Refute

Rusty Santos - Vocals, Programmed Drums, Xylophone, Synth
Jesse Lee - Synth Bass, Tom Drums, Claps 
Elijah Gabriel Rubin - Electric Guitar
Noah Kittinger - Electric Guitar

Produced and mixed by Rusty Santos
Mastered by Kattie Tavini 

Cover photo by Jen Dessigner
Logo by Rusty Santos
Layout by Na Teirakoen

Good Things

Break Inside My Heart is about the optimistic ones who seem naive but cant’t get over how beautiful this world is even in the most depressing times.

Santos is accompanied by the effervescent singing of Jackie Mendoza and Abigail Chapin, and he collaborates with his long-time partner Jesse Lee. The song features a full band arrangement built on a grooving drum kit and acoustic guitar.  

This track serves as a soundtrack for our current state of collective unease. It conveys a romantic notion infused with positivity—that hope will prevail over fear. It’s difficult to categorize Santos’s music; he first gained recognition for his work with Animal Collective on their acclaimed album **Sung Tongs**. In this song, traces of the psyche folk era can be heard, hinting at possible futures in esoteric pop.  

The soundscape of this tune has a neopsychedelic quality, with carefree, summer beach vibes that cascade like colored lights in a kaleidoscope. This piece represents a new beginning and celebrates humanism, musical spirit, joy, collectivism, and community peace and love for our planet. Thank you for listening.

Rusty Santos - Vocals, Synths, Piano
Jesse Lee - Guitars, Drums, Bass, Synth Strings
Jackie Mendoza - Vocals
Abigail Chapin - Vocals

Produced and mixed by Rusty Santos
Mastered by Kattie Tavini 

Cover photo by Jen Dessigner
Logo by Rusty Santos

Break Inside My Heart

Let’s Get Started Already (feat. Abigail Chapin) comes out on April 15, and the record release show to be held at Non Plus Ultra on April 19.

This song was recorded in New York with my long-time collaborator Jesse Lee (former drummer of Gang Gang Dance and Cass McCombs band) and features Abigail Chapin (from The Chapin’s Sisters and member of her uncle Harry Chapin's Family Band).  

We wanted to focus on recording real instruments and live performances.  This experience was a welcome challenge for me; to make something psychedelic without relying on effects.  I channeled my freak folk roots and recalled early recordings I did with artists like Animal Collective, White Magic, and Weyes Blood to craft a song with a positive message in this period marked by so many existential challenges.

Let's Get Started Already (feat. Abigail Chapin)

microworlds

Tomorrow was a dream is the final single of my project called Rusty Santos. I will be launching a new project, also called Rusty Santos.

How to proceed for the future of music?

These are the cells of my body regenerating; on the surface, I am the same, but inside, I have changed.

lyrics
Visualize
Everyone alive
Is intertwined
All of us combine
Music
Sound
This life
will disappear
Hypnotized
Music
Visualize
Sound


Rusty Santos - vocals, acoustic guitar, bass guitar, synths, sound design
Jane Shin - vocals
Austin Mahnke - samples, synth bass, piano
Jesse Lee - drum kit, percussion
Produced and mixed by Rusty Santos
Mastered by Katie Tavini
Artwork by Wendy Murphy

Tomorrow was a dream

Party with Ben

An acoustic guitar and a shaker are all the support for Santos’s reverb-drenched vocals on this caustic song about separation. There are a few chords played on electric, as well as a synth bass buried in the mix. At the very end, a single drum kit smash is repeated and fades out over a delay pedal. The effect is as if Lou Reed joined The Clientele, but the music feels more stripped-down than either of those acts. It’s personal, heartbreaking, and does not pull punches.

Refute

Chui Wan

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