Like most of the tracks on Jay DiBartolo’s new LP, “Television” was a COVID baby. “It was a scary time, but I kind of thrive indoors,” says the Portland, Ore., artist whose solo project goes by the name of Franklin Gothic. “This song is a reflection of me being pulled in opposite directions. On one end, I’m afraid the world is ending. On the other, I kind of want to stay in lockdown forever.”
Noisy, melodic, densely moody and fairly self-effacing for its overt introspection, Echoes (Stupid Monday) is Franklin Gothic’s second release in three years. Both were collaborations with Seattle-based producer Erik Blood (Shabazz Palaces, Moondoggies). “It was such a treat getting to work with Erik again,” DiBartolo says. “This time around, we spent a week working together in the studio with drummer Alex Westcoat [Pickwick]. We messed around a lot with ‘Television,’ since you can take a few simple chords in a lot of different directions.”
The video for “Television” opens with “Barking Dogs Never Bite,” another Echoes track. “Given the vibe of the recording, it seemed appropriate to include it as a prelude—like it’s a commercial or something,” DiBartolo says. “When it came time to make the video, I reached out to a Dan Haywood, a glitch artist I’d been following. He uses a lot of old TVs in his work, so it seemed like a natural fit.”
We’re proud to premiere Franklin Gothic’s “Television” video.
—Hobart Rowland
