Khruangbin - Hasta El Cielo - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

2024 . Khruangbin's fourth studio album, A La Sala (InchTo the RoomInch 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 InchDJInch Johnson, Jr. And guitarist Mark InchMarkoInch 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.

Rob Burger's talents as an arranger, composer, and keyboardist have been nurtured by more than two decades of contributions to a diverse roster of recognizable names, at the very least including John Zorn, Laurie Anderson, and Iron & Wine with whom Burger presently records and tours. His new album The Grid combines neo-classical soundscapes, '70s kosmische, and jaunts of 20th-century exotica into a completely unique genre-quilt that synopsizes his long musical trek through multiple cities, scenes, and sounds. A lifelong musician, Rob began learning piano at age four and would go on to study under jazz luminaries Max Roach, Archie Shepp, and Yusef Lateef at the University of Massachusetts. As if his formal education weren't impressive on it's own, his informal one consisted of frequent visits to New York City creative hubs The Knitting Factory, and The Kitchen, where Burger became a fly on the wall to the likes of Arthur Russell, David Byrne, and Laurie Anderson (In a cosmic closing of the loop, Burger would go on to contribute to Anderson's 2010 album Homeland, and here she appears on The Grid's ninth track InchSouls of WinterInch). With the avant-garde door having long been kicked open, Burger relocated to the Bay and made a lasting impression upon the area's music scene with his group Tin Hat Trio, while furthering his session and film-score work adjacently. When that group disbanded in the early '00s Burger found himself back in NYC where playing a Neil Young tribute show would entwine his path with that of Sam Beam- aka Iron & Wine. From then on, Burger has been an inextricable component of Beam's live band and discography spanning from 2007's The Shepherd's Dog to 2017's Beast Epic. Somewhere in the interim between those titles, the growth of Burger's family and his yearning for quieter climes led him to Portland, Oregon, where he built a studio, amassed an envia

Two of the acts boldly leading Texas music into the future have now delivered a second chapter of their groundbreaking collaboration, further extending the region's sonic possibilities. Singer/songwriter Leon Bridges, from Ft. Worth, and trailblazing Houston trio Khruangbin have joined forces for the Texas Moon EP, a follow-up to 2020's acclaimed Texas Sun project. While the five new songs are clearly a continuation of the first EP, they also have an identity all their own-Bridges calls it Inchmore introspective,Inch while Khruangbin bassist Laura Lee says it Inchfeels more night time.Inch When Texas Sun was released, AllMusic called the results InchintoxicatingInch and Paste noted that Inchtheir talents and character go together so well.Inch Now comes the next stage-a set of songs that touch on themes like love, faith, and death while exploring new dimensions of inventive, hypnotic grooves. Significantly, both parties' musical directions were clearly affected by their time working together. Khruangbin's most recent album, Mordechai, moved their own vocals much further forward, a change they readily admit was a direct result of working with Bridges. Meanwhile, since these recordings began, in addition to his genre-defying album Gold-Digger's Sound, Bridges has put out several other challenging, shared tracks, including work with John Mayer, Lucky Daye, and Jazmine Sullivan. Texas Moon represents a genuine and rare achievement, with two of the most respected and innovative acts of their generation truly collaborating to create something new. InchAs far as an essentially instrumental band, these guys are kind of the top for me,Inch says Bridges. InchI'm honored to have been the first singer that they've incorporated in their music.Inch InchIt feels really special to me,Inch says Lee. InchIt's not Khruangbin, it's not Leon, it's this world we created together.