Chicago Artist Jacob on the Moon Releases ‘The Gemini Club’ EP
Chicago indie-soul artist Jacob on the Moon shares The Gemini Club EPtoday, which takes the listener on a journey through its cosmic concept and narrative. The soft-funk EP begins with a journey through space on the way to “The Gemini Club,” a discotheque on the dark side of the moon, as the protagonist finds their way to the dancefloor.
Jacob on the Moon began as a bedroom recording project in 2019, and Dinneen’s band has grown and has included his collaborators in the studio after the pandemic. The EP includes his live band members with Devin Wessels (Brigitte Calls Me Baby) as a co-producer. The Gemini Club bridges the best of both worlds between the project’s bedroom pop beginnings and the energy and summery sound of his live recordings, last summer’s Live! From Earth recorded at Audiotree.
Under The Radar wrote of the title track that it “sees Jacob on the Moon dipping into a vibrant neo-disco groove, forgoing their light, sunny sheen for a track that remains firmly rooted on the dancefloor,” continuing, “Dinneen’s dreamy, sighing vocals retain some of the effortless energy of his other releases, but ‘The Gemini Club’ […] is a sweaty, frenetic burst of energy, one that insists you move to its pounding dance beat.”
Scummy Water Tower shared the EP announcement this spring, writing, “Sonically, the rest of the EP feels intimate yet expansive and energetic. The songs draw on the energy of last year’s live album Live! From Earth while keeping the bedroom pop sound that fans have come to know him for.”
| Dinneen said most of the EP directly tell the narrative, with the song “Long Flight” starting the protagonist’s journey to the moon. “Swimming in Your World” serves as an aside as a “quick love story about two travelers who eventually ‘fly to the Moon’ and make it to The Gemini Club,” whereas the single “Dancer on the Dark Side” takes place at the lunar discotheque. Dinneen said of the dancer in the song, “in my mind, she looks like a Silver Surfer type or one of Hajime Sorayama’s robot women. Big sci-fi vibes.” Meanwhile, Dinneen added his previously written track, “Racecar,” to round out the EP’s sound. He said, “While it doesn’t necessarily fit the overall moon narrative, maybe it’s just a song that could be played at The Gemini Club. But it felt ready to be released and added a distinct feel that was different from the others. Lyrically, it’s about the not-so-fun experience of using dating apps!” The EP’s singles have also been shared by Audiotree’s “Chicago Selects” playlist, IndieWavves, and more. The Big Takeover Magazine wrote last summer, “With a touch of yacht-rock right before summer, Dinneen has let his songs take on a new sound going from home studio to live band.” Tastemakers such as Chicago Public Radio station Vocalo, Luna Collective, and more have been sharing his new recordings this past year. V13 wrote, “It’s hard to describe, but some bands, like Jacob on the Moon, have a summer sound.” In addition to Dinneen (vocals, acoustic guitar, co-producer) and Wessels (co-producer, bass), the EP features live band members Dylan Barnett on guitar, Spencer Schillerstrom on saxophone, Julian Merluzzi on drums and auxiliary percussion, and mastering by Steve Marek (Nnamdi, Luke Titus). The band will be celebrating the EP locally at Schubas tonight, and the band has resumed their summer residency at Montrose Beach’s The Dock every Wednesday evening. |