Dan Friel Rattles Sonic Conventions, Again

Dan Friel resurrects a lost musical tradition – the pop instrumental. A former member of the punk band Parts And Labor, Friel travels with a self-contained, lo-fi keyboard and electronics kit that he uses to make thumping, melodic songs without words. But they’re also songs full of complexity and surprise – often more likely to be heard in art galleries than in dance clubs. Friel’s new album is called Life, and he performs excerpts from it live in the studio.