Deth Rali

Deth Rali is the sonic world of Denver-based artist Jay Maike. Like the frenetic waltz of a carefree sojourner, Deth Rali moves from musical idioms, genres, and tastes while finding a sweet spot in their vaporwave-adjacent pop music. Fusing serenely nostalgic melodies with hypnotic elements of psychedelic rock, dream pop, and even thrash-worthy riffs one might headbang at a devil’s pep rally, Deth Rali’s sound and message is defined by its non-conformity and willingness to challenge musical and political orthodoxy… whichever side it comes from.

Maike and company are currently releasing one song per month from their debut full-length album “Ruby’s Castle Island” (coming Summer 2024). This Miyazaki-inspired fantasy epic blends serenely sing-able melodies, expansive production, and layered harmonies over the backdrop of childhood memories and 90’s cultural idioms.

After launching Deth Rali with 2021’s acclaimed synth-pop ‘Light Levels’ EP, Maike (also a Professor at Colorado College) joined forces with former student and guitarist Eliza Neiman-Golden (Tiny Tomboy) to start creating new music together in 2022. They were soon joined by veteran post-punk drummer Nathan Rodriguez and bassist Hunter Bates (Mean World Records). The budding chemistry of this lineup spawned a new era of collaborative songwriting for long-time solo producer Maike, culminating on the band’s first two singles of 2023 - “Ruby’s Castle Island” and “Genesis”.