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Jonpaul Balak is an internationally recognized Surf and Exotica bassist based in Venice, CA. He performs around the world with the "international Surf music ambassador" Surfer Joe (Lorenzo Valdambrini), is a member of the renowned modern Exotica septet The Tikiyaki Orchestra and their Surf-centric quartet Tikiyaki 5-0, and the highly influential Surf revival band Insect Surfers ("planet Earth's longest running modern Surf band").

Oddball loner artist/musician Robin Crutchfield has been escaping the darker elements of life by retreating into his own reality since hearing The Routers' "Sting Ray" at a 5th grade classmate's patio platter party. The snappy instrumental, with accents from the hip hot rod's car horn revved his escapist tendencies past the pop highway into multiple lanes and genres transcending ten decades. As a performance artist in New York City in the 1970's, and with his bands DNA and Dark Day, he made pit stops at CBGB's and Max's Kansas City, worked with Brian Eno, wrote a comedy skit for Steve Allen, and displayed his art at MoMA and the Whitney. His music was used in Erroll Morris' Bravo TV show, First Person. He's released numerous albums and books, continuing to make his output available online. On the Dark Day Escape Pod, expect road trip hopscotching across time and space from the morass of the morose to the cheerful earful, melodies from the mellow to the melodramatic, the sophomoric to the simply silly. Crank up the engine on the quirky mobile and strap yourself in for a delightfully dizzying detour down the rabbit hole.