“Imaginal Disk” Takes Magdalena Bay To Extraterrestrial Heights

By Arman Saxena     8/27/24 11:15pm

In the fall of 2021, pop duo Magdalena Bay’s playful debut album “Mercurial World” introduced many to the group’s blend of catchy pop melodies with elements of House, R&B and Electronic music. That album became one of the most acclaimed and beloved pop albums of the decade so far, and few would have imagined that the duo of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin would top their previous effort when their latest project “Imaginal Disk” was announced. With “Imaginal Disk,” Magdalena Bay has announced themselves as the contemporary masters of the pop concept album. More psychedelic and surreal than anything they’ve produced before, “Imaginal Disk” is an eclectic amalgam of the duo’s trademark catchy pop rhythms with electronic, rock and psychedelic sounds that take the duo into new and exciting musical directions.

Like “Mercurial World” before it, “Imaginal Disk” is a concept album through and through, a decision that gives the project a cinematic feel. According to the artists, this cinematic atmosphere is intentional, as they were inspired by everything from ’70s surreal horror cult classics like House and Suspiria to the ’80s fan favorite Flash Gordon. In the album’s narrative, aliens implanted an “Imaginal Disk” with consciousness into the foreheads of apes, leading to the creation of humans. The protagonist True’s body rejects this disk upgrade, prompting her to embark on a quest to understand the essence of humanity. Across 15 tracks, Tenenbaum and Lewin explore themes of identity, technology and the essence of humanity. These philosophical earworms are purely catchy at first glance, but gain additional resonance once one pays attention to the themes their lyrics are weaving.

The album’s first highlight track is a great example of this. “Killing Time” deals with thoughts of feeling like life has passed you by. The song’s outro contains the core of the track. Tenenbaum sings “it only takes a minute to forget a week/count up all the years that we spend asleep/if time is meant for living, why’s it killing me?” The outro ends with the narrator deciding to take control of their life (and in the context of the narrative, deciding to find their humanity), saying “Now I’m taking mine.” Once the narrator makes this decision, and after the ambient chillwave “True Blue Interlude,” the album steps into full gear for the rest of its length. 

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Practically every song that follows would be an album highlight on any other project, and it’s difficult to single out certain tracks when there’s so much to love on almost every one. “Image” is a standout of these standouts that blends the synthy dance-pop that the duo is known for with a sensual mysteriousness. This is the album’s second lead single, and this addictive track is possibly the closest thing this album has to a radio hit. Its blend of disco and synthpop is reminiscent of Jessie Ware, but adds a quirky and surreal sensibility more reminiscent of an artist like Grimes. 

The album’s lead single “Death and Romance” is another album highlight and is the first major example of the album’s rock influence. “Vampire in the Corner,” “That’s My Floor,” “Angel on a Satellite” and “The Ballad of Matt & Mica” are all stellar examples of that guitar-based pop-rock instrumentation. Like “Image” before it, “Death and Romance” is a reminder of this album’s ambition. The song is incredibly catchy at its core, but with the addition of funky, atmospheric influences from early ’90s UK bands like Spacemen 3 and Electronic, it sounds like something wholly unique. 

While “Imaginal Disk” is clearly influenced by artists of the past, the duo of Tenenbaum and Lewin don’t ever seem beholden to these influences, putting their own idiosyncratic signature on this synthesis of musical styles. One of the album’s later tracks “Cry For Me” is a great example of this. There is a clear ’70s Europop influence on this track, and Lewin mentioned in an interview with Vulture that the track was heavily influenced by the ABBA classic “Dancing Queen”. This earworm is also one of the more emotional songs on the album. The ’70s Euro-Disco influence, piano section, and the closing vocal harmonies all coalesce to create an otherworldly transcendent experience that makes this song the best on the album.

“Imaginal Disk” builds on Magdalena Bay’s signature catchy broth of danceable synth melodies, with ambitious but incredibly satisfying new flavors that grow on you with every listen. On top of this, the album’s philosophical content adds a depth that matches the density of its sonics. With this release, Magdalena Bay not only cements their status as innovative pop artists but also pushes the boundaries of what a concept album can achieve in the modern music landscape. “Imaginal Disk” is a testament to their creative vision and a thrilling journey for listeners, making it a standout project in their discography and a must-listen for fans of genre-blending, thought-provoking music.

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