Alcyon Massive has been releasing music since 2009 and playing across the region, sharing groovy tunes for many an audience. 

Charlie Blake — the creator and leader of Rogue Valley-based outfit Alcyon Massive — has brought his music to many a listener in the region, finding inspiration from the lands of Southern Oregon and through the spirituality of song.

For as long as he can remember, Blake’s always been an entertainer.

“I’ve always been writing raps and stuff since I was a kid … I always wanted to be an entertainer,” he said.

Blake’s music offers a blend of sounds supported by a reggae base and exhibiting traces of rap, indie, electronic and other styles, with the artist touching on many topics from local love for the Oregon landscape to the pressing social issues of modern times.

The musician intends to make a melodic return in 2024 with a brand-new Alcyon Massive album set to release later this year.

“I have an album coming out, I don’t know when, but I have about nine songs and it’s really good,” Blake said. “I have a degree of momentum that I’ve been building right now with all the shows.”

Blake intends to release new music in April with a single from the planned record, though he’s still working out the final steps before setting a date for the full release.

“The full album, it’s going to be most likely fall in the harvest season; It’s just a matter now of finding the right person to mix it down and do all the work, because it’s a lot of money,” he said.

Originally from Connecticut, Blake’s formative years were spent listening to a wide mix of music, from the anthems of reggae icon Bob Marley to ‘90s rapper Vanilla Ice.

Receiving a copy of Marley’s compilation album, “Legend” at age 11, Blake was hooked.

“Over the years, anything that had hip-hop and reggae, I always really enjoyed the blending of the two,” he said of his musical taste.

Blake’s love for sampling and mixing tunes continued into high school after he started learning how to DJ, expanding his affinity for a wide range of genres and styles.

“You just start finding all of this different kind of music, everything you could imagine … electronic was always there and I didn’t really know what it was,” Blake said.

The musician also familiarized himself with the tunes of The Grateful Dead and Phish as well.

While working at a chain restaurant in Connecticut, a Jamaican coworker further introduced Blake to the Caribbean island’s diverse musical heritage of reggae, ska and other styles.

“He just basically started bringing me CDs and schooling me up on all of this stuff,” Blake said.

In 2001, the tragic death of a close friend after a motorcycle accident and the subsequent move out west to Oregon led to the creation of Alcyon Massive.

Learning how to produce his own music and hitting open mics around town, Blake built up his musician chops while getting to know the faces of the music scene in Southern Oregon.

“What happened was Jackson Creek Pizza — they used to do an open mic — started an open mic with Andy Casad, myself and Frankie Hernandez,” he said.

Continuing to meet the Rogue Valley players, Blake added Nick Garrett-Powell, Andy Casad, Eric French, and Keith “Rabbit” Townsend to his live band, with the band mates gigging around the region.

The musician’s spirituality and love for the majestic beauty of Oregon are key sources of inspiration while going through the songwriting process.

“There’s something about the land of Southern Oregon, especially out in the Takilma area and Cave Junction … I love the land and I love the people,” Blake said. “This land speaks to me.”

Considering some of Blake’s most popular tunes — “Ain’t it Fresh (The Oregon Song)” and “Oregon Sunset” — revolve around the Beaver State, the people of Oregon resonate with his tunes as well.

“I have all these Oregon songs and people ask me if I sing them when I come to California; of course I do,” Blake said, adding, “I’m going to sing them when I go to Wisconsin, I’m going to sing them when I go to Canada, I’m going to sing them when I go to Hawaii.”

To get into that spiritual songwriting mood, Blake’s creative energy is used in the early hours of dawn most days.

“Ever since I’ve had the ability to have a computer and make music by myself, it’s like my yoga,” he said.

“I wake up at 4:30 to 5 o’clock a.m., typically (grab) coffee, a spliff, and go into my studio and try to do whatever, and I’ll write for as long as I can,” Blake added.

Beyond his yet-to-be-titled return album with Alcyon Massive later this year, Blake has kept busy with two other musical projects.

One is the formation of a new outfit with reggae artist Neil Mangicaro and Blake, with the two aiming to release an EP later this year or in 2025. Blake’s next project and furthest on the back burner is a conceptual, electronic album the artist has been mixing and building up to release in the distant future.

But the primary focus for now is Alcyon Massive’s return album in 2024.

“I’m trying to get a single out by April 20, and then that will begin the cascade of singles into it,” Blake said of the prospective record.

To support Blake directly, visit his Patreon account at patreon.com/alcyonmassive.

His website, alcyonmassive.com, is currently down, though Blake intends to have the page up and running in the near future.