Dance Gavin Dance’s Instrumental Treats

Over the course of 2019, Rise Records released Dance Gavin Dance’s discography instrumentally. This stretched from 2018’s Artificial Selection all the way back to 2006’s Downtown Battle Mountain. Kris Crummett’s holding of the master tracks of all these albums proved to be a delight for fans of the band, as they were to hear the band in a whole new light. While some may love a band for mainly one component, Dance Gavin Dance is the full package, and these albums are proof as to why.

Aside from vocalists Tilian Pearson, Jon Mess, Kurt Travis, Jonny Craig, and Will Swan, the rest of the band is beyond impressive on their own. Swan’s innovative guitar-work, Matt Mingus’ drumming, and the bass work of Matt Mingus get the spotlight here. That’s right, even the bassist truly stands out at times, with emphasis in tracks like “Slouch”, “Don’t Tell Dave”, and “Blue Dream”! While DGD definitely has a distinct style, the fluctuation between albums, such as Downtown Battle Mountain II‘s soul influences and Happiness‘ grooviness, makes a deep dive into every album worth it.

What makes the instrumental versions of theses albums so special is that they feature remixing from Crummett. Certain sections pop out due to the layers being more audible. For example, in the chorus of “Deception”, Will employs an insane tapping run that is hard to hear with vocals. Another big moment is the solo of “Uneasy Hearts Weigh the Most” being at the forefront in its instrumental version.

While there was a hiccup in the initial instrumental release of Dance Gavin Dance with vocals still inserted in “Buffalo!” and “Hot Water on Wool” having two songs play at once; these were fixed and the discography is complete, save for some b-sides and the band’s Whatever I Say is Royal Ocean EP. This is a great way to get someone into the band, as Mess’ unclean vocals can be a detractor for those not accustomed. Long-time listeners will have a blast enjoying Dance Gavin Dance in a new way.