ABOVE/BELOW

Released in 2019, ABOVE/BELOW serves as a bridge between the raw Americana of Shakey Graves' debut and the more polished, psychedelic explorations of his later work. This EP is characterized by its heavy use of lo-fi production techniques, including tape saturation and drum machine loops that evoke the 'chillhop' aesthetic more than traditional folk. The tracklist is a mix of alternate versions of original material and highly stylized covers, most notably a haunting rendition of the Backstreet Boys' 'As Long As You Love Me' and The Carpenters' 'We've Only Just Begun.' These covers are significant for how they recontextualize familiar melodies into somber, introspective folk pieces. Critically, the EP is viewed as a creative playground where Alejandro Rose-Garcia (Shakey Graves) experiments with texture and mood over song structure, moving away from his 'one-man-band' persona toward a more studio-centric, atmospheric sound. It remains one of the most experimental entries in his discography, prized by fans for its deep sense of solitude and its unique blend of acoustic songwriting with electronic undercurrents.