The Dropout

Andrew Ficker is still The Dropout. Crowds around here got to know him as one-half of Nigel & The Dropout. But there's something so fragmentary about that ampersand ("&"), almost looming too large in its suggestion of not being individually actualized without another separate half. Last July, Ficker officially set out to start finding and forging who he is as a solo songwriter and producer.

And this month he's going to be dropping a few new singles, starting with "Let It Go," right here...

For further referential framing, you can listen to his first formal single, produced at Assemble Sound, here.

With "Let It Go," he's blend in the surfy with the surreal; tighter percussion and finespun hooks harken to indie-rock, while the mobius-strip-winding synthesizers and ear-splashing reverb invite the escapism of an EDM's endless night into the blissed/blurred early morning hours. Just as he'd started with "Undone," earlier in the summer, the curtains and corners of the song's landscape have some softer, meditative intonations, but spurring down the center of it all is this revved-up and radiant percussive arrangement; the mind is mellowed but the body's unlocked to dance. It's a pretty smooth ride, but it's also nearly a rave!

And Ficker's vocals, right around the 1:00-minute mark, soar to the top, with this mid-range half-spoken/half-melodic spill of poetry that's threaded with a dazzling amount of reverb that makes it sound like there's four of him talking, each succeeding voice just a millisecond-behind the other. And THEN... it all swells back, brightening, warming, accelerating...

Ficker will be releasing a new song every two weeks this month. His proper debut, live, will be January 27th at El Club.

Talk about going "solo," as it were... This town had gotten to know you as one-half of another entity, but what are you doing with this project that you feel sets it apart from N&TD?
Nigel & The Dropout had a pretty calculated and dark aesthetic at times and I'm looking to really just let loose and have some fun with this project. There will obviously be some inevitable similarities, and some unpredictable differences, but I definitely want to establish a more positive vibe, both melodically and lyrically, and then bring that energy to the live show



Have your specific tastes or influences changed notably over the last two years? Are there certain things that you can talk about that you think you've always been drawn to, like when it comes to production, or when it comes to a certain sound or feel…?
My musical taste has always been all over the place. I love and respect something from every genre, this year more than ever. I spent a month this last summer hopping music festivals in Europe and I was exposed to a remarkable amount of culture in a pretty short period of time.

On top of rediscovering my love of saxophone, and working with other talented Artists at Assemble Sound, it's been an inspiring year. My favorite thing about life in general has always been experiencing live music, and my favorite artists to see live are ones that put effort into being as much about the "show" aspect as they are about the music. So…, I’ll say I've got some pretty exciting stuff planned with my lights for the live show!

So tell me about "Let It Go..." What were you going for with this one... those brass sounds are so celebratory-feeling at the bridge. The beat is pretty danceable; the vocals are crisp and up top. How are ya feeling about it? What's the word?
I was going for a song that was uplifting and dreamy, with a little childlike nostalgia. I think its lo-fi toy-ish quality kinda adds to that. (It’s) almost like a song Mike Snow would write in middle school. And I actually had planned to revisit it before releasing it this week, but my computer crashed and I lost all my original files; I kinda had to accept where it was, and let it go, literally. The horns at the end were inspired by a great song by Cataldo called "In Now and Then.” It came out very differently but the horns in that song feel like a big warm hug to me, and I really wanted to emulate that.



What happens next? What are you working on, hoping to do, or looking forward to?

I'm making a challenge to myself to release a song every two weeks for the next six months. So, anyone can subscribe to my email list to keep updated, or just check my website. I make a point to use a variety of instrumentation with every song and I don't plan on sticking to any one specific mood or genre throughout the process. So, I’m very much looking forward to my debut live performance on January 27th, in the new year, at El Club with some excellent DJ's and my good friends Humons. We're going to make a big party out of it and have a damn good time! - Jeff Milo

In the modern age of the music industry artists are constantly looking to gain themselves exposure, while streamlining content to their fans in a wholesome and creatively fulfilling way. Andrew Flicker of The Dropout has thrown his hat into the ring with the launch of bi-weekly single releases. The Dropout’s first release, “Let It Go,” is an anthem dedicated to letting the good times roll and sweating the small stuff no more. Through a swirling texture of synth and a spunky drum beat, it’s easy to lose all sense of responsibility, as Flicker chants “All the things you ever wanted, lay it out and disregard it.” This dose of pure indie electro-pop is all fun-in-the-sun-meets-baby’s-first-rave, while those of us in enter into winter-induced vitamin D deficiency. It’s dreamy, it’s dismissive; it’s oddly soothing and invigorating at the same time. Combat the winter chill by checking out for The Dropout’s new releases at his soundcloud page, fresh off the press twice a month into the new year. - BuffaBLOG

This week’s Sunday Song is very special for a couple of reasons. First and foremost, this track serves as the official debut for both The Dropout and Mega Powers. It also sees release on Ellen Rutt‘s birthday, the artist behind all of the artwork for each Sunday Song.

