From 2017 to 2019, MEGA PIXEL’s Ben Rivet and Dave Zup spent multiple weeks at an isolated cabin in northern Michigan working what would become their second offering as a band. The cabin was built by Ben’s great-grandfather in the 1930s and sits adjacent to the state’s Au Sable river. It contains a variety of items like canoes, BB guns, real guns, family heirlooms, and a direct walkway to the water. The cabin’s location also provides access to the natural sounds of the surrounding wilderness. Long-time friend and producer Ronnie Pinnell made the trek up I75 with Ben and Dave where they rendezvoused with Ben’s cousin and talented musician David Beuthin for a week of writing, recording, conceptual production and quintessential bro hangs.. The time spent was as fruitful musically as it was emotionally cathartic for each of the 4 lads.

In French, “au sable” means “at the sand.” Rivet and Zup took this to mean that all things in life are temporary but still remain connected through the sands of time. As a result, Au Sable is framed around themes of self-acceptance, accountability, and humanity’s natural tendencies to come together and speculate. Although Au Sable presents itself as an EP, it creates a similar listening experience that a full album might. Each of the project’s five songs include actual audio from the river and the woods that was tracked live by the band with a handheld Zoom H1n recorder. These sounds are placed throughout each song to enhance the idea that moments in life should be cherished even though nothing lasts forever.

MEGA PIXEL furthers the album’s theme of connectivity by demonstrating that music does not need to be of the same genre to belong to the same home. Au Sable is rooted in Hip-Hop, Pop, and Folk just like a forest is comprised of trees, dirt, and wildlife. The album shows how different genres of music can complement each other if the environment is conducive to their coexistence. These songs can be played loudly with friends or quietly in headphones. Whether it is a spoken word verse accompanied by acoustic guitar or distorted vocals over lush instrumentation, Au Sable proves that MEGA PIXEL can thrive at coffee shop open mics and on festival stages. It is modern campfire music for the masses.