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Battle of Heart music video filmed by Megan Rider

Cycle

by Michael Rider

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Mickel
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  • Cassette + Digital Album

    hand-dubbed with love <3

    Digital download of Cycle included with each cassette purchase, as well as:

    *Handwritten thank you note

    *a couple surprise stickers & pins from Grimalkin Records

    Bonus items with digital download include:
    *cover art for each of the 4 singles from Cycle:
    Before I Disappear
    Baby, I'm Scared
    Libra Season Boy
    Battle of Heart

    *jpegs of promo pictures

    *PDF of lyric booklet
    Per Michael, all proceeds from the sale of this release go to our label and mutual aid fund.
    grimalkinrecords.bandcamp.com

    Includes unlimited streaming of Cycle via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more
    ships out within 28 days
    7 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD or more 

     

  • Compact Disc (CD) + Digital Album

    Digital download of Cycle included with each CD purchase, as well as:

    *Handwritten thank you note

    *a couple surprise stickers & pins from Grimalkin Records

    Bonus items with digital download include:
    *cover art for each of the 4 singles from Cycle:
    Before I Disappear
    Baby, I'm Scared
    Libra Season Boy
    Battle of Heart

    *jpegs of promo pictures

    *PDF of lyric booklet

    Artist receives 75% of all proceeds of CD sales. The remaining 25% supports Grimalkin's label and mutual aid fund and helps us towards sustaining our work.
    www.grimalkinrecords.com

    Includes unlimited streaming of Cycle via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.     ... more
    ships out within 28 days
    3 remaining
    Purchasable with gift card

      $15 USD or more 

     

  • Streaming + Download

    Includes unlimited streaming via the free Bandcamp app, plus high-quality download in MP3, FLAC and more.

    Bonus items with digital download include:
    *cover art for each of the 4 singles from Cycle:
    Before I Disappear
    Baby, I'm Scared
    Libra Season Boy
    Battle of Heart

    *jpegs of promo pictures
    *PDF of lyric booklet

    Artist receives 75% of all proceeds of digital only sales. The remaining 25% supports Grimalkin's label and mutual aid fund and helps us towards sustaining our work.
    Purchasable with gift card

      $10 USD  or more

     

