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KHRUANGBIN

Khruangbin

A LA SALA

    Khruangbin’s fourth studio album, A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), is an exercise in returning in order to go further, and doing so on your own terms. It continues the mystery and sanctity that is the key to how bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, Jr. and guitarist Mark “Marko” Speer approach music. If 2020’s Mordechai, the last studio LP Khruangbin made without collaborators, was a party record that enhanced the band’s musical reputation far and wide, then A La Sala is the measured morning after. It’s a gorgeously airy record completed only in the company of the group’s longtime engineer Steve Christensen, with minimal overdubs. It’s a window onto the bounties powering Khruangbin’s vision, a reimagining and refueling for the long haul ahead. A La Sala scales Khruangbin down to scale up, a creative strategy with the future in mind.

    The trio’s collective musical DNA, the years spent constructing it in Houston’s local-meets-global cultural stew, ensures the band continues to sound like no one but itself. A cascade of crisp melodies emanates from Marko’s reverb-heavy electric, dancing gently around Laura Lee’s minimalist almost-dub bass triangles, while DJ’s drums serve as the tightened-up pocket and unwavering dance-floor on which all this movement takes place. Yet there’s a freshness to A La Sala’s instrumental interactivity, less concerned with getting further out than going deeper in, a profound desire to celebrate the world’s external wonders. Where prior albums strived towards music’s polyglot edges, such inquiries now sound like beloved intimacies. Here, Khruangbin’s sonic touch-points — whether spaghetti-western film scores (on “Fifteen Fifty-Three”), West African discos (on “Pon Pón”), G-funk fantasias (“Todavía Viva”), living room dancing moments (the first single, “A Love International”), or even ambient found-sounds (on “Farolim de Felgueiras and throughout the album”) — are ingrained characteristics. This is who they are! Unique and huge (and growing), ambitious and driven.

    Khruangbin’s aspirations and commitment to playful creativity even extends to A La Sala’s vinyl packages, of which there will be seven distinctive covers and color-sets. Designed by the band using Marko’s multitude of travelog photos, the images are windows from the band’s living room onto a set of daydreams, scenes of impossible skies, external glances that illuminate what is going on inside. Each cover image comes with a matching color vinyl. These too are all about looking out and looking back, in order to better look ahead.



    STAFF COMMENTS

    Barry says: The inimitable Khruangbin bring us another slice of beautifully rendered, loungey ambient jazz. Swimming with atmosphere and as perfectly performed as you'd expect from the Texan trio. Beautifully evocative and warmly hazy instrumental business.

    TRACK LISTING

    1.Fifteen Fifty-Three
    2.May Ninth
    3.Ada Jean
    4.Farolim De Felgueiras
    5.Pon Pón
    6.Todavía Viva
    7.Juegos Y Nubes
    8.Hold Me Up (Thank You)
    9.Caja De La Sala
    10.Three From Two
    11.A Love International
    12.Les Petits Gris

    Khruangbin

    Live At Sydney Opera House

      Khruangbin’s series of live LPs traces just one small slice of the band’s flight plan through the years: it’s a taste of some of their most beloved cities, stages and nights. Each release comes with a limited-edition unique album cover exclusive for the recording’s home turf, just a little something extra for the fans that bring a little something extra. Across five releases, this series ignites both sides of Khruangbin’s magic: the warm, prismatic feeling of their albums and the bewitching energy of their performances. Closing out this collection, Live at Sydney Opera House is a double LP of front-toback Khruangbin. Here, career-spanning songs like “A Calf Born in Winter”, “Maria También”, “So We Won’t Forget”, “Shida” and “Friday Morning” arrive in their full interplanetary glory, recorded at one of the most celebrated venues on earth, the Sydney Opera House.

      STAFF COMMENTS

      Barry says: Continuing on from the striking visual aesthetic of the rest of the Khrangbin Live series, 'The Pink One' sees K-Bin performing a set of songs, perfectly at the legendary Sydney Opera House and here you too can feel like you were there. Lovely stuff.

