Archbald electronic artist The Gary Goblins releases new album ‘Elf Is About to Die’ for free on Jan. 10
From a press release:
On Sunday, Jan. 10, local electronic musician The Gary Goblins will release his long-awaited 15th studio album, an 18-track masterpiece crafted under the name “Elf Is About to Die.”
He has called the LP, which includes tracks such as “The Embarrass” and “The Rise and Fall of the Snakeman,” a “psychological cleansing.”
“I had a lot of latched on anger from when I was a little kid – I was always sick, living in a crappy neighborhood, and constant fights,” Goblins explained. “I wanted rid of it.”
All of this manifested in sounds and glitches reminiscent of an old video game, which perfectly captures the age in which, he says, the problems started.
“Elf Is About to Die” houses four characters that represent those lingering impacts – some real, some fictional, some possibly a combination of real and fiction.
“It will probably only ever make sense in my own head,” he admitted, but he’s OK with that.
For the album artwork, he wanted something dark and ominous, so all of the album photography was taken by friend and Scranton photographer Keith Barbuti. It’s a release over a year in the making, and it’s now ready to be experienced by the public.
Impressively, The Gary Goblins has been making electronic music since late 1998. Upon his high school graduation, he told people in his yearbook that he wanted to be an electronic musician. In October of that year, he bought his first synthesizer. Since then, he has released a total of 18 solo albums, including three live albums, along with two from side project Groder, all under his individual label FaBam! His catalog ranges from satirical tongue-in-cheek pieces to those that were spawned from current events. While The Gary Goblins uses limited vocals, those he does include are caustic and meaningful.
“People don’t really listen to lyrics, so I keep mine limited but significant,” he noted.
Over the past two years, The Gary Goblins has also acquired a live local presence in Northeastern Pennsylvania, performing in places such as The Keys and the Irish Wolf Pub in downtown Scranton and Tomaino’s Lounge in his current hometown of Archbald. All those who have witnessed him perform are utterly blown away by the sheer power and presence conveyed on stage. While he is normally a relaxed individual off-stage, The Gary Goblins live is an experience not to be missed.
“He’s like a demon on stage, totally possessed by the music,” a fan once said.
The Gary Goblins next live performance will be on Saturday, Jan. 30 at 7:30 p.m. with Mock Sun, Umbriel, Quoth, and Zayre Mountain at The Living Room in the Sherman Theater (524 Main St., Stroudsburg). Pre-sale tickets are available for $8 and can be purchased from any of the bands or Stephanie Hill of Hectic Management and Promotions. Tickets can also be purchased at the door for $10.
For more information, visit the Facebook event page.
“Elf Is About to Die” will be available for download through Bandcamp on Sunday, Jan. 10 for free, but if fans wish to pay, direct payment can be sent through PayPal to elf_242@hotmail.com.
Photos by Keith Barbuti Photography
