Opening to the crash of a gong whose cosmic vibrations metaphorically linger throughout the entire recording, Lee "Scratch" Perry's Guide to the Universe has the allure of a religious ceremony, a shamanic ritual calling on the spirits of the other world, a Rastafarian sermon dispensed by legendary Jamaican producer, visual ... [Continue Reading]
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Bohren & Der Club of Gore: Patchouli Blue
Formed in 1992, Bohren & Der Club of Gore is a German dark ambient jazz band from Mülheim an der Ruhr which originally emerged from the doom metal and grindcore scene. Comprised of Christoph Clöser, Morten Gass, Robin Rodenberg and Thorsten Benning, the band settled as a quartet from the late 1990s onwards until the ... [Continue Reading]
Altin Gün: Gece / Yol
Formed in 2016, based in Amsterdam and comprised of Ben Rider on guitars, Jasper Verhulst on electric bass, Daniel Smienk on drums and Gino Groenveld on percussions, Altin Gün is a Dutch/Turkish folk-rock band fronted by two vocalists (and keyboard players), namely Merve Daşdemir and Erdinç Ecevit. Instead of performing covers, ... [Continue Reading]
Fanfán Tulipán: Genius Noci
Borrowing its name from the French film FanFan la Tulipe, the 1952 swashbuckling comedy set in the late 1750s featuring Gérard Philippe, Fanfán Tulipán is a young Czech band formed in 2009 and based in Prague. Blending jazz with funk, the chanson tradition and film music, the band features Štěpán Zbytovský on flute and bass ... [Continue Reading]
Khruangbin: Mordechai
In the space of two albums, Psych-Funk Texas trio Khruangbin have breathed new life into the drum and bass sound with a compelling take on the tropes of the genre. Formed in Houston in 2010 and comprised of Mark Speer on lead guitar, Laura Lee on bass guitar and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Khruangbin originally crafted their ... [Continue Reading]
Medeski Martin & Wood with Alarm Will Sound: Omnisphere
Originally formed in the late 1990s by two students from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, NY, Alarm Will Sound is a 20 piece chamber orchestra dedicated to the performance of newly composed contemporary classical music. Ever since their initial formation in 1991, jazz trio Medeski Martin & Wood (MMW) has been ... [Continue Reading]
Khruangbin: Con Todo El Mundo
“Funky drums, dub bass, melodic guitar, those are the only rules.” Hailing from Houston, Texas and comprised of Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Laura Lee on bass and Mark Speer on guitar, Khruangbin is one of the most exciting instrumental three piece (with the odd vocals thrown in) to emerge in recent years. The band incorporates ... [Continue Reading]