Michael Robert Murphy shares video for ‘Cyclone’ from ‘Chaos Magick’, the debut solo album from former Wicked Whispers frontman featuring By The Sea, Echo and The Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant and The Coral’s. Ian Skelly, Paul Molloy and Ian Mac, album out now on AV8 Records / Blaggers Records.
Watch / share video for ‘Cyclone’ featuring By The Sea here
“Otherworldly Psychedelic Sounds…universally relatable” – Shindig!
“Splendid Psych-Pop Confection” – Mojo
“A Titanic symphonic effort” – Gigslutz.
“A beautiful debut album” – AU Review
“Fantastic, heartfelt and imaginative music” – BBC Introducing
“One Of Liverpool’s most noted singer-songwriters” – Louder Than War
“A scouse lo-fi autobiographical psychedelic odyssey“
‘Chaos Magick’ is the much anticipated debut solo album from Liverpool’s Michael Robert Murphy, frontman and songwriter of The Wicked Whispers and Whiskey Headshot and one of the city‘s most respected songwriters.
Following the release of three singles from the album, ‘Lift The Curse’, ‘Prometheus Fountain’ and ‘Whispers On The Wind’, Michael is delighted to share the video for the album‘s focus track ‘Cyclone’ which features By The Sea.
“The Cyclone video was filmed around Birkenhead, which is important as this is the side of the river Mersey Chaos Magick was recorded, but also close to the new Blaggers Records studio. Alex Forde (the founder of Blaggers Records) stars in the film as I thought it would be interesting asking the most upbeat, energetic and positive person I know to portray a man having some real difficulties,” says Michael.
“The video is about something letting the demons in, could be issues at home, work, or just feeling low for no specific reason, which can be a really powerful and overwhelming period for someone. The song refers to those moments and how they blow through you but ultimately pass, but when it‘s there it a chaos of emotion, fatigue and sadness. I represent music that he has been listening to, so I‘m appearing and performing around him as he tries to pick himself up. The song is one he doesn‘t know, he could have heard it anywhere, but it is on loop in his head. The music comforts him but that isn‘t enough. As the end Alex plays a game of Chaos Magick style tarot cards (which come with the vinyl edition of the album) and decides to take control and choose the card himself, he smiles in relief. When we see the card it then reveals the song that has been playing in his head and he realises these feelings are just temporary and walks away with a sense of hope.”
Listen to ‘Cyclone’ here: https://s.disco.ac/
Recorded in Raby Farm, a remote farm studio in the Wirral Merseyside, the album was produced by Liam Power (By The Sea and lifelong Bill Ryder Jones Collaborator) and Michael himself throughout 2023-24 and features some of Liverpool‘s finest musicians including Echo and The Bunnymen’s Will Sergeant and The Coral’s Ian Skelly, Paul Molloy and Ian Mac.
Described by Michael as “A scouse lo-fi autobiographical psychedelic odyssey”, the album showcases the best songwriting and arrangements of his career to date in an almost autobiographical exploration of his life, while it‘s title ‘Chaos Magick’ references the juxtaposition of both positive and negative energies and how Michael balances both.
From feeling different and having trouble fitting in as a younger man in the gloves-off self critical review that is ‘Splinter In The Minds Eye’, to falling in love (‘Lift The Curse’), having children and dealing with his son‘s journey with autism (‘Like A Shadow’) and the loss of his mother, the last of his family in recent years (‘Prometheus Fountain’), all is covered with a song dedicated to each chapter of his life.
Watch/share video for ’Lift The Curse‘ here: https://youtu.be/
Watch/share video for ‘Prometheus Fountain’ here: https://www.youtube.com/
There are also deeper ideas and perspectives at play, the balance between the good and the bad, how to become a better person and about how Michael uses dreams to unlock ways of speaking with and seeking advice from those no longer with us (‘In A Dream Holds The Key’). “This idea was passed on to me by my late mum”, Michael explains, “she believed that all those lost to us are able to communicate through our dreams, and that dreaming is a gateway to other planes of existence”.
“It‘s funny and a really nice touch”, adds Michael,“‘Whispers On The Wind’ is about the breakup of my band The Wicked Whispers and how I miss being in a brotherhood with some of my best friends. Will Sergent, who features on this, actually booked the band to play their first ever show at one of his club nights!”
Michael is also delighted that another of the album’s guests, Ian Skelly, painted the artwork for ‘Chaos Magick’. “I’ve been such a fan of Ian‘s art for a long time and when he said he would be up for doing it, it blew me away. All my records have been very colourful and full, so I loved the idea of keeping it minimal and cream so the colours would really stand out”.
With the exception of the record’s very special guests (Will Sergeant, Ian Skelly, Paul Molloy, Ian Mac and Liam Power) Michael plays all instruments on ‘Chaos Magick’ and arranged everything on the record himself.
His experimentation with and fusing of many lo-fi and modern techniques in the Wirral countryside gives the music a raw, imaginative and vivid quality that perfectly complements the personal storytelling of the lyrics. “I‘m a huge fan of Beck, Massive Attack and The Beta Band” he says, “and wanted to tie my patented blend of romance and psychedelia in with the sensibilities of a pop record”.
The album is dedicated to Michael‘s wife, children and mother; all key figures, muses, dreams and inspirations that have opened doors for him.
‘Chaos Magick’ is available on vinyl, CD and Digital, with the vinyl and CD on AV8 / Blaggers Records and Digital via Ditto Music, with additional formats to follow.
Having played a sold-out Homecoming album launch show in Birkenhead, Michael is currently lining up a series of UK shows to support the album, and his live band will include the legendary Edgar Jones (The La’s, Pau, Weller, The Stairs, Free Peace) on bass.
As a notable grassroots figure in the Liverpool Music and the UK psych/rock scene for the past twenty plus years, Michael’s most known band was The Wicked Whispers who grew authentic DIY success with a sizeable UK and European fanbase as part of the psych/Vinyl revival movement back in 2011/2012. Radio 1, mainstream Press, countless headline UK and European tours, festivals and appearances followed with a string of hometown sell out shows at The Kazimier, O2 Academy and the pinnacle huge Camp and Furnace show. The band released countless sell out Vinyl and CDs of their EP, singles and debut album which led to wider audiences and inspired a new generation of psych rock acts forming in the UK and in Liverpool. All done DIY and independent with Michael‘s own Electone Records label which he founded.
After The Wicked Whispers called time, the frontman finally embarked on a solo career back in 2020 with a lo-key EP release ‘Metamorph’ a later deluxe version (with remixes from Tea Street Band and Strange Bones) followed by two standalone singles (produced by The Coral’s James Skelly who also produces Blossoms, Brook Combe, Courteeners) as one of the final Parr Street Studios recordings with a limited edition double A 7” Vinyl and a lost tapes and Metamorph Limited Edition 12” Vinyl both on Pete Wilkinson‘s AV8 Records (Throat, Will Sergeant, Nick Power, Pete Wilkinson, James Redmond). All Michaels AV8 releases have sold out with 2nd runs ordered showing encouraging demand!
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Matt Mead
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