“DOUBLE A SIDE 2 (AMAROA/ERICA AND THE STARS)” By ReeToxA

Some music is written from imagination, some from observation, and some comes directly from the deepest chapters of an artist’s life. “Double A Side 2 (Akaroa / Erica And The Stars)” by ReeToxA, the artistic project of Melbourne-based singer-songwriter Jason McKee, belongs firmly in that last category. Released on September 10, 2026, this four-track EP is a remarkably intimate piece of work that transforms grief, memory, adversity, spirituality, vulnerability and hope into a carefully crafted musical experience. With two full songs followed by their respective karaoke versions, the EP may be short in duration, but its emotional reach is considerably larger. McKee draws his inspiration primarily from real-life experiences rather than simply following musical predecessors, and that authenticity is immediately apparent. Recorded with an extraordinary group of musicians and production professionals, including Simon Moro, James Ryan, Kit Riley, Peter Marin, Terry HarT, Luke Crouch, Jessica McPherson-Riley and the Budapest Orchestra, “Double A Side 2” feels like another important chapter in ReeToxA’s increasingly compelling musical story.

The EP opens with “Akaroa,” perhaps one of the most fascinating songs in the collection because of the extraordinary story behind its creation. McKee wrote the beginnings of the song after experiencing a vivid dream during an exceptionally difficult period of his life. The dream contained the name “Akaroa,” despite McKee not previously knowing about the New Zealand coastal town. A guitar melody arrived with it, but the song disappeared from his memory after the interruption of his surroundings. Years later, during a New Zealand cruise, bad weather unexpectedly brought the ship into Akaroa. While there, McKee experienced an overwhelming sense of recognition and an unexplained presence, and suddenly the forgotten song returned to him. He eventually completed it that night in his cabin. “Akaroa” carries a beautifully organic rock foundation, with guitar, bass, and drums creating a steady pulse beneath McKee’s emotionally charged vocal. The arrangement gives the song room to breathe rather than overwhelming its story, while the guitar work adds an expressive quality that feels perfectly suited to its themes of memory, mystery and loss. The result is not simply a song about a place; it is a song about how certain experiences can remain somewhere inside us until the right moment brings them back to life.

Then comes “Erica And The Stars,” a track that takes the EP into a much more cinematic and expansive emotional territory. The song emerged during another extremely difficult chapter in McKee’s life and ultimately became a creative lifeline. What makes the finished recording particularly striking is the way McKee’s original internal musical vision was translated into a real orchestral performance. The Budapest Orchestra provides the song with an immense sense of atmosphere, allowing the arrangement to move beyond conventional rock boundaries and into something grand, dramatic and deeply cinematic. Jessica McPherson-Riley contributes backing vocals, while the instrumental foundation is strengthened by James Ryan on guitar, Kit Riley on bass, Peter Marin on drums and Terry HarT on piano. The result is a remarkable meeting point between intimate songwriting and large-scale musicianship. Rather than allowing the difficult circumstances surrounding its creation to dominate the listening experience, the finished song feels like a movement toward light. There is vulnerability in McKee’s performance, but there is also imagination, ambition, and a sense of escape. “Erica And The Stars” demonstrates how an artist can take something deeply personal and translate it into a piece of music that allows listeners to bring their own emotions to it.

One of the EP’s greatest strengths is the quality of its musicianship and production. Simon Moro deserves particular recognition for his role as producer, mixer, and mastering engineer, helping transform McKee’s songwriting and arrangements into polished recordings while preserving their emotional character. Luke Crouch handled engineering, while the sessions brought together musicians with impressive musical histories. James Ryan, associated with Men At Work, adds guitar; Kit Riley contributes bass with experience including work connected to Robbie Williams; Peter Marin of Jet handles drums; and Terry HarT brings piano to the project. The Budapest orchestral contribution on “Erica And The Stars” expands the sonic palette even further. Recording took place at The Avenue Recording Studio in Cheltenham, Victoria, with the orchestral work completed in Budapest, giving this release an international character that mirrors the increasingly global direction of ReeToxA’s career. There is a sense throughout the EP that every contributor understood the importance of serving the songs rather than simply displaying technical ability.

The third track, “Akaroa (Karaoke),” is more than a simple bonus version. Removing the lead vocal allows listeners to concentrate on the architecture of the composition itself. The guitars, rhythm section, and surrounding production become more prominent, giving the listener an opportunity to hear how much work exists beneath McKee’s vocal performance. It also gives aspiring singers and musicians an opportunity to interact with the song in a different way. The emotional character remains intact because the arrangement itself carries so much of the atmosphere. In that sense, the karaoke version acts almost like opening the curtains behind the finished performance and allowing the listener to examine the musical foundation. It demonstrates that “Akaroa” works not only because of its story and lyrics but because of the strength of the underlying composition.

The fourth and final track, “Erica And The Stars (Karaoke),” performs a similar function but arguably becomes even more interesting because of the orchestral dimensions of the original. Without McKee’s lead vocal occupying the centre, the instrumental arrangement receives the spotlight. The Budapest Orchestra’s contribution becomes easier to appreciate, while the piano, guitar, bass and drums reveal the carefully constructed framework supporting the song. It is an effective way to close the EP because the listener is left with the music itself, almost as though the story has been told and the landscape remains behind. Together, the two karaoke versions also underline one of the central qualities of this project: these are songs built from strong musical ideas, not simply lyrics placed over backing tracks. The EP’s four-track structure therefore feels intentional, with the two principal songs establishing the emotional narrative and the instrumental versions providing another perspective on the same compositions.

Shout-out to Jason McKee and the entire ReeToxA team for allowing Music Mingle to be part of this particularly meaningful release campaign. There is something genuinely inspiring about watching an artist take experiences that could have remained painful memories and transform them into music capable of reaching people around the world. Jason’s journey from writing songs privately to building the ReeToxA project with world-class collaborators is a testament to persistence and creative determination. Following the acclaimed “Soliloquy” project, “Double A Side 2” demonstrates that there are still new dimensions to discover in his songwriting. The EP is available across major digital music platforms, including Spotify, YouTube, Apple Music, Amazon Music, Deezer, Qobuz, and other global streaming services, giving listeners everywhere an opportunity to experience these songs.

“Double A Side 2 (Akaroa / Erica And The Stars)” is a powerful example of how music can preserve memories, process difficult experiences, and create something beautiful from moments that once seemed impossible to overcome. “Akaroa” carries mystery, grief, and remembrance through an organic rock setting, while “Erica And The Stars” expands that emotional journey into an orchestral, cinematic world filled with imagination and possibility. The two karaoke versions then strip away the vocal narrative and allow the compositions to speak for themselves. Together, the four tracks create a concise but emotionally substantial release. ReeToxA has produced more than another collection of songs here; Jason McKee has created a musical snapshot of survival, creativity and hope. “Double A Side 2” deserves to be heard not only for the remarkable stories behind it, but for the musicianship, songwriting and emotional honesty that make those stories resonate long after the final note.

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Written Manuel