HYPNOGAJA'S TRUTH DECAY GETS 9 OUT 10 STARS FROM OUTBURN MAGAZINE
MODERN ROCK WITH HEART: Singer/songwriter Jason “ShyBoy” Arnold has an expertly crafted album with Truth Decay. Alongside guitarist Jean-Yves “Jeeve” Ducornet, keyboardist Mark Nubar Donikian, drummer Adrian Barnardo and bassist Bryan Farrar, the quintet known as Hypnogaja bucks the soulless modern rock trend on each of this album’s 14 tracks. Then again, given the members’ collective pedigree - Arnold has composed music for the video game Devil May Cry 4, as well as TV programs, while Ducornet has written and produced songs for Carlos Santana - the fact that these songs stick so well doesn’t come as much of a surprise. What does ring pleasantly odd is how well these songs flow, and how much atmosphere and heart can be crammed into each of these tunes. Truth Decay strides the line between dark, almost goth influenced rock, while stressing a mild progressive streak here and there, possessing both commercial appeal and musical acceptability from cover to cover. Arnold’s songwriting doesn’t insult the listener’s intelligence - these songs are catchy and don’t need to drop the lowest common denominator - but rather balances self-indulgence and extroverted sheen in a way that should win over the dourest of skeptics. A Perfect Circle for a new millennium? A poppy Porcupine Tree? Perhaps. Either way, Hypnogaja rocks. (9 out of 10) - George Pacheco (Outburn issue #51, Oct-Dec 2009)
ABOUT HYPNOGAJA
Described by Outburn magazine as "enthralling, first-rate modern rock," Apple.com as "soulful rock with a subtle electronic backdrop" and the Denver Post as music that "pushes boundaries," Hypnogaja writes and performs "melodic, sophisticated songs that cater to no trend” according to GRAMMY®-nominated songwriter Wendy Waldman (Garth Brooks, Vanessa Williams), producer of the band’s critically acclaimed album, Acoustic Sunset – Live at the Longhouse.
Truth Decay, Hypnogaja’s fifth studio recording, is a science fiction-tinged concept album in which all the songs revolve around the central story of a world's dramatic, apocalyptic end and how life cycles into new chapters, sometimes with sudden force. The album contains thirteen new songs, including "Welcome to the Future," which features cellist Richard Dodd of The Section Quartet (Decca/Universal).
Hypnogaja is comprised of singer/songwriter/producer Jason "ShyBoy" Arnold (co-writer and performer of the songs "The Time Has Come" and "Shall Never Surrender" from the Capcom video game, The Devil May Cry 4), guitarist Jeeve Ducornet (who has written and produced recordings for Carlos Santana, Paulina Rubio, The Pussycat Dolls’ Nicole Scherzinger), keyboardist Mark Nubar Donikian, drummer Adrian Barnardo, bassist Bryan Farrar and guitarist Abe Parker. The Southern California-based sextet has reached worldwide audiences through its ubiquitous presence on the Internet and by extensively touring throughout the U.S. and Canada (opening for artists such as Shinedown, Saliva, 311, Cold and many others).
Founded in 1999 by Arnold, Donikian and former keyboardist Sean "Dr." Brooks, Hypnogaja originated as an electronic studio project but evolved into a live band soon after forming, incorporating rock influences into the group's initial electronic foundation. Over the years, the group has undergone several lineup changes. Past members include Brooks (keyboards, 1999), Sandy Brown (backing vocals, 1999-2002), Tim Groeschel (drums and guitar, 2000-2007) and Leif Bunting (bass, 2000-2003). Side players who’ve worked with the band include Bill Brennenstuhl (studio and live drums, 2003-2004) and Daniel Wills (live bass, 2003).
Numerous television shows, motion pictures, video games and soundtracks have featured Hypnogaja's music, including America’s Next Top Model (CW), Carrie (NBC), Cold Creek Manor (Touchstone), Dirt (F/X), FlatOut: Ultimate Carnage (Warner Bros. Interactive), Las Vegas (NBC), One Life To Live (ABC), Roswell (WB), Sex And The City (HBO), The Looking Glass Wars (Scholastic), Tru Calling (FOX), Valentine (Warner Bros.), and many others.
Hypnogaja’s previous studio albums include Revolution (1999), Post-Hypnotic Stress Disorder (2002), Kill Switch (2003) and Below Sunset (2005). Additionally, the band’s issued several compilation recordings (2004’s White Label, Vol. 1 and 2007’s Mixtape and Audio From Last Night’s Dream), a live acoustic recording (2006’s Acoustic Sunset) and a German release (2003’s Bridge to Nowhere).
Truth Decay is available on iTunes®, Amazon.com, CDBaby, at all Amoeba Music locations and through online retailers worldwide.
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