The way Mike Degen creates new music from electro, soul, primal rhythms and advanced pop concepts, he's as much a mad sonicist as he is a musician. The sonic thread that unites this electrifying variety is his approach: take new and unexpected sounds and perform them in traditional ways. “Voodoo Girl”, the first release from Degen’s EP: Inside Out, is an uncommon listen right from the start. It is a cinematic story of possession, ritual & rebirth, told with violin, trumpet and African rhythms. A dreamscape of textures and deep bass lines also play key roles in the drama. “I wanted to explore and express spirituality through the music without relying on lyrics,” Degen says. “The idea was to spark the listener’s imagination – and still get their asses shaking.” For those who crave vocals, however, the lure of “What’s Left of Me” is undeniable. Singer Gregory Clark puts a soulful vocal over Degen’s alluring layout of Spanish guitar and an earthy groove, plaintively singing, “What’s left of me/Loves all of you/Name me another man/Who could take what you put me through”. “I let that song develop on its own,” notes Degen. “What came out was a retro pop feel, very influenced by Curtis Mayfield. Collide that with Flamenco guitar and a bigger punch that comes from not-necessarily-standard drumset sounds, and it takes you somewhere that’s exciting, energetic and uplifting. What it’s all expressing is the familiar sentiment of, ‘I'm addicted to someone who's making me go out of my mind.” Like a human radio receiver tuned to an alternate frequency, Mike Degen picks up the unexpected signals around him and then converts them into fresh energy for the ears with his EP: Inside Out. "A musician who has the art of musical storytelling down to a science, Degen is working on an upcoming five track EP that transcends any kind of pop music in this day and age. He plays with musical arrangement like a puppet master, throwing in orchestral bursts, smooth jazzy vocals and primal drum rhythms to create dynamic combinations. Straight up, this guy is the truth." - Cyrus Wesson, Metrojolt.