︎︎︎Info
Title
Pleasure Center
Format
CD, Digital
Date
2020.08.07.
Label
Galtta
Publisher
Adrian Knight Music
Total Time
38’24”
Status
︎︎︎Tracklist
01 Airport
02 Pleasure Center
03 Quarantined
04 Captain’s Log
05 Invisible Man
06 Lasertown
07 Drifter
08 Night Falls
09 Waiting for a Ride
02 Pleasure Center
03 Quarantined
04 Captain’s Log
05 Invisible Man
06 Lasertown
07 Drifter
08 Night Falls
09 Waiting for a Ride
︎︎︎Credits
Adrian Knight
lead, backing vocals
keyboards
synths
guitars
bass
percussion
engineering
mixing
keyboards
synths
guitars
bass
percussion
engineering
mixing
David Lackner
woodwinds
mastering
mastering
Michael Advensky
drums
percussion
percussion
Tom Henry
artwork
︎︎︎Note
Parallel to his work as a composer, Adrian has continued to delve deeper into the world of home recording. His new album "Pleasure Center"—the culmination of years of research and testing—is the 6th full length pop album to be released by Galtta. A wizard of song form, melody, and sophisti-pop production, Adrian writes songs that weave in and out of unique harmonies; never expected but always perfect and inevitable. Those who follow Galtta will recognize Adrian's massive footprint on the label.
Fans of Adrian will delight in the signature vocal stacks, sophisticated writing, synth work, lyrics, and hi-fi candy production—served up with a side of mechanized sleaze, dripping down the brutalist facade like out-of-date gravy.
Once inside you will encounter specimens from the whole range of the human experience. Moving freely between the dystopian and utopian, "Pleasure Center" is an album about space—both outer and inner, big and small, from the mundane to the cosmic. Tales about the Golden State killer, suicidal divorcees, and homicidal space captains comingle with the bittersweet reminiscences of an aging lady of the canyon, wry commentaries on the intricate apparatus of 21st century love, digital and analog thrills, all imbued with the hazy daydreaming of a wide-eyed astronaut, drifting off to sleep...
Adrian's records tend to unfold with repeated listening. This is no exception, but those who put in the time can expect a big payoff. Turn your lights down low, pop in that CD and mosey on down the stairs to your own personal "pleasure center"...
—Galtta
Parallel to his work as a composer, Adrian has continued to delve deeper into the world of home recording. His new album "Pleasure Center"—the culmination of years of research and testing—is the 6th full length pop album to be released by Galtta. A wizard of song form, melody, and sophisti-pop production, Adrian writes songs that weave in and out of unique harmonies; never expected but always perfect and inevitable. Those who follow Galtta will recognize Adrian's massive footprint on the label.
Fans of Adrian will delight in the signature vocal stacks, sophisticated writing, synth work, lyrics, and hi-fi candy production—served up with a side of mechanized sleaze, dripping down the brutalist facade like out-of-date gravy.
Once inside you will encounter specimens from the whole range of the human experience. Moving freely between the dystopian and utopian, "Pleasure Center" is an album about space—both outer and inner, big and small, from the mundane to the cosmic. Tales about the Golden State killer, suicidal divorcees, and homicidal space captains comingle with the bittersweet reminiscences of an aging lady of the canyon, wry commentaries on the intricate apparatus of 21st century love, digital and analog thrills, all imbued with the hazy daydreaming of a wide-eyed astronaut, drifting off to sleep...
Adrian's records tend to unfold with repeated listening. This is no exception, but those who put in the time can expect a big payoff. Turn your lights down low, pop in that CD and mosey on down the stairs to your own personal "pleasure center"...
—Galtta
︎︎︎Video
︎︎︎Press
‹‹ Lost in a Sea of Sound ››
A half century ago, there were some strong sonic vibes unearthing the hidden location of Pleasure Center. The process was slow and time consuming. Those with high fortitude made good headway and came close, but these were individual efforts. Contributors to the research were consistently redirected by fancy fast tracked beats augmented by hypnotizing lights and dusty white speed. Eventually the push to discover pleasure center was forgotten and disbanded for the most part. The emission of a subsonic message of ageless groovy baselines continued over the next five decades bringing us to the present. There were few who could hear it or truly understood. Adrian Knight has changed this condition. With a grant for research and development from the GALTTA Records Exploratory Company, Pleasure Center has been located.