      Khruangbin & Toro Y Moi

      Live At The Fillmore Miami

        It's only fitting that Khruangbin’s first-ever official live releases would be double albums paired with their tourmates: artists whose music they love and admire, friends who’ve become family along the way. Khruangbin’s ‘Live At’ series of live LPs traces just one small slice of the band’s flight plan through the years: it’s a taste of some of their most beloved cities, stages and nights. Each release comes with a limited-edition unique album cover exclusive for the recording’s home turf, just a little something extra for the fans that bring a little something extra. Most of all, Khruangbin’s ‘Live at’ series ignites both sides of the band’s magic: the warm, prismatic feeling of their albums and the bewitching energy of their performances.

        ‘Live at The Fillmore Miami’ features performances by Toro Y Moi and Khruangbin.

        Khruangbin & Men I Trust

        Live At RBC Echo Beach

          It's only fitting that Khruangbin’s first-ever official live releases would be double albums paired with their tourmates: artists whose music they love and admire, friends who’ve become family along the way. Khruangbin’s ‘Live At’ series of live LPs traces just one small slice of the band’s flight plan through the years: it’s a taste of some of their most beloved cities, stages and nights. Each release comes with a limited-edition unique album cover exclusive for the recording’s home turf, just a little something extra for the fans that bring a little something extra. Most of all, Khruangbin’s ‘Live at’ series ignites both sides of the band’s magic: the warm, prismatic feeling of their albums and the bewitching energy of their performances.

          ‘Live at RBC Echo Beach’ features performances by Men I Trust and Khruangbin.

          STAFF COMMENTS

          Liam says: Next up in the Khruangbin 'Live At' series and it's a banger. Side A is a lovely slice a dreamy indie pop from shop faves Men I Trust, whilst the flip side has Khruangbin heading for the stratosphere in a funk fueled dub rocket - mega stuff!!

          TRACK LISTING

          SIDE A:
          1. Men I Trust: Sugar
          2. Men I Trust: All Night
          3. Men I Trust: Seven
          4. Men I Trust: Show Me How
          5. Men I Trust: Say Can You Hear

          SIDE B:
          1. Khruangbin: Dern Kala
          2. Khruangbin: Lady And Man
          3. Khruangbin: Evan Finds The Third Room
          4. Khruangbin: White Gloves

          Khruangbin & Nubya Garcia

          Live At Radio City Music Hall

            It's only fitting that Khruangbin’s first ever official live releases would be double albums paired with their tourmates: artists whose music they love and admire, friends who’ve become family along the way. Khruangbin’s ‘Live At’ series of live LPs traces just one small slice of the band’s flight plan through the years: it’s a taste of some of their most beloved cities, stages and nights. Each release comes with a limited- edition unique album cover exclusive for the recording’s home turf, just a little something extra for the fans that bring a little something extra. Most of all, Khruangbin’s ‘Live at’ series ignites both sides of the band’s magic: the warm, prismatic feeling of their albums and the bewitching energy of their performances.

            ‘Live at Radio City Music Hall’ features performances by Nubya Garcia and Khruangbin.

            Khruangbin & Friends

            Live At Stubb's

              It’s only fitting that Khruangbin’s first ever official live releases would be double albums paired with their tourmates: artists whose music they love and admire, friends who’ve become family along the way. Khruangbin’s ‘Live At’ series of live LPs traces just one small slice of the band’s flight plan through the years: it’s a taste of some of their most beloved cities, stages and nights. Each release comes with a limited edition unique album cover exclusive for the recording’s home turf, just a little something extra for the fans that bring a little something extra. Most of all, Khruangbin’s ‘Live at’ series ignites both sides of the band’s magic: the warm, prismatic feeling of their albums and the bewitching energy of their performances.

              ‘Live at Stubbs’ features performances by Kelly Doyle, Ruben Moreno, The Suffers and Robert Ellis and Khruangbin.

              TRACK LISTING

              Side A:
              1. Kelly Doyle: Woman Trouble
              2. Ruben Moreno: At The Trailride
              3. The Suffers: Don’t Bother Me
              4. Robert Ellis: Nobody Smokes Anymore
              5. Khruangbin: Blind Man Can See It / (It’s Not The Express) It’s The Monaurail
              6. Khruangbin: Bin Bin
              Side B:
              1. Khruangbin: Friday Morning
              2. Khruangbin: Number 4
              3. Khruangbin: People Everywhere (Still Alive

              Vieux Farka Touré & Khruangbin

              Ali

                Ali Farka Touré trekked the world, bringing his beloved Malian music to the masses. Dubbed “the African John Lee Hooker,” one could hear strong connections between the two; both employed a bluesy style of play with gritty textures that elicit calm and fury in equal measure. While the influence of Black blues music prevailed, Touré created a West African blend of 'desert blues' that garnered Grammy awards and widespread reverence.

