Few British bands of the ’90s have been as influential in the following decades as Ride. And while the pioneering shoegaze quartet — certainly no stranger to our pink-ink pages — has continued to expand its warm, encompassing sound in its celebrated second act, frontman Mark Gardener has also helped shape a scene behind the board, working studio magic with the likes of Brian Jonestown Massacre, Andre Obin, Swervedriver, and others.
New York City’s Dinowalrus have also tapped Gardener to capture a certain musical mood, one with a lineage that draws back several decades without ever not looking forward, and that shines in blissful brightness through the foursome’s swirling new single “The Scavenger.”
Gardener linking up with the psychedelic post-punk band to mix their latest appears to be a perfect match, as “The Scavenger” balances a line of fresh and familiar, aligning with the classics with a dose of propulsive 2026 melancholy and wistful yearning. It’s where the vibrancy of Madchester dances with the shadows of Brooklyn, filtered through a mind that understands both.
“Having Mark Gardener mix it in his Oxford studio was really meaningful,” says guitarist and vocalist Pete Feigenbaum. “Ride’s retro/future take on British psychedelia has obviously been a huge influence on us, and Mark brought a new perspective on mix hierarchy, and a lot of classic rack gear into the mix session, including a Lexicon PCM 60 reverb unit — the same model that was used on The Stone Roses’ debut album.”
Feigenbaum adds: “That connection to the recording history behind the music we’re drawing from was really cool, but more importantly, Mark brought a lot of clarity and depth to the mix while letting all those vocal layers and the rhythmic backbone coexist.”
Gardener and Dinowalrus continue their sonic dalliance as the band pulls together its forthcoming fifth album, but in the meantime, get lost in the Ben Hozie-directed video for “The Scavenger” below.