set Me Free,” which you can stream below for a sneak peek at the Alligator Spacewalk sound, some of the funkiest Moog bass lines you’ve ever heard rub elbows with an elegant string section and Magid’s own sleek trumpet lines for a sound as resonant as it is singular. If you’re near the Bay Area, you can catch the debut party for the album at The Mezzanine on May 13, but if not, “Set Me Free” will still get you off to a good start.