By Chloe Kowalyk

(Above: Album cover for Magdalena Bay’s most recent album, “Imaginal Disk”) 
Looking Ahead is a feature where we look forward weeks or months to a show that is has some buzz going on and just might sell out.

This summer, Buffalo will be feeling the cool, electric vibes of synth pop as Magdalena Bay bring their “Imaginal Mystery Tour” to the Queen City on May 6 at Buffalo RiverWorks. 

Magdalena Bay are a duo pop group that formed in 2016, and consists of Mica Tenenbaum and Matthew Lewin, who write and produce the band’s music together. 

The duo are originally from Miami, but are now based out in Los Angeles. 

With a discography dating back to around 2017 on Spotify, Magdalena Bay have curated an ethereal and unique sound with an almost angelic and otherworldly vibe that can be felt in both their music and surrounding art. 

Their most recent album release, “Imaginal Disk,” features 15 songs that align with this exact aesthetic.

The group has also begun to branch out to other artists, collaborating with singer-songwriter Grimes on a remake of their song “Image” off  that same “Imaginal Disk” album, as well as adding Sam Austins as support on their upcoming tour. 

Now, Magdalena Bay are bringing their sound across the United States and Canada with the Imaginal Mystery Tour, and is stopping in Buffalo. 

This show will be at Buffalo RiverWorks, located near the city’s waterfront and begins at 7 p.m. 

Tickets are moving quickly. More information is available here.

Here’s a list of your top five essential tracks that you should know before heading to see Magdalena Bay in May. The final four are all off of “Imaginal Disk” to help prepare you for the upcoming tour.

• “Killshot”
  • This is their most listened to song, and one you’re very likely to hear at the show. With over 80 million streams on Spotify, many know Magdalena Bay from this song as it was trending on Tik Tok for some time. The piece is so popular that they also released a slowed and reverb version of “Killshot,” which has over 61 million streams on its own. 

• “Image”
  • With repetitive lyrics, “Image” is incredibly catchy, and utilizes a unique countdown from 22 minutes, to 21 minutes, down to 1 minute as the song continues. It’s got these amazing reverberation vocals and backing sounds that Magdalena Bay so beautifully weave into this song. 

• “Death & Romance”
  • Yup, synth pop can utilize the piano, and “Death & Romance” is a fantastic example of that. A more upbeat song, “Death & Romance” is definitely a song that will get the crowd singing and dancing. Not only does the song have great instrumentals, but the lyrics themselves bring out that otherworldly vibe of the band mentioned before, especially in the line “You run, streetlights like halos.”  

• “Fear, Sex”
  • “Fear, Sex” is a great way to experience that angelic, electric pop vibe the duo harnesses so well. This piece blends Mica’s soft and feminine vocals with the group’s signature synth backing sounds, creating a transcendental song to connect you with the clouds. 

• “Killing Time”
  • Yet another groovy, celestial piece is “Killing Time.” With eloquent songwriting and yearning vocals, “Killing Time” is sure to be one of your favorites and an almost certain pick to be played live at the show. This song has almost an addicting, gravitating pull, finding itself on my “On Repeat” consistently for the past few months.