                Though he transcended in 2006, Ali’s musical legacy lives on through his son, Vieux aka “the Hendrix of the Sahara,” an accomplished guitarist and champion of Malian music in his own right. On Ali, his collaborative album with Khruangbin, Vieux pays homage to his father by recreating some of his most resonant work, putting new twists on it while maintaining the original’s integrity. The result is a rightful ode to a legend. Ali isn’t just a greatest hits compilation. It’s a lullaby, a remembrance of Ali's life through known highlights and B-sides from his catalog. It is a testament to what happens when creativity is approached through open arms and open hearts. “To me, music is magic, it is spontaneous, it is the energy between people,” Vieux says. “I think Khruangbin understands this very well.” The genesis of the album dates back to 2019, when Khruangbin, coming off their breakthrough album Con Todo el Mundo, was beginning to play to bigger crowds. The record was finished in 2021, as a global pandemic shuttered businesses and forced us to take stock of what Earth was becoming. Indirectly, Ali captures this as a moment of peace within a raging storm, a conversation between past and present without allegiance to suffering. Now, given Khruangbin’s reach as a unit with legions of fans (including the likes of Jay-Z and Paul McCartney), they’re poised to bring Malian music to broader groups of listeners. Ali is a masterful work in which the love surrounding it is just as vital as the music itself, driving it to unforeseen places; Vieux and Khruangbin are spreading the good word to a completely new generation. “I hope it takes them somewhere new, or puts them in a place they haven't felt or heard,” Lee says. “It is about the love of new friendship and making something beautiful together,” Vieux continues. “It is about pouring your love into something old to make it new again. In the end and in a word it is love, that's all.”

                Khruangbin & Leon Bridges

                Texas Moon

                  An extension of the two’s chart-topping four-song Texas Sun journey, Texas Moon is an introspective stroll through the dark. “Without joy, there can be no real perspective on sorrow,” says Khruangbin. “Without sunlight, all this rain keeps things from growing. How can you have the sun without the moon?”

                  Crediting their mutual home state for inspiration, Texas Moon pensively examines Texas’ musical perception, while paying homage to the marriage of country and R&B that’s become synonymous with the lone star state. Propelled by rolling guitar licks, conga and bongo, lead single “B-Side” meditates on meeting in a dream and frolics across the nearing contemplative nighttime state with its longing’s joy.

                  Elsewhere on Texas Moon, the artists channel a newly intimate musical scope that’s illustrated most dramatically when the spacy sensuality of the minimalistic “Chocolate Hills” leads into the stark spirituality addressed on “Father Father,” a reminder of both acts’ gospel roots. Over a simple rolling guitar figure, Bridges pleads with the heavens—“Look at the mess that I made/Just a man with unclean hands”—only to be reminded of God’s eternal love.

                  For Khruangbin, one song in particular was indicative of the trust that Bridges put in them. “The song ‘Doris’ is about his grandmother making the transition from this world to the next realm,” says Johnson. “It’s a very somber, very deep record. And when someone places that kind of work into your hands, the last thing you want to do is junk it up, overproduce it, or do too much. We treated it with the respect it deserved, and treated Doris with the respect she deserves.”

                  “It’s like a short story...,” Lee says of the music. “And it leaves room to continue having these stories together. It’s not Khruangbin, it’s not Leon, it’s this world we created together.”

                  Upon its release, Texas Sun soared to the No. 1 slot on Billboard’s Emerging Artists Chart along with landing the No.1 on spot on “Americana/Folk Albums,” No. 2 on “Vinyl Albums,” No. 4 on “Top Rock Albums” and No. 6 on “Top R&B Albums.” Significantly, both parties’ musical directions were deeply affected by their time working together on Texas Sun.

