With Play Artful, The Double Headed Seagulls—an experimental project by award-winning film composer and producer Dave Wirth—delivers an album that feels both nostalgic and forward-thinking. Released on Fire, Fire, Red Star Down! Records on August 28th, 2025, the EP is a bold statement in the world of post rock, lo-fi electronica, and experimental ambient. Wirth reimagines fragments from his earlier work, weaving them into something playful, lush, and strikingly fresh.
The roots ofPlay Artful trace back to Wirth’s 2011 record Slimline. During its lengthy production, countless cassette recordings were captured—digital synths, guitar loops, and bursts of feedback. For years, these fragments lay dormant, until Wirth unearthed them as the raw material for this project. The idea of transforming forgotten sonic scraps into a cohesive new work gives Play Artful a strong conceptual backbone: it’s about creation through re-creation.
Where *Slimline* leaned heavy and noisy, *Play Artful* pivots toward a lighter, more energetic palette. There’s a whimsical quality to the sound—a childlike joy—that balances the seriousness of its construction. It’s as if Wirth traded industrial grit for watercolor pastels, retaining the depth but embracing a new sense of freedom.
Musically, *Play Artful* exists in a space where genres blur and bend. Lo-fi electronica pulses at the core, layered with dreamy synthwave textures, jazz guitar chords, and IDM-inspired rhythms. The guitar work recalls Pat Metheny’s *Watercolors*, while the atmospheric approach nods to Brian Eno’s *Ambient 4: On Land* and *Music for Films*. The unpredictable yet deliberate rhythms echo Four Tet’s *Everything Ecstatic*, and the layered melodic richness hints at the textured world of Radiohead’s *In Rainbows*.
The result is neither imitation nor pastiche. Instead, *Play Artful* uses these influences as guideposts, building a soundscape that feels uniquely its own. The juxtaposition of organic jazz guitar with glitchy electronica and ambient washes creates moments that are both grounding and otherworldly.
The title Play Artful is no accident. The EP embraces creativity as an act of exploration rather than perfection. Its energy is playful—like kids doodling crayon masterpieces across the walls while the parents, exasperated, can’t help but admire the raw creativity. There’s joy in the imperfections and curiosity in the experiments, which gives the music a refreshing openness.
Where some experimental albums risk alienating listeners with too much abstraction, *Play Artful* remains accessible. Its melodies and grooves, while complex, are inviting rather than intimidating. This makes it a record that can be appreciated by both serious audiophiles and casual listeners alike.
Dave Wirth’s work as The Double Headed Seagulls showcases the power of revisiting and repurposing the past. By drawing from recordings once left behind, *Play Artful* demonstrates how forgotten moments of sound can be transformed into something vital and alive. It’s not just an album but a reminder that creativity often lies dormant, waiting for the right spark to bring it back to life.
In a music landscape often saturated with repetition, *Play Artful* stands out as adventurous yet approachable. It’s a sonic playground that rewards careful listening while still encouraging you to simply let go and enjoy the ride.
With this EP, The Double Headed Seagulls not only build on their earlier foundations but also set a new course—one where experimentation is joyful, and where art is play.