Tuesday 2 April 2013

Recommended music: 'Mars' by Sinkane


This album crept out on DFA Records / City Slang towards the end of 2012, and since then has slowly been building up both critical acclaim and a swelling groundbase of support. It's a real melting pot of a record, as varied as the background of Sinkane founder Ahmed Gallab. He was born in the Sudan, but currently resides in Brooklyn, NYC. His journey from one to the other has taken him from being a hardcore punk in Columbus, Ohio to touring the world as part of such illustrious acts as Yeasayer, Caribou, Born Ruffians and Of Montreal. The records is mostly his own work but there are various guest spots from his friends famous and otherwise, and live the band is expanded to an energetic four-piece.


The only way to pigeon-hole this record is to put it into the slot marked 'good-time party music'. Whatever genre he's playing with, be it '70s jazz (there are hints of Herbie Hancock), African high-life, funk or soul the common thread is that this is upbeat, positive music. There's some great guitar work, loads of varied and technically accomplished drumming and overall this is an album that rarely flags. A high point for me is 'Making Time', which fuses all of the albums elements together and tops them off with a fantastic guitar solo from Twin Shadow's George Lewis Jr. Here's the video for the opening track 'Runnin':


Sinkane - Runnin' (Official Video) from DFA Records on Vimeo.

At the bottom of the page you can listen to the whole album, courtesy of the lovely people at DFA. If you like it (I'm sure you will) make sure you buy it and/or go and see the band live - they're playing all over Europe in April (including a London gig tomorrow night which I'm going to), and the US in May and June.


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