                  Khruangbin’s most recent studio album, Mordechai, moved their own vocals to the forefront, a change they readily admit was a direct result of working with Bridges. Their sound was also tapped for remix/reinterpretation of a Paul McCartney song for the McCartney III Imagined project. Meanwhile, in addition to his genre-defying Grammy-nominated album Gold-Digger’s Sound, Bridges has put out several other challenging, shared collaborative tracks, including work with John Mayer, Lucky Daye and most recently Jazmine Sullivan. Each of the artists appeared recently on Austin City Limits and will tour throughout the new year.

                  STAFF COMMENTS

                  Barry says: The last Khruangbin album with Leon Bridges was a perfect distillation of their respective sounds into a familiar sounding, but entirely new concoction. This latest offering continues that effortless melting pot of downbeat, Balearic and soul but with a woozy, crepuscular groove. You really can't go wrong here.

                  TRACK LISTING

                  1. Doris
                  2. B-Side
                  3.Chocolate Hills
                  4. Father Father
                  5. Mariella

                  Remixes not from, but of the entire outstanding Khruangbin album, "Mordechai"! Personal as ever, the list of remixers has been hand picked by the band, not simply a whose who of hype and click bait.  All have some connection to the band, sometimes personal friendships, musical connections, or simply mutual musical appreciation. Harvey Sutherland and Ginger Roots have both toured with the band, Kadhja Bonet and Ron Trent had their own mutual fan club going on, Knxwledge sampled "White Gloves" on a recent mixtape, Natasha Diggs and Soul Clap’s Eli’s are recent buddy-ups, Quantic is a mutual friend of Bonobo (crucial in the KB origin story), while Laura is also godmother to one of Felix Dickinson’s kids. 

                  It would be tiresome to detail each and every mix, but rest assured this is an exceptionally executed project. Bolstered by the sincere and detailed sleeve notes, which journey each artists' relationship with their band, a bit about their musical legacy, and why they were chosen. 

                  'A good remix is when the remixer's sonic fingerprint is present, without sounding forced. It should feel like its own story, with at least some of the same characters as the original' - Khruangbin state on these highly impressive sleeve notes - and each and every track on the album represents such forethought. Very few remix albums are put together with such love, dexterity and sympathy as this one - so much so it's bound to stand as a masterpiece in its own right, just as many of the classic 'dub' LPs did from Jamaica (an influence the band themself have highly creditted in informed their sound). 

                  TRACK LISTING

                  SIDE A: 
                  1. Father Bird, Mother Bird (Sunbirds)
                  2. Connaissais De Face (Tiger?)
                  3. Dearest Alfred (MyJoy)
                  4. First Class (Soul In The Horn Remix)
                  SIDE B:
                  5. If There Is No Question (Soul Clap’s Wild, But Not Crazy Mix)
                  6. Pelota (Cut A Rug Mix)
                  SIDE C:
                  7. Time (You And I)(Put A Smile On DJ’s Face Mix)
                  8. Shida (Bella’s Suite)
                   SIDE D:
                  9. So We Won’t Forget (Mang Dynasty Version)
                  10. One To Remember (Forget Me Nots Dub)

                  Khruangbin

                  Barn Breaks Vol. III

                    ‘Barn Breaks vol III’, presented by Owlvaro & Hugu, is the latest installment of oddball samples and loops from your favorite globe-trotting Texan trio, and is perfect for any portablist scratch jam or 7” DJ set... The latest in the series, this skipless 7” contains scratch samples from “Mordechai” - band hits, isolated basslines & vocals, guitar notes, keyboard stabs and drum loops - as well as custom “ahhhh” & “fressshh” sounds.

                    It’s funny cos we was just talking about scratch records and DJ tools the other day in the shop and how maybe they’ve kinda been superceded by Serato and digital DJing as it’s now much easier to line up a load of samples onto your USBs or Serato playlist and scratch till your hearts content… HOWEVER!!!! – you can’t beat that tangible feeling of black wax moving to and fro underneath your skillfully poised fingers and its nice to see hip, cool, tastemaking band Khruangbin reignite the fires of this particular format & style! 


                    Hot on the heels of ‘Mordechai’, the critically acclaimed third album from US psych-rockers Khruangbin, the Texas trio are set to become the latest act to present their own LateNightTales in the popular, long-running musician-curated album series.

