Kevin Bronson on August 22nd, 2019

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Mystery duo NIGHTCALLERS arrived on this planet last month, their debut single “In a Bad Dream” seemingly beamed down from a disco in the far reaches of the galaxy. It showcased a novel genre that Earthlings may or may not be ready for: sci-fi EDM. Imagine MGMT on the tables in a club on Gallifrey. Or Devo doing Neil Young’s “Transformer Man.”

The duo hid their identities so their concept would come first: The B-movie-worthy tale of an astronaut, a girl, a moon and evil aliens who are at the controls of everything. Yes, it all suggests something like the video for that first single:

But who were these musicians in the space helmets?

It turns out Nightcallers is the brainchild of Ben Clark, aka Ben Lashes, once lead singer for Seattle rockers the Lashes, and Seattle-based producer-composer Phil Peterson. They worked on their album “Who Calls at Night” (out Friday) with another well-known Seattleite, producer John Goodmanson (Sleater-Kinney, Death Cab for Cutie, Wolf Parade, Blonde Redhead, among others).

The album is a wild ride — in helmsman’s terms, well worth the turbulence. It’s thoroughly danceable camp, which tells a story, which has the time-honored (and currently relevant) underlying theme of some evil group being at the controls.

Clark is no stranger out-there ideas. Based in Los Angeles, he is an internet talent manager and the man responsible for Grumpy Cat (R.I.P.). Buzz Bands LA caught up with him for a quick conversation about diving back into music and NIGHTCALLERS overall:

Buzz Bands LA: How did this project get started?

Ben Clark: Phil and I have been friends for a long time, and always help on each other’s projects. We started NIGHTCALLERS to combine our pop-music/pop-culture obsessions together into a single entity, and most of all have some fun. After we showed some of the first songs and explained the concept to John Goodmanson (who we’ve both worked with a lot previously), he joined in our weird vision and helped us make it a reality. Along the way we enlisted some really talented friends as featured players depending on what each song called for.

How much have you missed doing music?

I’ve never totally stopped making or being involved in music, but it’s been more behind-the-scenes lately. I did miss collaborating on a record with friends like Phil and John. Wild ideas are always better with partners.

Is there a linear narrative behind “Who Calls at Night,” and if so can you describe it?

“Who Calls At Night” is the story of a former astronaut who escapes an Earth suddenly at war, only to crash land on a recently colonized Moon where he learns evil beings known as NIGHTCALLERS are secretly controlling Space.

Are there some pop-culture reference points for this project? (Is this “Plan 9 From Outer Space” for the EDM set, or something like that?)

That’s not too far off! We wanted to create the future bumper music for AM Coast To Coast, the soundtrack to unimagined Disneyland attractions, and the songs you’d hear in a casino on the Moon.

Doesn’t it feel like we are all being controlled by creatures from space?

Most definitely. Just look around — the only explanation is that NIGHTCALLERS are real.

||| Stream: “Who Calls at Night”