Dan E.T. Beams In With Cosmic Debut EP Phone Home (the pier)

If Dan E.T. sounds like he is transmitting from somewhere just outside the ordinary, that is exactly the point.

The solo project of singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist Danny Torgersen officially landed on March 20 with Phone Home, a six-track debut EP that folds reggae, rock, ska, and jazz into something loose, thoughtful, and unmistakably its own. Framed around aliens, time, and the weirdness of being human, the release feels less like a typical introduction and more like a fully formed signal from an artist who has already spent years building his voice onstage.

That background matters here. Torgersen is far from a newcomer. He spends much of the year on the road, performing trumpet, guitar, keys, and vocals with acts including Badfish, Grieves, and Fayuca, while also bringing his playing to a wide range of stages and collaborations. That road-tested versatility runs straight through Phone Home, which sounds grounded in live musicianship even when it drifts into more heady and cosmic territory.

The EP’s lead single, “More We Wait,” offers an immediate entry point into Dan E.T.’s world. It is laid back but quietly urgent, the kind of song that eases in on groove before revealing a deeper sense of purpose. There is a warmth to it, but also a sense of searching, which ends up defining much of the project. Across the six tracks, Torgersen leans into themes of connection, mystery, and inner movement without sacrificing the hooks or the bounce.