                    Having first come to prominence in 2013 when producer and D.J. Bonobo included Khruangbin’s ‘A Calf Born in Winter’ in his own collection of songs for the series, the little known Houston trio had yet to release an album, but have since gone on to become international superstars forming their own exotic, individual sound. “The LateNightTales series is such a special thing to be a part of because we wouldn’t have made it if it wasn’t for Bonobo’s LateNightTales, because that’s how we got into the LNT family – and got a break.”

                    With a mind-blowing selection of tracks that cross borders and cultures, Khruangbin’s deep love of global grooves – from Asian pop to Nigerian reggae – Japanese mellow groove to Latina flavas – are steeped in eclecticism; Nazia Hassan’s Hindi-disco ‘Khushi’, produced by British-Indian legend Biddu, South Korean rock band Sanullim who contribute ‘Don’t Go’, a pair of African bangers from Nigerian Maxwell Udoh and Roha Band, from Ethiopia; a diversion to Belarus for Песняры and thence to Madrid for the strident vocal performance of Paloma San Basilio with ‘Contigo’ before hightailing back to Texas.

                    Elsewhere, the Lone Star state reps proudly, with David Marez and Kelly Doyle plus, in the LateNightTales tradition, the band deliver an exclusive, horizontally brilliant version of Kool & The Gang’s ‘Summer Madness’, while the mix concludes with a spoken word piece by Tierney Malone, accompanied by fellow Houstonian Geoffrey Muller’s atmospheric banjo rendering of Erik Satie’s ‘Gnossienne’.

                    “It’s cool to think about what you would listen to late at night, as a band together, lighting a spliff, kinda vibe. We definitely wanted to cover as much global territory as possible; so it was the globe and then home. We wanted to show the treasures from our hometown, or people from our hometown that the rest of the world probably doesn’t know. That’s what makes Khruangbin Khruangbin. The stubbornness about being so hometown-centric but what makes Houston is this this constant international influence. That’s that gulf stream, bringing it right into Houston. So I guess that’s kind of the theme.”

                    The LateNightTales series was established back in 2001 with Fila Brazilia taking to the controls and mixing up the first of what would continue to be the first choice of music connoisseurs worldwide. Since then, the series has seen releases from the likes of The Flaming Lips, Hot Chip, Floating Points, David Holmes, Bonobo, Jon Hopkins, Röyksopp and many more.

                    STAFF COMMENTS

                    Patrick says: Though I swiftly snapped up a copy of their first RSD single on the advice of my more experienced Balearic brethren, it was an early online mixtape which truly turned me on to this Houston Trio. Awash with Thai funk, Brazilian soul and hazy dub, this set beguiled rather than banged, encompassing that soothing, grooving style which has since become their signature. Naturally I came to this, their first official compilation, and on the excellent Late Night Tales no less, with the highest expectations; all of which were exceeded over the course of this mesmeric mix.

                    Through the cascading strings and shimmering harp of Santana & Coltrane’s opener, Khurangbin begin their dream sequence, an uncanny hour of vignettes in a land free from the conventions of space and time. The loved up dub of Houston contemporaries Brilliantes Del Vuelo gives way to blistering disco from 80s Bollywood, a cult art-pop classic from NY’s Downtown follows the sublime Blaxploitation soul of Gerald Lee. Songs separated by distance and decades sit happily side by side, united by an optimistic mood and ever-present groove. More than this though, each of these songs share a transportive quality; listening to the Nigerian boogie of Mawell Udoh, it’s impossible not to picture a Lagos nightspot, or the skyscrapers of Seoul when Sanullim’s soft pop stunner bounds out of the speakers. Even the band's own exceptional cover of Kool's 'Summer Madness' offers a deep concentration of the Khruangbin style, an invitation into their personal Shangri-La.

                    In an era in which the race for the rare can leave even the finest diggers blind to the actual merit of the music, Khruangbin's melodies sans frontières is a remarkable feat, each selection superb on its own and sublime taken together.

                    Khruangbin around the world and I, I, I can’t fight it baby.

