Ready for some space jazz and trip hop? How about a bit of electro soul and psych funk?
South Lake is in for a post-Halloween treat on Tuesday night, when Michal Menert and the Pretty Fantastics, a seven-piece band, will perform at Whiskey Dick’s Saloon, with starRo, Marcelo Moxy, Wildabeast and friends warming up the night. Doors open at 9 p.m., with a $15 cover charge for the 21-and-over show.
Menert and his high-energy crew opened a nationwide tour last month in Philadelphia and have been making their way West. Their sound is unique.
Based in Denver, Menert honed his skills as an electronic music artist and producer. In April, he released a full-length digital album, “Space Jazz,” on his own record label, Super Best Records.
“His sound combines vintage vinyl samples with rich analog synthesis and organic, hard-hitting beats,” Menert’s website notes. “It’s a fusion of yesterday’s elements and tomorrow’s ideas.”
Born in Poland in 1982 when the country was still under Communist rule, Menert had parents who were intellectuals and exposed him to Western literature and music. He credits his father, Tad, for allowing him to experience a wide variety of Eastern and Western music, giving him “fertile soil in which to plant his musical visions.” The family fled Poland and migrated to West Germany before moving to the United States in 1987.
“By tapping into the music that surrounds him, Menert twists and turns day-to-day inspirations into music that is all his own,” his website says.
Michal Menert joined longtime friend Derek Vincent Smith, originally skateboarding buddies in junior high school, in producing Taking Up Your Precious Time for the Pretty Lights Music label in 2005. The following year, he was severely injured as the victim of a robbery in Loveland, Colorado. After recovering, he served as a caretaker for his father, continuing to produce music and releasing Dreaming of a Bigger Life in 2010, shortly after his father died of cancer.
That year, Menert debuted as a live performer at the Sonic Bloom festival in Bellvue, Colorado. Since then, he has continued to produce music and perform across the country.
“By collaborating and working closely with a new generation of hip hop and EDM producers, he’s bringing a new musical vision to life without any imposed limitations,” his website says.
