Mahogany
Formed: 1995
Location: Michigan, USA
Genre: Dream Pop, Neo-Psychedelia
Years Active: 1997 -
Meaning of the Name:
Core Members: Andrew Prinz, Jaclyn Slimm
Way of Working: Led by Andrew Prinz
Essential Releases
The Dream of a
Modern Day (2000)
Debut album. Hypnotic dream pop with a strong shoegaze influence.
Connectivity! (2006)
More experimental and abstract. Produced by Robin Guthrie of the Cocteau Twins
Mahogany present themselves as not merely a band but a multimedia performance collective who happen to create albums. Their music is atmospheric, meditative dream pop that dares to update the genre and had Robin Guthrie, of the Cocteau Twins, on production duties. He contributed several songs to their second full-length, Connectivity!, and as one of the founding fathers of the dream pop, his seal of approval carried significant weight; but it was band leader Andrew Prinz who was responsible for the lion's share.
Inspired by his love of classical music, Prinz grew the band to resemble a small orchestra. At one point, they ballooned to eight full-time members, and even more when performing. Instead of descending into a disorganised rabble, however, their highly structured work was played with extreme concern for accuracy. While some large bands operate in a free-flowing jam, Mahogany are composed — every bit in its right place.
For example, their song 'Renovo' is a meticulously crafted glacial soundscape. Without percussion or bass to provide a rhythm section, its tempo came from brass accompanied by desolate, bowed strings. Its undulating horns and high-pitched vocals are what it must sound like inside a snow globe. The townspeople below, their breath visible in the frigid air, lift their heads to greet a voice echoing down from the wintry mountains. This refreshing approach reimagines dream pop as frost, as crisp as a cold blast of morning air, instead of the traditional warm haze.
By daring to do something different Mahogany perhaps failed to connect with the core dream pop audience but valiantly moved the genre forward in a way that hadn't been done for decades, laying the path for bands such as Beach House to take the sound into the mainstream.
Skills
*This is a work in progress. Values are subjective.Emotional Impact
65
Mental Impact
75
Originality
85
Artistry
70
Authenticity
35
Live
70
Production
85
Musicianship
85
Singing
70
Songwriting
85
Danceability
55
Fun
55
Consistency
75
Range
70
Cool
65
Charisma
40