Mega Powers is a Detroit producer duo consisting of Eddie Logix and Phil Desharnais (who records under the name Pig Pen). The Dropout is Andrew Ficker from electropop duo Nigel & The Dropout. Mega Powers had a few rough demo beats left over from recording sessions for their album, and brought one of their favorites into the biweekly song review to seek out potential guest vocals. Andrew Ficker stepped up for his very first feature outside of Nigel & The Dropout.

“We wanted a mega super star and The Dropout was into it, so that’s how the track got started,” said Logix. “It was cool having him not only for the vocals, but also to add some guitar layers to the synths and rhodes.” Ficker immediately clicked with Pig Pen and Logix, adding his distinctive vocal inflection to their moonlit club beats. “I brought in some vocal scratch tracks, we just put the track on loop and recorded me jamming on guitar. We kept the stuff we liked and deleted what we didn’t, leaving it with a very laid back vibe,” said Ficker.

These laid back vibes take flight with “Undone,” as a provocative melody melts into Ficker’s verses and hums. Mega Powers build their strength with every added layer to the song, adding some soaring synths or jingling rhodes. The vocal feature and guitar work provided by The Dropout become layers to the sonic fortress of “Undone” as well.

This sensation of becoming undone was key to the collaboration. Logix and Desharnais came together to form Mega Powers, while Ficker branched off from Nigel & The Dropout to kick off his own solo work as The Dropout. By undoing the conventions of the creative process, these two artists have managed to develop a song unlike anything they’ve done before.

As previously stated, Mega Powers are set to release their debut full-length album later this year, following previous remixes of Detroit pop singer Flint Eastwood and Australian producer Flume. As Nigel & The Dropout head into the studio to work on new material, The Dropout has begun to prepare a debut album that is expected to release early 2017. - Assemble Sound

You’ve heard “DMT” and you’ve heard “Let It Go.” Now, the next installment in The Dropout‘s release campaign has finally arrived.

“Flying With Colors” wanders a space bound between Vampire Weekend’s excitable energy and Radiohead’s forlorn disposition. We’re only three songs in and already starting to see so many sides to The Dropout’s eclectic creative vision.

The Dropout hits El Club with Humons on January 27th. If you dig what you’re hearing above, be sure to mark your calendars and remember to bring your dancing shoes. Head over to the official event page for more details. - Assemble Sound

You may already know Andrew Ficker as one-half of electropop duo Nigel & The Dropout. Their energetic performances, spectacular light show, and iconic ampersand have captured the hearts of many over the years. Now as producer Nigel Van Hemmye has embarked on his own solo venture, so, too, has Ficker as The Dropout.

Armed with a guitar and tenor sax, Ficker makes his roaring debut on “Let It Go.” While Ficker did feature on “Undone” with Mega Powers last summer, this track is his first original. The song is the first installment in a biweekly single series, so stay tuned for more. - Assemble Sound

The soft propulsion is palpable here and a sense of levity to suggest that there is a nuclear power plant powered by dandelion in the engine room. The vocals are a bit more grown up but that juxtaposition is half the charm. The other half comes in the shape of a sequence of brass moves that will drive all the cynicism from your being. It all suggests that this English accented Detroit artist has a flotilla of devices in his armoury to sweep all before him. Wonderful. KH - MP3Hugger

Find yourself getting stressed and overwhelmed this Wednesday afternoon? Need to take a quick break but can't seem to calm down? Well, we've got something for that.

Our good friend The Dropout brings us a new little slice of cloud magic with this beat called "Narcotic Noise #5," and it gives you just enough time to center yourself.

And no, not re-centering your Chi like Danny Rand of Iron Fist. The Dropout is much better than that.

Check it out here: - ACRONYM