“My influences were the more ‘warm’ side of electronic,” says Mangal’s Joey Shook. “DJ Koze, Machinedrum, Boards of Canada, Clams Casino, to name a few. But I’m also largely influenced by a lot of emo and post-rock.”
His new album, the 12-track Dream Hopper LP, is a relatively quick follow-up for the usually unprolific Mangal. The 2023 album It Just Sort of Happened broke a yearslong stretch of writer’s block, and Dream Hopper is the mark of an artist hitting newfound momentum.
“I had a rough year mentally in 2023, and through it started to deal with a crippling social anxiety,” Shook says. “Part of working through that — with the help of antidepressants — freed up a part of my brain evidently that caused a resurgence of vivid dreams that I remembered from my past. The songs on the album are about those dreams.”
Dream Hopper is inspired by memories, but it’s a bright omen for Mangal’s future. While the air of reflection in Mangal’s music remains intact, the outlook here is dramatically wider and more beaming. From the thicker beats to the widescreen flourishes, these songs exude new confidence. More than just post-rock atmosphere, this work kicks with the cinematic flair of trip-hop.
Trading in mood for spirit, Dream Hopper wields a bolder palette, takes bigger strokes and dares to dazzle. It now streams everywhere and sits atop TLU’s Spotify playlist.
Subscribe to Orlando Weekly newsletters.
Follow us: Apple News | Google News | NewsBreak | Reddit | Instagram | Facebook | Bluesky | Or sign up for our RSS Feed
This article appears in Jul 2-8, 2025.