                    TRACK LISTING

                    CD Tracklist:
                    1. Carlos Santana - Illuminations
                    2. Brilliantes Del Veulo - I Know That
                    3. Nazia Hassan - Khushi
                    4. Kelly Doyle - DRM
                    5. Sanulim - Dont Go
                    6. Maxwell Udoh - I Like It
                    7. David Marez - Enseñame
                    8. Gerald Lee - Can You Feel The Love
                    9. Justine & The Victorian Punks - Still You
                    10. George Yanagi - À�祭ばやしが聞こえる」のテーマ
                    11. Песняры - Зачарованная моя
                    12. Khruangbin - Summer Madness (Exclusive Track)
                    13. Paloma San Basilio - Contigo
                    14. Roha Band - Yetikimt Abeba
                    15. Tierney Malone & Geoffrey Muller - Transmission For Jehn: Gnossienne No 1 (Exclusive Spoken Word Track)

                    Vinyl Tracklist:
                    A1. Carlos Santana - Illuminations - 4. 23
                    A2. Brilliantes Del Veulo - I Know That - 5.20
                    A3. Nazia Hassan - Khushi - 4.25
                    A4. Kelly Doyle - DRM - 2.16
                    C9. Justine & The Victorian Punks - Still You - 7.45
                    C10. George Yanagi - À�祭ばやしが聞こえる」のテーマ - 4.02
                    C11. Песняры - Зачарованная моя - 5.54
                    D12. Khruangbin - Summer Madness - 3.21 (Exclusive Track)
                    D13. Paloma San Basilio - Contigo - 4.03
                    D14. Roha Band - Yetikimt Abeba - 5.20
                    D15. Tierney Malone & Geoffrey Muller - Transmission For Jehn: Gnossienne No 1- 5.00 (Exclusive Spoken Word Piece)

                    Khruangbin

                    Mordechai

                      Khruangbin has always been multilingual, weaving far-flung musical languages like East Asian surf-rock, Persian funk, and Jamaican dub into mellifluous harmony. But on its third album, it’s finally speaking out loud. Mordechai features vocals prominently on nearly every song, a first for the mostly instrumental band. It’s a shift that rewards the risk, reorienting Khruangbin’s transportive sound toward a new sense of emotional directness, without losing the spirit of nomadic wandering that’s always defined it. And it all started with them coming home.

                      By the summer of 2019, the Houston group—bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, guitarist Mark Speer, drummer DJ Johnson—had been on tour for nearly three-and-ahalf years, playing to audiences across North and South America, Europe, and southeast Asia behind its acclaimed albums The Universe Smiles Upon You and Con Todo El Mundo. They returned to their farmhouse studio in Burton, Texas, ready to begin work on their third album. But they were also determined to slow down, to take their time and luxuriate in building something together. Musically, the band’s ever-restless ear saw it pulling reference points from Pakistan, Korea, and West Africa, incorporating strains of Indian chanting boxes and Congolese syncopated guitar. But more than anything, the album became a celebration of Houston, the eclectic city that had nurtured them, and a cultural nexus where you can check out country and zydeco, trap rap, or avant-garde opera on any given night.

                      In those years away from home, Khruangbin’s members often felt like they were swimming underwater, unsure of where they were going, or why they were going there. But Mordechai leads them gently back to the surface, allowing them to take a breath, look around, and find itself again. It is a snapshot taken along a larger journey—a moment all the more beautiful for its impermanence. And it’s a memory to revisit again and again, speaking to us now more clearly than ever.

                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Emily says: The international peddlers of smooth, stylish grooves are back, and this time they’ve returned with a slightly revamped sound. They haven’t stopped trawling the globe for sonic inspiration and this could be some of their most eclectic work to date, adding elements of East and West African music to their already diverse sound palette. The vocals are far more present on ‘Mordechai’ than previous albums, but Khruangbin haven’t completely abandoned the deep instrumental format that they started out with. There is plenty of stripped back Cymande style elegance to be enjoyed in tracks like “If There is No Question” and “Father Bird, Mother Bird”. Perhaps one of the prettiest tracks is “One to Remember”, a shimmering dub incarnation of “So We Won’t Forget” which makes for a satisfying self-referential moment. Let’s hope their winning streak endures until they’ve distilled the essence of the entire globe into their singular soundworld.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      SIDE A:
                      1. First Class
                      2. Time (You And I)
                      3. Connaissais De Face
                      4. Father Bird, Mother Bird
                      5. If There Is No Question

