No, I am not talking about literally diving into Alaska in the dead of winter. That would be foolhardy at best, and frostbite-inducing at worst. I’m talking about one of the best bands you’ve likely never heard of, Alaska in Winter – one of my favorites for close to 15 years now. (CW: mental health, suicide mentioned within, caveat lector)
Prolegomena
First of all, what is Alaska in Winter? Alaska in Winter is a solo project by the elusive Brandon Bethancourt, who, as far as I know, has spent most of his time making music in Albuquerque, New Mexico (with a detour to Alaska and even Berlin). As far as the legend goes, the name stems from a winter he spent in, you guessed it, Alaska, making music in an isolated cabin. That music, The Cabin Sessions, has thus far never been released (what a shame!). Brandon’s music is synthy, poppy, vocoder-drenched, and full of energy and meaning at the same time.