The Motion Epic’s West Coast Dreams is straight out of the ‘80s, with a dash of synthwave for good measure.
The idea of The Motion Epic was born of frustration back in October 2017 at which time Pat DiMeo had been playing in bands that never seemed to blossom. On the brink of moving on from his musical aspirations altogether, DiMeo listened to the voice inside his head – “do your ‘80s project.” The Motion Epic hit the retrowave scene shortly thereafter in 2018 with their first single, “Bad Behavior,” which DiMeo told the electroscape was “like lightening in a bottle.” Midnight followed in 2018.
When asked about the origins of the band name, DiMeo told the electroscape “Motion” was inspired by the ‘80s films he grew up watching, including classics such as Back to the Future, ET, The Goonies, and Stand By Me. “Epic” struck a chord, giving the band name the grandiose feel only a motion picture can provide. When asked what the album title West Coast Dreams means, the artist told the electroscape “as an artist, musician, songwriter, actor – the west coast is somewhere you’d go to achieve your dreams. I’ve always had a fascination about that – you know… the place you go to pursue your dreams” and went on to say “You only live one life…”
West Coast Dreams was originally released in November 2019, with the vinyl edition on dreamy blue and white wax to follow in March 2020 on Sofa King Vinyl. When I first glanced at the cover art for West Coast Dreams, I was drawn to the visual depiction of the retro and new wave elements. The cover art was designed by the band in collaboration with Mr. Mellville and was an ode to ‘80s film classics, featuring a girl inspired by Sara Connor from the ‘80s sci-fi blockbuster, Terminator, sporting virtual reality goggles depicting what she sees on the outside, including Arnold Schwarzenegger fit with headphones, sunglasses, and jacket, as well as a red sports car and palm trees.
West Coast Dreams was written between August 2018 and August 2019 in Montreal, Canada, although DiMeo said many of the lyrics and melodies were written in New York City and Nashville, TN. West Coast Dreams has an open, deep sound that is richly textured by synth melodies, warm beats, saxophone, nostalgic vocals, and lyrics plucked from love letters of the past.
When asked about the atmosphere West Coast Dreams creates, DiMeo told the electroscape “…the plan was to capture energy in a minimalistic, yet powerful way. I want every listener to feel as if this album is a journey. If when they pop it on they feel that it transported them back through time and to another place, then I’ll feel accomplished.”
You have succeeded, The Motion Epic. Well done.
The lyrics on West Coast Dreams are knee deep in reflection on the human experience, such as “forever young, so little time, let me hold on, got to hold on” and “don’t you wish I could be somebody else, someone you can depend on” on “Forever Young (So Little Time)” or “I should have swept you off your feet when I had a chance…” on “Lonely Lovers.” The lyrics throughout West Coast Dreams elicit feelings of looking back, being left behind, working tirelessly, and finding and losing love and opportunity.
DiMeo told the electroscape West Coast Dreams is an emotional album, touching on topics such as the hard work we put in to pursue our dreams in the face of fear our drive will wear down, leaving us numb, or about reconnecting with long lost love. These feeling are accentuated by the band’s minimalistic approach, often featuring vocals delivered with a hint of desperation and passion with remarkably little musical support. DiMeo told the electroscape he has been inspired by artists such as David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, Tears for Fears, and others, all of which resonate in the lyrics and vocal delivery on West Coast Dreams.
DiMeo described how the band approaches song writing, which sheds a bit of light on their unique sound, vocal pieces, and lyrics. DiMeo told the electroscape “I don’t believe I was ever really a songwriter before The Motion Epic. What I mean by that is, I never really knew how to express myself lyrically prior to The Motion Epic.” This unveiling opened the door for DiMeo to ask new questions about love and life. When constructing songs, DiMeo says he takes an instrumental piece on a walk or in the car and hums a tune. After that, he brings the tune to his home studio where the band nails down the melody. The Motion Epic brings together production artist Andreas Koliakoudakis as well as critical session musicians and artists who are essential parts of the music, such as Benjamin Harrison on Saxophone and Daniel Fata Guitar.
West Coast Dreams features quintessential synthwave tracks as well, such as in “True Romantics” which DiMeo told the electroscape was almost the title of the album because, after all, at their core the songs are about love. The track has a pulsating beat, synths that tease as they dance in neon on stage across a black backdrop, a bass line that steadily chugs along in the background, with some digital-bit sounds pattering. The closer “Travelers” also features salient synthwave elements, such as a hypnotic synth line, cinematic beats, and a healthy dose of melancholy.
The vinyl release features two additional songs, “Cool Kids” and “Strange Love.” The big cover art on the vinyl edition of West Coast Dreams impresses. Sofa King Vinyl masters albums specifically for vinyl, and the vinyl edition of West Coast Dreams adds a definitive presence to the sound of the music. DiMeo said he and his brother have a large vinyl collection, and he wants his work to always be on vinyl.
The Motion Epic is already onto writing the next album and, amazingly, has the concepts for the next three albums planned out. The band is looking forward to playing live in front of friends and fans in the near future.