1.
Tower 04:30
lyrics
buy track
Tower October 2016 If you talk to me, I’ll give you my best, I’ll even give my help and all But I am aloof, the world has made you pay, it’s made me talk a little less Come reach for me and I’ll reach for you too I’m in a tall tower Come reach for your dreams Come reach for your dreams I’m in a tall tower Come reach for your dreams Come reach for me The times getting late, I’m losing all interest, I don’t come with a price tag Just before dawn, you had called me nice, behind a computer screen But if you want my love, you gotta get a hold onto me If you want my love, you gotta talk to me I’m in a tall tower Come reach for your dreams I said Come reach for your dreams I said I’m in a tall tower Come reach for your dreams I said Come reach for me Stop with your mouth wide open Come reach for your dreams I said Come reach for me Stop with your mouth wide open Come reach for your dreams I said Come reach for me I’m in a tall tower Come reach for your dreams Come reach for your dreams I’m in a tall tower Come reach for your dreams Come reach for me
2.
Before I Disappear 04:06 video
lyrics
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Before I Disappear October 2017 I met you in an unlikely place Your face was looking off You wanted something cheaper than The things I’m capable of But you smiled with your eyes wide open And I smiled back with my eyes wide open So call me Oh find me Oh call me Oh find me Before I disappear Cause I’ll disappear If you don’t, if you don’t find me So call me You say your wasting all your precious time I seemed to idealize things caught up in my mind But you smiled with your eyes wide open And I smiled back with my eyes wide open So call me Oh find me Oh call me Oh find me Before I disappear Cause I’ll disappear If you don’t, if you don’t find me So call me God, do remember me fondly? God, do you remember me thrown? God, do you remember fondly? God, do you remember me thrown? God, do remember us fondly? God, do you remember us thrown? God, do you remember us fondly? God, do you remember us thrown? Oh find me Oh call me Oh find me Oh call me Before I disappear Cause I’ll disappear If you don’t, if you don’t find me So call me
3.
Baby, I'm Scared 03:25
lyrics
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Baby, I’m Scared January 2017 He stared at him in the middle of the dark, he stared at him in the middle of a room He still seemed like, like a thousand miles away, no reason to why he stayed He thinks these things will never last He that these things burn out quickly Maybe he’s scared Baby he’s scared Trying to make sense of it all I’m trying to make sense of it all Had I known you don’t act on feeling, gauging as if I even do Thinking it with zodiac things, that I’m your crave and I’m the only one you want Mistaken cause you got yourself another lover But I still hold all of the power Maybe he’s scared Baby he’s scared Trying to make sense of it all I’m trying to make sense of it all Do you believe in doing things twice Love at the first sight, oh, love at the first sign Kicking the case, cause you’ve run out of space, you’ve run out of race, you’ve run out of space Kicking the case, cause you’ve run out of space, you’ve run out of race, you will not erase Kicking the case, cause you’ve run out of space, you’ve run out of race, you’ve run out of space Kicking the case, cause you’ve run out of space, you’ve run out of race, you will not erase Kicking the case, cause you’ve run out of space, you’ve run out of race, you’ve run out of space Kicking the case, cause you’ve run out of space, you’ve run out of race, you will not erase Maybe I’m scared Baby I’m scared Trying to make sense of it all I’m trying to make sense of it all
4.
Listen 04:58
lyrics
buy track
Listen October 2017 You’ve never been so wrong Seeing the world through your favorite song You’ve never taken the time To understand yourself, to question why Past is prelude History repeating herself Take it all upon yourself Declare war on the world Its just human condition We’re not conditioned to listen It’s just the human condition We’re just committed to hurting ourselves All the hate in your heart Doesn’t count for anything It just weighs you down You hurt yourself I know, cause I’m feeling it too Past is prelude History repeating herself Take it all upon yourself Declare war on the world Its just human condition We’re not conditioned to listen It’s just the human condition We’re just committed to hurting ourselves Row across the river Move Row across the river Move Its just human condition We’re not conditioned to listen It’s just the human condition We’re just committed to hurting ourselves
5.
Ecstasy 04:32
lyrics
buy track
Ecstasy June 2012 You can’t trust no shadow of a doubt, cause I read whats looking at me Safety will always warn me, I know damage comes for free Unconsciously whistling your single name As ecstasy has engulfed all of my swollen keen My water wants your flame right underneath of me This boil coils you to slip right into me Ecstasy rising over on things that I don’t really know Things better be changing over things that exist Ecstasy rise in me, in me, oh Things better be changing for me, for me Following these physical temptations, feeling the wind around me I fall into the heartfelt stimulations, let you know when you’re ready for it Unconsciously whistling your single name As ecstasy has engulfed all of my swallow keen My water wants your flame right underneath of me This boil coils you to slip right into me Ecstasy rising over on things that I don’t really know Things better be changing over things that exist Ecstasy rise in me, in me, oh Things better be changing for me, for me I am the kiss of death, I’ll set you free, I’ll make you believe, what you couldn’t be I am the kiss of death, I’ll be the one to set you free I am the kiss of death, I’ll be the one to set you free Ecstasy rising over on things that I don’t really know Things better be changing over things that exist Ecstasy rise in me, in me, oh Things better be changing for me, for me
