LA's Favorite Dancing Queen Reimagines Funk With New Retro Single and Label

Gavin Turek is a multi-hyphenate who is equally inspired by originals as she is homages, with SPIN saying she "possesses the silky, arms-outstretched harmonizing of an in-her-prime Donna Summer" and an on-stage charisma and energy "steeped in the ashes of Studio 54." Turek is no stranger to the spotlight: at age three she tapped her gospel-singing mother on the shoulder mid-performance and asked for the mic. She also recalls growing up singing "Killing Me Softly" by the Fugees over and over, enrapt by Lauryn Hill's trademark voice. Turek then discovered the original recording by Roberta Flack, taking a deep dive into Flack's work, and eventually immersing herself in all things R&B, soul and jazz.

Turek's discoveries of both sides of the coin are emblematic of the sound on her new EP out via her label Madame Gold on February 17, 2017. The five-song EP encapsulates Turek as a musician, singer, and performer by juxtaposing the disco, R&B, and soul of her idols Donna Summer, Chaka Khan, and Michael Jackson with a modern twist. Turek's five songs are yin and yang: referential to the formative roots of pop music discussing today's fears and joys, all while being undeniable earworms with Vice Noisey calling her sound "disco-groovy, bass-funked pop."

From the reverb-inflected guitar riffs to the synth-heavy, Moroder-inspired bass lines, the instrumentation is a nod to the phenomenal, formative dance floor disco of the 80s. Lyrically, Turek explores the modern life and love with lines like the titular chorus on "Good Look For You," a uniquely modern phrase sung over the classic DX7 synth sound, bringing to mind the groove of Diana Ross. On opening track "On The Line," tight, retro-punk percussion and chunky, arpeggiated bass mix LCD Soundsystem and Nile Rodgers in equal measure. On closing track "It's The Light," effervescent bongos and snappy percussion lift up Turek's smoky, soulful singing, harkening back to Lauryn Hill.

LA-born Turek has worked in visual art as an actress, model, and dancer. On stage, Turek is notorious for her unstoppable energy and mesmerizing moves (where she taps into her studies in India and Ghana as a dancer). She has toured with Mayer Hawthorne, CeeLo Green, and TOKiMONSTA, and has performed at Outside Lands and Coachella. In 2015, she released her two debut EPs, 'Frontline/Don't Fight It' and 'You're Invited' with the help of TOKiMONSTA. Her music has received plaudits from Billboard, The Fader, NPR Music, Nylon, and more.

Turek will perform at the SnowGlobe Music Festival in Lake Tahoe, CA on Thursday, December 29. More dates in 2017 to be announced.