Gary Gunn releases debut album Destroying Beauty

"Gary Gunn has crafted a beautiful monster akin to Frankenstein" with "a project of genre defying songs, he catches your attention with the subtlety of a Mack truck". That's what The Source Magazine gushed in their July 2009 issue after getting an early listen to Gary Gunn's debut album 'Destroying Beauty'.

Now over a year and tens of thousands of downloads later since the initial Amiestreet.com exclusive release of the five-song 'Era Sick: a prologue to Destroying Beauty' EP under the alias Rick Lucy, Gunn emerges from the shadows with perhaps the most uniquely intoxicating offerings to the music world in years.

Born and raised in Washington, D.C., Gunn's musical roots stem from his participation in the city's vibrant Go-Go music scene. A self-taughtmulti-instrumentalist, Gunn began his career as a teenager, producing and arranging under Grammy-winning music producer, Mahogany, who pioneered sounds for top urban artists such as Jay Z, M.O.P. and Dr Dre. After moving to New York City, he spent several years working alongside music legend, Nona Hendryx (Labelle), building an indie alternative label backed by UK-based investment banker/entrepreneur Bobby Banks. The experience proved to be viable as he was introduced to a myriad of musical talent that resulted in heavy collaboration and experimentation.

"I realized with certainty, I wasn't at all interested in just supplying tracks for people to sing or rap over...I have something else to offer. It needs to feel special because I can't help but completely immerse myself in what I'm doing or I'll quickly lose interest. Also sonically, I was experimenting heavily with using vocals as an instrument in my arsenal that I could later manipulate, as oppose to it being the standard singular focal point in the recording. I'm the kind of producer you only call to truly collaborate. I now realize I was also becoming a composer."

Still in his twenties, the featured 2009 ASCAP/Sundance Spotlight Composer has built an enviable film/television resume, creating original songs and score compositions that appear in films and television that run the gamut - from Showtime's Emmy nominated Sleeper Cell series to BET's groundbreaking hit web series Buppies. In fact, while hammering out the final notes of his provocative score to the 2009 Sundance Film Festival sensation, the "Young and Evil", Gunn was also mixing down the remaining songs on 'Destroying Beauty'.

Equipped with a refreshing perspective and a profound appreciation for craft, Gunn has managed to sculpt an album that evokes the most compelling images from film and merges the most alluring aspects of song.

To paraphrase from Amiestreet.com's 2009 review, Gary Gunn has blown out of the mold, and perhaps crafted a new genre altogether with the inaugural full length 'Destroying Beauty' - dwelling in an area blurred by alternative pop and electronica/ trip-hop. Music that moves you more than the average guitar-charged alterna pop, but doesn't beckon you to the nearest rave. It's a line that was once hard to live on, but has broadened as of late.

Calling on a list of talented friends and professional acquaintances to fill in the lyrical and vocal gaps, 'Destroying Beauty' takes us on a journey, keeping us on our toes with diverse instrumentation and composition. It gives us a preview of what promises to be a special voyage and a taste of what happens when artists have the courage to put it all out there.

Listen to the song "In Perfect Balance":

Track Listing

1. Irked Minions ft. Shayfer James
2. Significant Others ft. Shayfer James
3. A Million Sleeping Monarchs ft. Krystal Greene
4. Chronic Laryngitis ft. Malene Younglao
5. In Perfect Balance ft. Shayfer James
6. Topsy Petal & The Insidious Drone ft. Topsy Petal (written by Andre DesRochers)
7. Ending It All ft. Xavier Pryce
8. Expatriate ft. Malene Younglao
9. Capture This Crown ft. Shayfer James
10. Detergent ft. Anthony "Bones" Harrison
11. The Pulse ft. Dolphin
12. Puppet ft. Malene Younglao
13. ...But Don't Spoil It ft. Shayfer James & The Marc Gunn

All instruments, production, recording and mixing by Gary Gunn except for the guitar solo at the end of "The Pulse" by Dolphin. This album contains no samples. Cover Art by Anthony "Bones" Harrison. Additional art by Anthony "Bones" Harrison and/or Topsy Petal. All photos by Topsy Petal. Songs "Top Of The Glass" and "Closer" appear exclusively on the 'Era Sick' EP under the alias Rick Lucy. Running Time: 43.8 minutes.

Listen to album on YouTube

Gary Gunn Official Website