Shape-shifting producer and multi-instrumentalist Marvel Years has dedicated his career to evolving his sound and redefining electronic music’s traditional genre boundaries.
Melding guitar instrumentation with studio beat-making, the Vermont-born, New York-based artist fuels his productions with soul and blues to create the raw, bass-heavy signature sound that’s landed him multiple performances at Red Rocks alongside ZHU, STS9, and Pretty Lights.
When the early days of the pandemic deprived Marvel Years of his refuge of live performance, the creative polymath decided to use lockdown to reinvigorate his love for studio songwriting and refine the Marvel Years sound. The result of this reflection was the concept for Voyage Ahead, a sprawling, thematic listening journey that takes fans into Marvel Years' exciting new sonic ventures.
That journey now begins with Voyage Ahead Pt.1, the first part of a two-part EP series and a collection of songs that emulates the jubilation of live performance in electronic music. On Voyage Ahead Pt. 1, Marvel Years goes beyond just live guitar recordings by playing each instrumental element himself in places where he would have used samples. This process results in a studio EP that recreates the Marvel Years live sound from a time when he couldn’t actually perform, thus bringing out the artist’s most innovative work yet and showcasing the immense possibilities of what Marvel Years can be.
Last month, fans got their first taste of Voyage Ahead Pt.1 with the EP’s first single, “Come This Far” - a collaboration with electronic music keyboardist Jason Leech (who’s opened for Galantis, GRiZ, and Big Gigantic) and vocalist Jess Lamb. The song kicks off with bluesy piano riffs and raw, hard-hitting bass lines that underline Lamb’s raspy, infectious vocals. It then transitions into deep, booming bass tones, futuristic synth melodies, and grand guitar solos, setting the tone for the cosmic, genre-blending listening experience of Voyage Ahead Pt. 1.
Marvel Years continues to display this blues-inflected electronic style across the EP. On “Higher Up,” the producer infuses virtuosic guitar playing with high-level digital production technique, blending together catchy vocals, pounding drum beats, and detailed synth sound design for a lavish, shape-shifting banger.
The EP is rounded out by its other kaleidoscopic masterworks, “Lean With It,” “Where The Bounce At,” and “Space March,” culminating in a five-track package designed to retain Marvel Years’ typical groove and swagger while also taking a glimpse into the future of the dynamic musical project.
Fans can immerse themselves in the Voyage Ahead universe at Marvel Years’ forthcoming headlining show at Denver’s Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom on Friday, October 7, 2022. The event will vaunt a unique, two-part performance: a solo Marvel Years set preceded by a Marvel Years Trio set featuring Jason Leech alongside Emancipator/Manic Focus drummer Colby Buckler. The solo set will spotlight Marvel Years’ eclectic skills as he bounces between guitar, synths, and the DJ board for a bass-heavy performance. The Marvel Years Trio set will then see the multi-instrumentalist flex his abilities as a bandleader, with the jamtronica sounds from Jason Leech’s keys and the powerful, versatile drumming from Colby Buckler coming together to complement Marvel Years’ more soulful, instrumental-driven sonics.
Marvel Years will also display his live performance prowess on his nationwide Fall Tour, including festivals such as Freaky Deaky and Greenway Music Festival. Tickets on sale now!
Marvel Years tour dates
8/26/22 - Higher Education- Lebanon, ME *
9/2/22 - 9/4/22: Greenway Music Festival 2022 - Woodbury, TN
9/10/22 - Same Same But Different - Lake Perris, CA*
10/5/22 - 10/6/22: Voyager V - Louisville, KY
10/7/22 - Cervantes Otherside - Denver, CO
10/8/22 - Star Theatre - Portland, OR+
10/9/22 - The Big Dirty - Eugene, OR+
10/29/22 - 10/30/22: Freaky Deaky - Baytown, TX
*Sitting in w/ Manic Focus Live Band
+Support to Papadosio
