MySpace a place for friends

On a desolate stretch of highway a body lies motionless under a collapsed motorcycle. The silence of the moment after lingers in the air as a passing drifter comes upon the wreck. Surveying the situation, he stares down at the biker’s lifeless body. After a moments pause, he lifts the bike to an upright position, straddles it and speeds off into the unknown.

So begins the epic and ill-fated tale of J.J. Carver, the subject of Matt Mays’ ambitious film and accompanying soundtrack, When the Angels Make Contact. The story of a heartbroken man, alone in a world of strife and darkness, the film sees the protagonist searching desperately for his missing love. With a growing evil that haunts his every step, he blindly chases something that can only be found within himself.

While the film itself was ultimately shelved due to financial constraints, the resulting soundtrack is a more than vivid recreation of the story’s mood and plot. Being released on November 7, 2006 the work is a sprawling collection of songs that abandon the conventions of a traditional rock record for a more in-depth and cohesive work.

With When the Angels Make Contact, Mays has pushed his artistic vision in a whole new direction. Produced by Mays and El Torpedo drummer Tim Jim Baker, the work combines influences that range from straight up rock through hip-hop and electronica.

From first track, “The Past,” the album, is steeped with the placid electricity of a dark, empty highway. The song’s contrasting laidback chords and winding riff draw the listener into a world that mixes and introspective elegance with the urgency of a call to arms.

The story’s plot is further developed with the grinding title track. Offering a dark intensity that has never appeared in Mays’ work before, the song features a guest appearance by ground breaking hip hop artist Buck 65. The song is a launch point into the film’s twisting storyline.

As the following tracks unfold, the listener is granted glimpses into a personal and existential journey that is mirrored in both the film’s protagonist’s commitment to his quest and Mays’ own dedication to seeing his project through to completion. While each track works on its own merit, together they create something bigger.

..This profile was edited with MySpace Help - Profile Creator and Editor