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applied communications has a midlife crisis
Metadata
- title
- applied communications has a midlife crisis
- description
- April 2024 comeback EP by Max Wood (Applied Communications), five alt-pop songs on depression, gender dysphoria, and self-acceptance; mixed by Scoobert Doobert, mastered by Riley Knapp.
- year
- 2024
- releaseDate
- 2024-04-26
- releaseType
- EP
- artist
- applied communications
- bandcamp
- https://applcomm.bandcamp.com/album/applied-communications-has-a-midlife-crisis
- tracks
- title
- oxytocin drunk
- song
- oxytocin-drunk
- title
- tomboy femme
- song
- tomboy-femme
- title
- crying in k-mart
- song
- crying-in-k-mart
- title
- subcision scars
- song
- subcision-scars
- title
- sinéad
- song
- sinead
- press
- outlet
- V13
- url
- https://v13.net/2024/04/applied-communications-share-oxytocin-drunk-single-from-new-ep/
- desc
- Comeback EP announcement; mix credit Scoobert Doobert (CHAI, Victor Marc), master Riley Knapp.
- outlet
- Northern Transmissions
- url
- https://northerntransmissions.com/listen-to-a-new-single-from-applied-communications/
- desc
- Single feature; same mix/master credits and five-track listing.
- outlet
- It's Psychedelic Baby
- url
- https://www.psychedelicbabymag.com/2024/04/oxytocin-drunk-by-applied-communications-applied-communications-has-a-midlife-crisis.html
- desc
- Exclusive premiere of Oxytocin Drunk.
- outlet
- SF Shameless
- url
- https://www.sfshameless.com/the-artists/2024/3/28/applied-communications-release-new-single-tomboy-femme
- desc
- Tomboy Femme single; EP mixed by Scoobert Doobert.
- draft
- false
Content
applied communications has a midlife crisis, five-track EP by Max Wood under the alias Applied Communications (April 26, 2024). Washington, D.C. · Spotify. A comeback 17 years in the making (V13): TikTok-era rediscovery of the old catalog pulled Max Wood back while navigating depression, gender dysphoria, and self-acceptance.
The early run — Africa Baby, Yeah Yeah Yeah (2004), Uhhh Sort Of (2005), was lo-fi anti-rock: discordant vocals, found sounds, basement-pop computer collage. Pitchfork read Uhhh Sort Of as emotionally exposed but famously abrasive (also on the 15 worst of 2005 list), polarizing teen outsider-pop later re-found. Bandcamp still tags the project “noisy screamy mostly electronic pop music.”
This EP is more beat-driven and accessible (Chorus.fm: Casio, drum machines, random electronic elements, discordant melodies, key changes) but still deeply personal: samples, nonbinary identity, mental-health narrative, Emperor X on the closer.
Mixed by Luke Francis Walton (Scoobert Doobert); mastered by Riley Knapp (Rosie Tucker, Lou Roy). English-language press naming both: V13, Northern Transmissions, It's Psychedelic Baby, SF Shameless. Also: Backseat Mafia premiere of Sinéad.
Luke did not write these lyrics: mixing credit only (not produce). Track pages document the mix; later Applied Communications singles on Bandcamp postdate this EP.