THE GOSSIP

Michael Bugeja (The Sunday Times)

It’s a tongue-twister of a name for an artist admittedly, but never mind all that! Behind the alias is one musician hard at work for at least the last couple of years in preparation for the release of his debut solo outing. What you’ll hear on the record may not necessarily fall inside the parameters of what local radio stations usually deem appropriate for their charts, but there’s no denying that there’s a rather infectious bounce to Patrick Galea’s (aka Peklectrick) highly interesting and quite original musical expedition. In his days as guitar player with Dripht, he was a prime mover in the cross-breeding of musical genres so vital to that band’s sound, and it’s a habit – an ingrained fascination actually - that he has summoned up for his project.

With Galea being primarily a guitar player, it’s no surprise that Reclaiming Space relies on the six-stringed instrument as its foundation, but the range of styles and variations present on the record give it something of a melting pot appeal. This was also to be expected, as the artist’s own influences cover a broad chunk of the music spectrum – The Clash, The Jam, The Beat and Bob Marley on one side; Zeppelin, Dylan, Lennon and Rage against the Machine on the other and a host of ethnic artists and protest singers bridging the distance in between.

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