                      SIDE B:
                      6. Pelota
                      7. One To Remember
                      8. Dearest Alfred
                      9. So We Won’t Forget
                      10. Shida

                      Driving anywhere in Texas can cost you half a day, easy. For example, it’ll take you over four hours just to get from R&B singer Leon Bridges’ hometown of Fort Worth down to Houston, where the psychedelic wanderers in Khruangbin hail from. The state is vast, crisscrossed with rugged expanses of road flanked by limestone cliffs and granite mountains, forests of pine and mesquite, miles of desert or acres of sprawling grassland, all depending on what part you’re in. And it’s all baking under the "Texas Sun" that lends its name to Bridges and Khruangbin’s new collaborative EP.

                      “Big sky country, that’s what they call Texas,” Khruangbin bassist Laura Lee says. “The horizon line goes all the way from one side to another without interruption. There’s something really comforting about that.”

                      On "Texas Sun", these two members of the state’s musical vanguard meet up somewhere in the middle of that scene, in the mythical nexus of Texas’ past, present, and future - a dreamy badlands where genres blur as seamlessly as the terrain. It calls equally to the cowboys bootscooting at Billy Bob’s in Fort Worth, the chopped-and-screwed hip-hop fans rattling slabs on the southside of Houston, the art-school kids dropping acid in Austin, the cross-cultural progeny who grew up on listening to both mariachi and post-hardcore out on the Mexican borders of El Paso. All of these things, overlapping in a multicolored melange, purple hues as vivid and unpredictable as one of the state’s rightfully celebrated sunsets.

                      A journey through homesick reminiscences, backseat romances, and late-night contemplations, the kind of record made for listening with the windows down and the road humming softly beneath you. Like the highways that inspired it, "Texas Sun" is guaranteed to get you where you’re going -especially if you’re in no particular hurry to get there.

                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Barry says: A mild departure for Khruangbin here, enlisting soulful maestro Leon Bridges on vox duties, adding a silky overtone to their nigh-horizontal grooves. A superb, hazy dream of an album.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Texas Sun
                      2. Midnight
                      3. C-Side
                      4. Conversion

                      "Hasta El Cielo" is Khruangbin's glorious dub version of their second album "Con Todo El Mundo". The full album has been processed anew along with two bonus dubs by renowned Jamaican producer Scientist. The band’s exotic, spacious, psychedelic funk aligns with the dub treatment particularly well. Indeed, keen fans won’t find this a surprising release. Dubs of tracks from their first album "The Universe Smiles Upon You" appeared on limited vinyl releases of "People Everywhere" for Record Store Day 2016 and "Zionsville" on the BoogieFuturo remix 12”. The especially eagle-eared will have caught a dub of "Two Fish And An Elephant" playing over the credits of the track’s celebrated video.

                      'For us, Dub has always felt like a prayer. Spacious, meditative, able to transport the listener to another realm. The first dub albums we listened to were records mixed by Scientist featuring the music of the Roots Radics. Laura Lee learned to play bass by listening to "Scientist Wins the World Cup". His unique mixing style, with the emphasis on space and texture, creates the feeling of frozen time; it was hugely influential to us as a band. To be able to work alongside Scientist, a legend in the history of dub, is an honor. This is our dub version of "Con Todo El Mundo.”' - Khruangbin

                      Formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums; Khruangbin’s sounds are rooted in the deepest waters of music from around the world, infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. Their 2015 debut album ‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ was heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s Thai cassettes the band listened to on their long car journeys to rehearsal in the Texan countryside. 2018’s follow up ‘Con Todo El Mundo’, which received hugely positive critical reactions and radio play around the world, took inspiration not just from South East Asia but similarly underdiscovered funk and soul of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly Iran. 


