Since 2017, Portuguese multi-instrumentalist JG has been releasing music under the name Caix?o. Guided by JG?s laborious research of the peoples that once populated the region in and around the land presently known as Portugal, Caix?o?s music is suffused with Mediterranean mysticism. With this new album, JG draws upon the mythological figure Melqart, the patron god of Tyre, one of the most prominent city-states in the Phoenician diaspora, described by Ernest Renan as ?a city of ruins, built out of ruins.? As Phoenician culture spread throughout the Mediterranean, so, too, did Melqart?s legacy. While there are few extant artistic representations of Melqart, and many details have been lost to time, he is believed to be the antecedent to the Greek half-deity and hero Herakles (known to the Romans as Hercules), whose cult supplanted Melqart?s as the Greek empire ascended to global prominence. The nexus between these two figures served as the inspiration for Caix?o?s sophomore album, ?Herakles/Melqart.? JG showcases the breadth of his musical knowledge, demonstrating his penchant for methodically picking and choosing only those elements that contribute to the creation of an atmosphere appropriately evocative of his subject matter. ?Herakles/Melqart? reflects the most complete and thoughtful Caix?o recording to date, a testament to JG?s dedication to his craft and the exploratory nature of the project.