6.
Then You're There 03:55
lyrics
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Then You’re There November 2017 I’ve reached my limit Quicker than I’ve ever tried Arrest by stillness Angels keep my eyes dry And I gotta tell my self so That I gotta let myself cry In the middle of the night In the night, rest me tight Tell me no, Tell me no, Tell me that you’re there Tell me no, Tell me no, Tell me that you care When I’m alone Then you’re there, alone Then I’m there Lets all go inward Bird tired of the sky Suppressed by freedom Flag keep my freedom right And I gotta tell my self so That I gotta let myself cry In the middle of the night In the night rest me tight Tell me no, Tell me no, Tell me that you’ll care Tell me no, Tell me no, Tell me that you’re there When I’m alone Then you’re there, alone Then I’m there You’ve run up the mountain but you’re running out of air You’ve run up the mountain but you’re running out of air
7.
Sooner Than I Expected 04:04
lyrics
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Sooner Than I Expected July 27, 2020 You gave a little bit, I gave a lot You gave a little bit, I gave a lot I gave a lot, I gave a lot, then you put me on the spot I gave a lot, I gave a lot, then you said you couldn’t talk What did it matter throwing this love away? What did it matter throwing me away? I think its best for me to go a little sooner than I expected I think its best for me to go a little sooner than I expected What does it matter throwing me away? What does it matter throwing me away? Throw me away You gave a little bit, I gave a lot You gave a little bit, I gave a lot I gave a lot, I gave a lot, then you put me on the spot I gave a lot, I gave a lot, then you said you couldn’t talk What did it matter throwing this love away? What did it matter throwing me away? I think its best for me to go a little sooner than I expected I think its best for me to go a little sooner than I expected What does it matter throwing me away? What does it matter throwing me away? Throw me away My trust can’t keep lingering on, lingering on My trust can’t keep lingering on, lingering on My trust can’t keep lingering on, lingering on My trust can’t keep lingering on, lingering on I think its best for me to go a little sooner than I expected I think its best for me to go a little sooner than I expected What does it matter throwing me away? What does it matter throwing me away? Throw me away
8.
Libra Season Boy 04:51 video
lyrics
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Libra Season Boy January 2020 We love drinking together So we can be and lay on each other The truth is on the surface Waiting to bind us in the cold air Libra season boy Keep it together, please Libra season boy Keeping it cool, whenever I’m around you One time, alone, All we did was stare at it Love in the air Unsure of how to handle it The truth is on the surface Waiting to bind us in the cold air Libra season boy Keep it together, please Libra season boy Keeping it cool, whenever I’m around you Look at all the damage Look at all the damage Coming my way Coming my way Look at all the damage Look at all the damage Coming my way Making me stay Libra season boy Libra season boy Keeping it cool, whenever I’m around you
9.
Acceptance 04:07
lyrics
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Acceptance March 2019 Whisper softly in my ear Tell me things I don’t want to hear Give it me nicely, give it to me slow Tell me things I ought to know Are we gonna start this again? Are we gonna start it all over again? Tell me how to be and please all of me Are we gonna start this again? Tell me your lies, tell me truths Tell me all that you thought it ought to be Give it me nicely, give it to me slow Tell me things that I already know Are we gonna start this again? Are we gonna start this process all over again? Tell me how to be and please both you and me Are we gonna start this again? Tell me how to, tell me how to How to be me, how to be me Tell me how to, tell me how to How do be mean, how do be mean Are we gonna start this again? Are we gonna start this process all over again? Tell me how to be and please both you and me Are we gonna start all over again?
10.
Battle of Heart 04:04 video
lyrics
buy track
Battle of Heart August 2020 The beauty of your smile Is in the beauty of your eyes Its in the way you make me laugh And you make me cry And you’ve made me cry Its in the way you look so free You’ll be who you want to be Its in the way you look at me You see who you want me to see When I play these battles of heart I go like a dynamite through your arms of steel The beauty of your lies Is how I can never tell Its in the way I make you laugh But I’ll make you cry And I’ve made you cry Its in the way you look so free You’ll be who you want to be Its in the way you look at me You see who you want me to see When I play these battles of heart I go like a dynamite through your arms of steel We battle, we battle, we battle We fight till the end of it We’re fighting, we’re fighting, we’re fighting We’ll fight till the end of it Try to push me in the middle of the road Try to push my hands tied behind my back I’ll skip a beat, skip a step yeah, Skip a beat, skip a step yeah When I play these battles of heart I go like a dynamite through your arms of steel We battle, we battle, we battle We fight till the end of it We’re fighting, we’re fighting, we’re fighting We’ll fight till the end of it

