While his journey on this terrestrial plane has taken him from his native Alaska to Utah to Quebec to Portland to his current home (for the next five minutes at least), in Hawaii, Englehorn is ultimately a citizen of Planet Gus, an uncanny universe created through a big-bang collision between serene beauty and apocalyptic chaos, populated by folkloric heroes, creepy characters, and oversized insects alike. A critically acclaimed indie-rock singer-songwriter, he spent much of his life as a professional snowboarder, but always dreamed of writing songs.
When he finally emerged — first on 2020’s Death & Transfiguration — he had found a sound that was dark and delightful, fun and demented, packed with dynamics and the chug of a hysterical guitar. Dungeon Master, Gus Englehorn’s Secret City Records debut, is an outsider opus — a playful juxtaposition of isolation, alienation and mildish OCD.
Gus Englehorn is set to release his third full-length album, The Hornbook, in January 2025. The album was co-produced with Mark Lawson (The Unicorns, Arcade Fire) and mixed by Paul Leary (founder of the Butthole Surfers).