Release date: 8 August 2014

The second album from DOT HACKER is called “How’s Your Process?” and it is set to be released in two parts – part one on the 8th August 2014 and part two later this year – and it is yet another masterpiece of mood, groove and beautifully swooned atmosphere. Those of us who respect music and art know the healing power, talent and history of Josh Klinghoffer but for those that don’t let me give a bit of a history lesson. Here is a list of bands and artists that Josh has worked and collaborated with:

Bob Forrest
The Bicycle Thief
Thelonious Monster
Golden Shoulders
John Frusciante
Ataxia
Perry Farrell
Tricky
Gemma Hayes
The Format
PJ Harvey
Neon Neon
Gnarls Barkley
Martina Topley-Bird
Warpaint
Vincent Gallo
Butthole Surfers
Beck

A lot of you however will know him best as being the guitarist who recently replaced John Frusciante in RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS. My introduction to Josh Klinghoffer was through John Frusciante’s solo albums and in particular a collaborative electronica recording titled “A Sphere in the Heart of Silence” which showcased the deep artistry Josh is capable of. With DOT HACKER Josh is once again collaborating with a group of Los Angeles musical legends and continues the mood established on their fantastic debut album “Inhibition” which was released in 2012.

The record itself is a true journey that combines a rhythmic pulse drenched in the sting of heartache and a deep spiritual yearning for something beyond with the grit and angst of alternative rock. The tone of Klinghoffer’s vocals all across “How’s Your Process (part one)” is very reminiscent of Patti Smith and carries echoes of the tortured spooky whispers of the great Elizabeth Fraser. There is a great feminine quality to the way he injects his vocals all over the songs presented here and it balances the dreamy with the dreary with perfect doses of new romantic shivers to give it an air of class and sophistication. A lot of other creative humans would have approached the vocals in a more literal sense considering the very familiar dynamics of the music but Klinghoffer attacks it with a unique sense of atmosphere giving the emotional dialogue an otherworldly feel which allows for a true escapist experience when you surrender to the album flat on your back in the dark with a good pair of headphones.

This unique flavour is reflected as well in albums instrumentation with a heavy focus on building soundscapes rich with synths and electronica aesthetics that are wonderfully mixed with interesting guitar hooks and more traditional rock band sounds. The appeal of DOT HACKER for me has always been the way in which the band mixes their rock n roll with their electronica and their pop music with their gothic infused post-punk moodscapes. It is a sound that is equal parts lush and dirty lo-fi dust keeping an intense focus on remaining adventurous. At its core DOT HACKER is a pop band that leans heavily on the experimental realms of music to communicate the sound that they do. The compositions on “How’s Your Process (part one)” reflect that quite deeply and without the need to shove twenty genres down your throat at once. This is a band whose music illustrates just how much the members all individually respect many different sounds but instead of merely recreating those sounds they have found a brave new chemistry and vehicle to offer something new and vital to the cultural lexicon.

I found the listening experience sunk into every inch of my emotional state and sent me deep inside my own head giving me access to all sorts of intense thoughts that were framed by both joy and pain. As is the case with an artist like John Frusciante, DOT HACKER requires for you to totally surrender yourself in order for the full effect of the sound to influence your state of mind. I find their music to be incredibly beautiful but it carries a darkness that is unique to the authors and the vague yet very open narratives sprinkled throughout the lyrics give you the listener the space to lean on your own imagination while you work out bold new ways to live your life in the A to B.

These six tracks are only one part of the story and with the rich display of music presented on part one of “How’s Your Process” it is easy to hear that the continuation of this movement of music will no doubt provide the logical conclusion to what is shaping up to be one of the best releases of 2014 so far.

Daniel James Newton of Heavy and Weird

DOT HACKER: How’s Your Process? Part 1 (Work)