                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Emily says: Khruangbin’s deep, meditative grooves enjoy a generous helping of delay and spring reverb, with two bonus tracks mixed by none other than dub legend Scientist. This time the meandering guitar lines shimmer in the background while the bass and drums take centre stage. Sure to expand the corners of your mind and warm the chambers of your heart.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      LP
                      A1. With All The World
                      A2. Sisters & Brothers
                      A3. Mary Always
                      A4. Four Of Five
                      A5. How I Love
                      A6. Sunny’s Vision
                      B1. A La Sala
                      B2. The Red Book
                      B3. Order Of Operations
                      B4. Hasta El Cielo

                      7"
                      A1. Rules - Scientist Dub
                      B1. Cómo Te Quiero - Scientist Du

                      Comprising of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums, Khruangbin’s sounds are rooted in the deepest waters of world music infused with classic soul, dub and psychedelia. Their 2015 debut album "The Universe Smiles Upon You" was heavily influenced by 60’s and 70’s Thai cassettes the band listened to on their long car journeys to rehearsal in the Texan countryside. "Con Todo El Mundo" takes inspiration not just from South East Asia but similarly underdiscovered funk and soul of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly Iran. The sultry and humid grooves of their debut are alive and well, enhanced by a little extra funk, the lightly spiced flavours of Middle Eastern pop and maybe a little strung out Americana a la Cowboy Junkies. The hefty breaks on cuts like "Lady & Man" and "Maria Tambien" have that "Jungle Fever" toughness, while the woozy "August 10" and "Como Te Quiero" are classic examples of Khruangbin's languid style. "Shades Of Man" colours the trio's palette with a little country soul, while "A Hymn" preaches a gospel out of Death Valley. The perfect sophomore offering, "Con Todo El Mundo" retains all the tasty ingredients of the original and blends them with a new batch of exotic flavours.


                      STAFF COMMENTS

                      Patrick says: Shop faves Khruangbin continue their stroll through mellifluous melody with sophomore offering "Con Todo El Mundo", swapping the Thai tonalities of their debut for some distinctly Middle Eastern flavours. Every bit as languid and lovely as their debut, this new LP is different enough to show progression whilst remaining reassuringly familiar.

                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Cómo Me Quieres
                      2. Lady And Man
                      3. Maria También
                      4. August 10
                      5. Cómo Te Quiero
                      6. Shades Of Man
                      7. Evan Finds The Third Room
                      8. A Hymn
                      9. Rules
                      10. Friday Morning

                      Taking influences from 1960's Thai funk - their name literally translates to "Engine Fly" in Thai - Khruangbin’s debut album ‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ is steeped in the bass heavy, psychedelic sound of their inspiration, Tarantino soundtracks and surf-rock cool. The Texan trio is formed of Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald “DJ” Johnson on drums.

                      The album was recorded at their spiritual home, a remote barn deep in the Texas countryside where their first rehearsals took place. The band listened to a lot of different types of music on the long drives out to the country but their favourites were 60s and 70s Thai cassettes gleaned from the cult Monrakplengthai blog and compilations of southeast Asian pop, rock and funk. This had a heavy impact on the direction of the band, the scales they used and the inflection of the melodies; which coupled with the spaciousness of the Texan countryside culminated in Khruangbin forming their exotic, individual sound. Although the band was conceived as an instrumental outfit, ‘The Universe Smiles Upon You’ features the first Khruangbin recordings with vocals. Tracks ‘People Everywhere (Still Alive)’, ‘Balls and Pins’ and recent single ‘White Gloves’ show a new dimension to the band.

                      “We feel like there is an ease that comes from being immersed in a space, away from the distractions of the city and everyday life. We make our music in a barn, in the Texas hill country, because it makes sense to us. Being there allows us to make music that comes naturally, and that’s what we wanted this album to be. We wanted to make a record that just let the music happen, and we hope that’s what you can hear.”


                      TRACK LISTING

                      1. Mr White
                      2. Two Fish And An Elephant
                      3. Dern Kala
                      4. Little Joe & Mary
                      5. White Gloves
                      6. People Everywhere (Still Alive)
                      7. The Man Who Took My Sunglasses
                      8. August Twelve
                      9. Balls And Pins
                      10. Zionsville

                      Khruangbin

                      A Calf Born In Winter

                        THIS IS A RECORD STORE DAY 2014 EXCLUSIVE, LIMITED TO ONE PER PERSON.

                        EXCLUSIVE WHITE VINYL RSD FORMAT HAND NUMBERED!

                        Limited to 250 copies.


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