MAKJ is taking on a whole new sound with his newest single “Too Far Gone,” featuring the vocals of Matthew Santos. One of the first things you’ll notice about the single is the soft voice of Santos whose vocals permeate throughout the track, giving it its core emotional identity.
Next, you’ll undoubtedly notice that there’s no huge kicks or booming sub-bass in this track. It’s nearly singer/songwriter in its natural, progressive style, but still inherently electronic. MAKJ alludes to as much, noting that he took a lot of inspiration from bands he listened to in his childhood, like Talking Heads, Men Without Hats, The English Beat, and Savage Garden.
“Being able to really connect the dots with my childhood on this record where me, as ‘MAKJ,’ can still be heard, but also I can push forward my influences of new sounds. I really wanted to make this an art piece, not just another single.
“When producing this record, I found myself really digging deep into the organic music side of my brain. This record speaks on so many different years of my life. From the ’80s inspired synths, to the live drums, new wave rhythm, and vocals from Matthew.”
The song is almost too short to fully internalize, but it’s brisk nature only helps to drive home the song’s message even quicker. This is definitely one of favorite singles from MAKJ in recent memory. Listen below and download here.
