Danny Dakota – “UFO”
One of Long Island’s most eclectic artists, Danny Dakota, just dropped a phenomenal LP. “UFO” is a diverse work of art that should be heard by all music listeners. Danny does an amazing job of showcasing his wide range of music abilities. Ranging from Alt Rock/Grunge to Hip Hop and R&B, “UFO” has something for everyone!
Danny Dakota was able to share some light on the backstory of this amazing new album. “I started recording UFO back in June 2020 and didn’t realize I had started an album yet. The second song that was recorded for this album was UFO with Matt Wyeth. Shortly after in August, we lost Matt suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 25. It shocked me and everyone who knew him. I was devastated losing my best friend. I decided to turn it into art, creating an album including the last song I did with him, a tribute song that shortly followed, and a wide range of features from talented artists such as Sahn Dahn, Philip S. Valenti and Spilltheblood. The album has a wide range as far as genres go, these 10 songs as a collection is the best showcase of my wide range of styles in music. The artwork and visuals for the album have been directed by Louis Navas aka Henny Bubu Productions. He designed the album cover and edited the music video for “On and On”. The album was recorded, produced, mixed and mastered by me and is the first album i’ve done to fully combining electronic and acoustic instruments. Overall I put my heart into this album to honor and commemorate my my best friend and the music we created, so it can live on forever.”
Danny was absolutely correct in stating that this album showcases his wide range of styles in music. I think that’s what I enjoy most about this album; you don’t know what you’re going to get with each song, you just know it’s going to be great! The album kicks off with “Vagabond”. I love this song as an introduction choice because of the dark, low-fi vibes you get from the beat. In addition to that, it’s represents an emotion that is very relatable. We’ve all felt like we were wandering from place to place without a cause or plan, just going through the motions without a true feeling or purpose.
“UFO” continues on with “Something that Belongs to Me”, one of my favorite tracks from the album. Here is where the listener gets their first introduction to the wide range of talent that Danny brings to this album. This song still holds that “hip hop/tech” vibe by including the beats in the track, but it encompasses so much more. Between the guitar, drumming and horns that are sprinkled in, Danny created an amazing Alt Rock/Indie track that fans will fall in love with. “Growing up and finding out you had it all along. It’s not something you can possess or hold right in your arms. You may get lost along the way you may not make it home. It’s beautiful and twisted, its all love. It’s our love.”
Danny Dakota follows up with “On and On”, a song that completely switches up the flow. This song has an addictive beat that you can’t help but rock along to. This is the perfect example of a song you can sit around and smoke and chill with your friends to. Danny hits the track with smooth vocals that are matched with the beat so damn well. We’re only three songs into the album and already we’ve been introduced to three distinct styles of music Danny is capable of creating. This dude is a beast. The album keeps on moving with the title track, “UFO” featuring Matt Wyeth. This song is somewhat the backbone of this album. As mentioned earlier, this was the second song recorded on the album before the sudden passing of Matt Wyeth. This led Danny to create an album that beautifully honors his best friend. You can clearly hear the chemistry these two guys had with each other. The way they are able to bounce their vocals off one another demonstrates their true passion to work together.
“One in the Chamber” follows up next, another song that I was pleasantly surprised by. Here is another example of Danny’s uncanny ability to create music that is so different from one another. This song gave me instant nostalgic vibes with the Alt Rock/Grunge style that was so popular in the ’90s. In true Danny fashion, he made sure his signature sound was incorporated into the song, incorporating some low-fi tech beats and a tempo that makes you want to kick loose in the bridge of the song. I love this song!
The next three songs represent the roster of BooClique/Henny Bubu Productions heavily, the music collective that Danny Dakota is affiliated with. “Spend My Money”, featuring Spilltheblood. comes up first and it is a banger. The way Danny Dakota , Louis Navas and Jake Furia create music together is amazing. They have a similar vocal range and they sound SO GOOD together. “At the end of the Day” featuring Sahn Dahn follows up. This is another favorite of mine on the album. Danny made the perfect choice by snagging Sahn Dahn for a verse on this track. He absolutely murders the beat and has you begging for more. Keep an eye out for Sahn Dahn, he’s up next! The next song up is “Limo Jackets” featuring Philip S. Valenti. This is the first time you hear a song on “UFO” that is heavily auto-tune oriented, further displaying the types of tracks that Danny can successfully create! Check out the music video below!
Danny Dakota ends the album with “Boyz of Summer” and “Meant for Me” featuring Matt Wyeth. Danny shared some info on both of these tracks. “Boyz of Summer is something of a tribute and a cover all in one, singing the chorus of the original Boys of Summer and singing a part of one of Matt’s unreleased songs to end it.” I love this creative idea. Danny was able to put a unique spin on a classic song and create a gem! “UFO” finishes with “Meant for Me” featuring Matt Wyeth. I couldn’t think of a better way to end the album.
Danny Dakota absolutely killed this album. He demonstrated his wide range of musical abilities extremely well and created ten amazing tracks. What started off as a simple project turned into an album with tremendous sentimental value. We couldn’t be happier to see how well this project turned out for Danny. Make sure you follow Danny Dakota on all of his social medias and stream tracks from “UFO” on the blog’s Spotify playlist: After Hours Review!