The Universal Thump is a Brooklyn-based band and production team led by Greta Gertler (piano, voice) and Adam D. Gold (drums, voice and more).
In May 2012, they released their first single and music video, the komodo-girl-power-pop anthem, 'Flora' (https://vimeo.com/40014410). WXPN's music director, Bruce Warren, featured the song as his 'Morning Download' soon after its release.
The Universal Thump was also featured on NPR's 'Song of the Day' in 2011: "The Universal Thump is an ambitious, overstuffed banquet of musical styles and instrumentation, with influences ranging from deep psychedelia to prog at its must evolved, convoluted and unapologetic...Such is the peculiar and exciting alchemy of the Universal Thump's accessible but avant-garde pop." - Elizabeth Nelson
The team is in the final stages of producing its first orchestral pop album, The Universal Thump. In this music one will hear the diverse influences of its ensemble cast, but the catalytic inspiration for this record (and later its unifying tale) was a whale-watching expedition that took the co-producers to Maritime Canada in mid 2008 (elaborated in the impressionistic “To The Border”). Gertler and Gold have found connection with the sounds, songs, and survival patterns of ‘The Whale.’ These remain guiding influences, backdrops and metaphors for the new album.
And this is an Album. It’s not quite a song-cycle and not really a concept record. Though these songs stand alone as crafted pop morsels, the collection makes up an album of the type we grew up loving. The songs follow a loose narrative, spanning a wide range of topics and emotions as composed by Gertler. These songs are woven together by thread-like instrumental compositions written by Gold and others.
Greta and Adam began recording The Universal Thump in Adam’s recording studio (Oh Real Yum) in late 2009. Gradually, they brought in over 30 of their favorite musicians, including Roy Nathanson (Jazz Passengers), Rachelle Garniez, Jonathan Maron (Groove Collective), Oren Bloedow (Elysian Fields), members of OSSO string quartet, Barney McAll, backing vocalists Tanya Donelly (Throwing Muses), Cat Martino, Courtney Kaiser, Clare Muldaur Manchon (Clare & The Reasons), Noe Venable, Carol Lipnik, Serena Jost and more, to layer an orchestral pop feast.
In 2009 The Universal Thump helped pioneer the Kickstarter movement. In a three-month campaign the producers raised over $15,000 of funding on Kickstarter.com from fans around the world. This influx not only provided the capital needed to begin recording, it also affirmed wide-spread interest in Gertler’s large-scale productions, like the ones witnessed previously on her solo recordings The Baby That Brought Bad Weather and Edible Restaurant.
Her craft was witnessed again this past November when The Universal Thump walloped Brooklyn’s The Bell House with George Harrison’s All Things Must Pass in honor of the album’s 40th Anniversary. Respecting Harrison’s and Phil Spector’s ‘wall-of-sound’ production masterpiece, the group performed the entire album in order, in full orchestral pop splendor, with an astonishing line up of guest vocalists; Shara Worden (My Brightest Diamond), John Wesley Harding, Rick Moody, Missy Higgins and more. Plans for a DVD and CD release are in the works.
In the past two years The Universal Thump has toured the US, Australia and Europe.
