The newest record from Khruangbin, Hasta El Cielo, is a dub version of their excellent album Con Todo El Mundo. Khruangbin’s beautiful psychedelic world music is ripe for dub remixing, and Hasta El Cielo (“See you in heaven.”) is lovely.
“With All the World” is sends you along a warm river cruise with the first track, stripping away your cares. “Sisters & Brothers” has a crisp drum groove and some of Laura Lee‘s funkiest bass riffs. “Mary Always,” the dub version of “Maria Tambien” from Con Todo El Mundo is suitable for Italian spy thrillers.
Donald Johnson’s drums on “Four of Five” are so slippery that the song almost sounds like it was recorded underwater. “How I Love” uses delay and echo effects well (as any good dub recording should), with Mark Speer’s guitar sounding a hundred miles away and yet right in the room with you. The organ work on “Sunny’s Vision” is a nice lead-in to a top shelf tequila smooth tune. “A La Sala” has some neat ambient electro touches. “The Red Book” and “Order of Operations” are other trippy tracks that take away your day-to-day worries.
The title track is a snappy track that not only relaxes you but also makes you feel like a bad ass at the same time. The digital version of the album comes with two extra tracks – “Rules” (with superb echoed vocal sounds) and “Como Te Quiero” (a soft track with sharp as a razor drums).
This is such a cool, mellow record that trying to describe it is nearly useless. It’s best if you hear it. It’s best if everyone hears it.
“On their second album, the Houston-based instrumental trio crafts a unique, psychedelic vibe that hangs between continents and eras.” — Pitchfork
“The result is a border-blurring convergence, one likely to propel whatever dance floor is lucky enough to receive it.” — Los Angeles Times
“Buy it, stream it, hear it, get it, live it: It’s been a spell since one of those all-things-to-all-people albums has come along, but Khruangbin’s second full-length, Con Todo El Mundo, seems to be just that.” — VOGUE
“…Khruangbin gives us a window seat on an invigorating musical experience with a serious groove.” — NPR Music (Best Albums of 2018)
“…funky, jumpy tendrils of guitar, mixed with hazy washes of surf rock…” — Vulture
Globetrotting Texan trio Khruangbin are set to release Hasta El Cielo, the band’s glorious dub version of their acclaimed second album Con Todo El Mundo, on July 12th via Dead Oceans/Night Time Stories. The full album has been processed anew along with two bonus dubs by renowned Jamaican producer Scientist. Stream lead single, “Mary Always,” below.
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. Since the release of Con Todo El Mundo, Khruangbin have continued their almost non-stop approach to touring, playing over 130 dates in 2018 alone, most of them selling out well in advance, including sold-out shows across North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. Khruangbin closed out 2018 supporting Leon Bridges in North America, and have already graced the stages of numerous festivals this year, including Coachella, Marfa Myths, Fortress Festival, FORM Arcosanti, Lightning in a Bottle, and more.
They’ll kick off their summer tour with select shows in the Northeastern US, including a sold out show at Central Park’s SummerStage in NYC, before heading overseas for festival performances at Green Man, Latitude, Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival and Barclaycard British Summer Time. They’ll return to North American to play Pitchfork Music Festival, Pickathon, Lockn’, and THING. A full list of dates is below.
Hasta El Cielo Tracklist: 01. With All The World 02. Sisters & Brothers 03. Mary Always 04. Four of Five 05. How I Love 06. Sunny’s Vision 07. A La Sala 08. The Red Book 09. Order of Operations 010. Hasta El Cielo 11. Rules – Scientist Dub (Bonus Track) 12. Cómo Te Quiero – Scientist Dub (Bonus Track)
Pre-orderHasta El Cielo — https://khruangbin.ffm.to/hastaelcielo
Khruangbin Tour Dates: Fri. June 21 – Portland, ME @ State Theatre Sat. June 22 – Montreal, QC @ Corona Theatre — SOLD OUT Fri. June 28 – Werchter, BE @ Rock Werchter Sat. June 29 – Sete, FR @ Worldwide Festival Sat. June 29 – Sat. July 6 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Tue. July 2 – Montreux, CH @ Montreux Jazz Festival Sat. July 6 – Roskilde, DK @ Roskilde Festival Sun. July 7 – Beuningen, NL @ Down the Rabbit Hole Thu. July 11 – Bilbao, ES @ BBK Sat. July 13 – London, UK @ British Summer Time Sun. July 14 – Moseley, UK @ Mostly Jazz, Funk & Soul Festival Wed. July 17 – Athens, GR @ Ejekt Festival Thu. July 18 – Bern, CH @ Gurten Festival Fri. July 19 – Suffolk, UK @ Latitude Festival Sun. July 21 – Chicago, IL @ Pitchfork Music Festival Sun. July 28 – Fuji, JP @ Fuji Rocks Wed. July 31 – Honolulu, HI @ The Republik Fri. Aug. 2 – Sun. Aug. 4 – Happy Valley, OR @ Pickathon Sun. Aug. 4 – Kaslo, BC @ Kaslo Jazz Festival Fri. Aug. 9 – Gothenburg, SE @ Way Out Fest Festival Thu. Aug. 8 – Sat. Aug. 10 – Rees, DE @ Haldern Pop Festival Sun. Aug. 11 – Helsinki, FI @ Flow Festival Tue. Aug. 13 – Budapest, HU @ Sziget Festival Thu. Aug. 15 – Paredes de Coura, PT @ Paredes de Coura Festival Thu. Aug. 15 – Sun. Aug. 18 – Brecon Beacons, UK @ Green Man Festival Thu. Aug. 22 – Sun. Aug. 25 – Arrington, VA @ Lockn’ Fri. Aug. 23 – Miami, FL @ The Ground (DJ Set) Sat. Aug. 24 – Sun. Aug. 25 – Port Townsend, WA @ THING Fri. Nov. 15 – São Paulo, BR @ Popload Festival
Stream Khruangbin’s Con Todo El Mundo – https://spoti.fi/2DN1Y2N
NPR Music Tiny Desk Concert – https://youtu.be/vWLJeqLPfSU
Pitchfork Live Session – https://youtu.be/q4xKvHANqjk
Book A Playlist Curated By Khruangbin via AirKhruang – https://www.airkhruang.com/
“Como Te Quiero” video – https://youtu.be/cxrotrIvqyY
“Friday Morning” video – https://youtu.be/KjQSSYOTXzk
“Maria También” video – https://youtu.be/7hlGqj3ImQI
“Evan Finds The Third Room” video – https://youtu.be/QcD_YXCxxZM
“Cómo Me Quieres” video – https://youtu.be/GHzIl82165g
PurchaseCon Todo El Mundo — https://khruangbin.lnk.to/contodoelmundo
