Steph’s Lightning 100 DJ Pick of The Week this week is “ROCKMAN” by Mk.gee!
If any artist in 2024 deserves a victory lap, it’s New Jersey guitarist, songwriter, and producer Mk.gee. The young visionary had spent most of his creative career in the shadows, playing the support role to louder and, arguably, more marketable voices. The decision to pivot to solo work, however, is never easy. One must become a brand and market themself as such, a task that typically reserves itself for a certain brand of auspicious standouts. Mk.gee, with both a bashful demeanor and a grungy finesse, is the antithesis to this archetype. That digression allowed 2024’s Two Star & The Dream Police to carry with it the weight of its own importance. Actualizing a sonic aesthetic merely hinted at by the grander indie and R&B scene, the debut full-length was a pensive canvas of soundscapes and hooks, where his abstract lyrics and revolutionary soundcrafting were concentrated to fit a more narrow thesis. Now, “ROCKMAN” shows the stark change in attitude and confidence that a celebratory year can bring.
By the time the actual eagle screeches in the outro, it’s clear this Mk.gee has a different kind of swagger. Gone are the swells, reverberated crashes, and hazy abstractions that populated Two Star. In their place are crisp riffs and percussion (a xylophone?), a bouncy bass groove, and candid studio chatter. This Mk.gee, evidently, is in a much better mood. Perhaps it’s due to weeks spent on the road, where his trio performed with an earnest looseness, the Nashville show in particular featuring eight(!) performances of “DNM”. It may have been Mk.gee’s first real chance to visualise his growth and the very real payoff of his creative risk. However, “ROCKMAN” acknowledges the pitfalls of his new position, with a repeated refrain of “You can laugh it off, but you started a war.” In any sense, the track previews a triumphant advancement into the next phase, albeit with a certain introspective apprehension.
Mk.gee is no longer just a name in the liner notes or “Dijon’s guitarist.” With a fearless inventiveness and an unbroken mythical aura, to say the sky is the limit would be an understatement. His first World Tour wraps after an Australian leg in December. What comes next for the multi-instrumentalist is anyone’s guess, as his near-absent online presence lends no hints. Meanwhile, you can check out the track below or tune in to Lightning 100 to hear “ROCKMAN” today!
Tune in to 100.1 FM or lightning100.com all day to hear “ROCKMAN” by Mk.gee, Steph’s DJ Pick of the Week! Share your thoughts on the track by tagging #L100DJPicks on Twitter!