Nine tracks, all unlocking casual rhythms sparkling in the starlight. Follow the secret staircase leading down to a cave. Use your coded invitation from GALTTA when purchasing another release from the label, your love will not be starved. Pleasure Center pushes Adrian Knight past a dozen releases in over the same amount of years. And this is just releases under his own name, not including multiple projects with like minded musicians. This is the realm of GALTTA Records, capturing a groove and spirit eluding modern music. Maybe it was touched upon years ago, only now with GALTTA and those who contribute have these sounds become realized. Pleasure Center is not the pinnacle, there are so many excellent releases from the label. Pleasure Center is another arrow in the quiver, a sharp one. Adrian Knight is extremely well versed at writing, singing and composing. So much so that upon first listen, there is too much to take in, the music and lyrics are like blue prints from a conscious resting in another world. At first listen, tangled sounds and cryptic verse is all that is heard. Listening again lets us edge a little closer, then finally the genius of the sound being conveyed settles in.
Beautiful compact discs housed in a digipack, all in a limited edition. GALTTA Records out of Brooklyn has copies currently available. Lost in a Sea of Sound had the pleasure to describe an Adrian Knight release coming up on two year ago. Check out Vacation Man when you have time to explore more.
‹‹ Critical Masses (Ryan Masteller) ››
Calm down, ladies – yes, I know soft-rock superstar and Galtta flagship act Adrian Knight is back, but that’s no reason to lose your cool. Adrian Knight would never lose his cool. In fact, Knight has so perfected the art of keeping and/or maintaining his cool that it’s like a blast of minty fresh air whenever he walks in the room. That might just be his exquisitely fresh breath, though – Knight is nothing if not a serial mouthwasher (I’m certain of this, even though I have no proof).
On Knight’s new compact disc Pleasure Center, the maestro effortlessly weaves his way through nine new tracks, his heavenly voice and silky arrangements like wisps of cologne on the breeze. It’s not for nothing that every song sounds like it smells really good – don’t you know pheromones hit the olfactory senses? The right smell hitting your nose will totally ratchet up all those endorphins you’ve got lying dormant in that brain of yours. Time to get those chemicals cooking.
The literal pleasure centers of your brain are endlessly triggered by Pleasure Center, the titular subject rendered as a physical space on the cover, a place that offers respite in the form of love form the dark and lonely city surrounding it. Within it is smooth jazz, sultry R&B, a little bit of the rock of the yacht-ish persuasion, only to reinforce the sophistication and seriousness of the whole endeavor. It exists as a point of relaxation, of sensuality, of, yes, pleasure if you let yourself go if you find yourself within its walls. It’s earnest and honest, and it will work overtime to make it worth your while – to ensure that the pleasure is of the highest quality.
OK, ladies, maybe you should be losing your cool.
Adrian Knight continues to perfect the late-night lover persona that you always knew you needed but never quite wanted to admit that you desired. Well, desire is name of the game here on Pleasure Center. Take a deep breath and get yourself lost in the middle of it.
Adrian Knight is a constant source of creativity as he’s consistently exploring various avenues of experimental pop ideas with his song craft. This time around, the artist has outdone himself, as he dishes out large helpings of synth amid the extremely mature melodies of the aptly titled Pleasure Center.
“Airport” starts the listen with the soothing sounds of the ‘70s with soft, soulful vocals alongside pop melodies, and the title track follows with drums from Michael Advensky and woodwinds from David Lackner, who also mastered the record, on the hazy, layered, throwback pop formula.
Further along, “Invisible Man”moves with a smooth beat as Knight’s versatile pipes illuminate the disco friendly atmosphere, while “Lasertown” benefits greatly from Lackner’s contributions on the album highlight that’s swift, rhythmic and retro in all the best ways.
The final two tracks are “Night Falls” and “Waiting For A Ride”, where the former glides with a busier display of layered vocals, and funky instrumentation, and the latter might soundtrack a roller skating experience in another decade with its nostalgic arrangements and feel good delivery.
For fans of outsider pop, it just doesn’t get any better than this 6th album from Knight, where well developed lyrics, pristine production and atypical harmonies ensure a good time from beginning to end.