Biography
Over a brief yet remarkably fruitful period spanning just a few years, David Speck—also known as David Loca—shaped Part Time’s lo-fi sound, captured in bedrooms and blending psychedelic pop, soft rock, and primitive synth pop in equal measure. Working solo at the outset, he issued numerous releases on Loglady, Mexican Summer (where 2013’s PDA stood out), and Burger, all while sustaining an impressive ratio of strong material to weaker cuts. Once a full band joined him for live performances, Speck incorporated those musicians into the making of his first studio-recorded album, 2018’s Spell #6.
Part Time began as a side pursuit while Speck performed with indie rock groups in Austin—Toko Ri Get High and the Dazzling King Solomon Band—as well as in Oakland with the Time Flys. Rather than pursuing loud, energetic rock & roll, he turned to inexpensive Casio keyboards to produce lo-fi synth pop under the Part Time name. The project quickly became his primary focus, yielding a 2011 single on Loglady (“Visions of the Future”), the Mexican Summer album What Would You Say? that same year, and the 2012 Burger cassette Saturday Night. He assembled a live lineup for concerts and tours, simultaneously tracking even rawer synth pop material as Davida Loca. Mexican Summer issued Part Time’s second album, PDA, during summer 2013. The project revisited cassette formats twice in 2014 via Burger’s Late Night with David Loca and Plastic Response Records’ H.F.M., the latter compiling songs tracked across the preceding nine years. Mother of Pearl released the limited-edition LP Return to Cherry in 2015, while Burger followed with the double album Virgo’s Maze, again drawing on multi-year recordings. That year Speck also adopted the David Loca moniker and issued the lo-fi psych-pop album Together We Are! as David Loca & the Berkshire Hobbits on Plastic Response.
Part Time reemerged in 2017 through a split single with Drinking Flowers and another appearing in Volcom’s Burger Records digital series. Preparing the sixth Part Time album, Loca left bedroom recording behind for drummer Walter Byers’ proper studio. Working with the band—and Ariel Pink on one track—he combined freshly composed material, older pieces, and spontaneously written songs, refining the unsteady ’80s psych pop and soft rock aesthetic while preserving its inherent eccentricity. Burger released Spell #6 in late 2018.
Part Time began as a side pursuit while Speck performed with indie rock groups in Austin—Toko Ri Get High and the Dazzling King Solomon Band—as well as in Oakland with the Time Flys. Rather than pursuing loud, energetic rock & roll, he turned to inexpensive Casio keyboards to produce lo-fi synth pop under the Part Time name. The project quickly became his primary focus, yielding a 2011 single on Loglady (“Visions of the Future”), the Mexican Summer album What Would You Say? that same year, and the 2012 Burger cassette Saturday Night. He assembled a live lineup for concerts and tours, simultaneously tracking even rawer synth pop material as Davida Loca. Mexican Summer issued Part Time’s second album, PDA, during summer 2013. The project revisited cassette formats twice in 2014 via Burger’s Late Night with David Loca and Plastic Response Records’ H.F.M., the latter compiling songs tracked across the preceding nine years. Mother of Pearl released the limited-edition LP Return to Cherry in 2015, while Burger followed with the double album Virgo’s Maze, again drawing on multi-year recordings. That year Speck also adopted the David Loca moniker and issued the lo-fi psych-pop album Together We Are! as David Loca & the Berkshire Hobbits on Plastic Response.
Part Time reemerged in 2017 through a split single with Drinking Flowers and another appearing in Volcom’s Burger Records digital series. Preparing the sixth Part Time album, Loca left bedroom recording behind for drummer Walter Byers’ proper studio. Working with the band—and Ariel Pink on one track—he combined freshly composed material, older pieces, and spontaneously written songs, refining the unsteady ’80s psych pop and soft rock aesthetic while preserving its inherent eccentricity. Burger released Spell #6 in late 2018.
Albums
Cryosleep Explorer
2023
Special Blue
2023
P.D.A.
2021
Tales of the Bubblegum Brainz
2021
Modern History
2019
Spell #6
2018
Virgo's Maze
2015
H.F.M.
2014
What Would You Say?
2011
Singles