about

May 13, 2022: Michael Rider (they/them) is a dream pop singer-songwriter and they release their fourth studio album Cycle. The album is partially inspired by their first album Lighthouse passing its ten year anniversary, which was originally released in 2011.

After years of working with several producers to create their last full-length album Temptation, Rider decided to take the creative process in a different direction, opting to work in- depth with three collaborators: Brooklyn-based pop artist M the Myth, Voyager Sound Studio’s Nathan Feler, and multi-instrumentalist Richard L. Entrup. Although the majority of the album was made over Zoom, Rider described the process as being “intuitive, seamless, and fun” and calls the record one that made itself.

The album revisits of themes discussed in their previous works, namely their pursuit of healthy relationships, both romantically and with themself. Rider reflects on why they find themself stuck in a cycle of toxicity where they fall into the same kind of destructive love time and time again. The lyrics also delve into the duality present in the different phases of life one encounters and how one must embrace its dialect in order to find balance both internally and externally. “Looking at both sides of the coin gives me the insight to challenge myself and hopefully make a positive personal change.” The track list is a response to itself, with the topics in the first half of the album being reversed in the back half.

The opener Tower is about feeling disconnected from others, while the closer Battle of Heart, is about the discomfort that comes when finally faced with intimacy and vulnerability. This back and forth continues through discussion of the desires and fears that come with love and accepting them. The introspective nature of the project mirrors both Rider’s personal growth and artistic maturity over the past decade, responding to the anger and confusion of their debut work.

Michael Rider (they/them) was born and raised in Richmond, Virginia, Rider migrated to New York City on a visual art scholarship in 2013. They played open mics at the Sidewalk Cafe, the birthplace of anti-folk, amongst contemporaries such as Brett Gleason, Siv Disa, and Prince Johnny. Inspired by the work of Tori Amos, Kate Bush, Joni Mitchell, Rider sings of the anxieties of life while mixing the traditional piano of their past with innovative electronic production, creating an ethereal pop experience.

credits

released May 13, 2022

Tower / produced by M The Myth and Nathan Feler. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Before I Disappear / produced by Nathan Feler and M The Myth. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Baby, I’m Scared / produced by M The Myth and Nathan Feler. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Listen / produced by M The Myth and Nathan Feler. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Ecstasy / produced by M The Myth and Nathan Feler. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Then You’re There / Produced by Nathan Feler and M The Myth. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Sooner Than I Expected / Produced by Nathan Feler and M The Myth. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Libra Season Boy / produced by M The Myth and Nathan Feler. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Guitar by Charlotte Hatherely. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Acceptance / produced by Nathan Feler and M The Myth. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

Battle of Heart / produced by M The Myth and Nathan Feler. Bass by Richard L. Entrup. Mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

All tracks mixed and mastered by Kazuhiko Gomi.

M The Myth:
mthemyth.com
www.instagram.com/mthemyth/

Nathan Feler:
www.nathanfeler.com
www.instagram.com/nathanfeler/

Richard L. Entrup:
richardlentrup.wixsite.com/richiebeans
www.instagram.com/richiebeans/

Kazuhiko Gomi:
www.djgomi.com
www.instagram.com/mrgomi/

Charlotte Hatherely:
www.charlottehatherley.com
www.instagram.com/charlottehatherley/

All songs written by Michael Rider.
michaelrider.bandcamp.com
michaelwrider.com
www.instagram.com/michaelwrider/
www.facebook.com/MichaelRiderMusic/
www.youtube.com/user/michaelriderTV
twitter.com/michaelwrider/
www.patreon.com/michaelrider/
open.spotify.com/artist/0F7R0RH5CK84b3hJvJfM6U?si=eY_JN61CT4-IEiGxCkIDDA

Photography & Graphic design:
Lacy Wood:
www.lacywoodphotography.com
www.instagram.com/lacywoo/

All designed by Michael Rider. The cover includes an overlay of Michael’s painting “Moss Dream.” To view Michael’s artwork, please visit michaelrider.weebly.com.

Thank you to my dearest family, friends, collaborators and patrons. M, Rebecca Sansom + The Wavy Awards, Grim + Grimalkin Records, Amanda Wu, Jenn James, Megan Rider, Charlotte Martin, Rebecca Friday + Wetspot NYC, Hann Woodhouse, Mary Lor, Kailey Prior, Angelina Lopez, J, Melissa Cox, Eddie & Amy Freeman, Prince Johnny, Ashton Kite, Maricela Auces-Rider, Brett Gleason, JC Villalon and Jan Diedrichsen, Maddie Dohmen, JJ Stemmer, Patrick Rider, Maurice Ross, and Xavi.

Huge thanks to Al and Secret Wine Press for this premiere and interview with Michael for this album: secretwinepress.com/interview-michael-rider-cycle/

Huge thanks to Left Bank Magazine for covering this ahead of its release and helping us get out the word: leftbankmag.com/2022/04/02/sounds-releases-to-watch-for-cycle-x-michael-rider/

Thanks to Al and Secret Wine Press for this review of Michael's single Baby, I'm Scared and the pre-order for Cycle: secretwinepress.com/single-review-michael-rider-baby-im-scared/

Thanks to Bathory Zine for sharing our press release for this album on their blog: www.bathoryzine.com/2022/04/grimalkin-records-june-releases.html?spref=fb&fbclid=IwAR23yoc5SFQOr99Lf3W8r8TcPHknZMjjj7ycgJZvaNWanolNmi055kyN1Qo

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Michael Rider New York, New York

non-binary
they / them
singer-songwriter
artist

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