Cocktail Party (EP 2021)

The Cycling Shrimp

minimalistic cocktail party music with a twist of lemon

Basically thinking about cocktails and cocktail partys, holidays come to ones mind. Being somewhere at a beach or on a roof, holding a Whiskey Sour, a Strawberry Daiquiri, Margarita or Flaming Ferrari. And now there is even the fitting thoughtful lounge music for occasions like this.

Philipp Timmelmayer has always been on the go with several projects like the dancing Future:Art, Red Bus Airline or lately The Boy I Used To Be. Now he is back with a new one, a new chapter in his musical biography. The love for climate-friendly transport and some small roommates result in the name The Cycling Shrimp. For this debut EP, help comes from @water.clit, who is responsible for the cover art as well as the little animatics visualizing the five songs on YouTube.

The songs themselves partly are a bit older already. Number one “Cloud Bed” has something of a Hip Hop beat but quieter like Snoop Dogg, 2Pac or Big Pun. In the lyrics, the shrimp draws a comparison to Hal from Malcolm In The Middle. As “Casiosa” talks about advices from relatives, “Simple Man” pops to one’s mind immediately. And as the title-giving keyboard sound like an accordion, automatically it spreads this beautiful little melancholy and nostalgia.

In “Escape Plan”, the EP title is hidden, while it is a pure Eels reference with strumming and melody. It talks about life and situation probably many can refer to, when you just want to get out. The dynamic in this one especially works through the volume. The most lounge character is in “Figurine” with separate keys and accompanying guitar melody.

The fine usage of percussion elements is important in the final “Evaporate”, reminding bit of Jack Johnson and featuring another sweet instrumental solo part. An astronaut is meanwhile “staring at the moon”, a longing people follow with telescopes down on earth. All five tracks transport the feeling of relief, with the instruments and voice being wonderfully airy.