[Cover photo credit to Alanna Paloma Gonzales]
Black Market Brass recently celebrated their tenth year as a band and decided to head into new territory. Hox, the third LP from BMB, is due out on Colemine Records on September 8th, 2023. It’s a new take on Afro-Beat fused with “heavy, hypnotic, sci-fi sounds” that reflect the band’s “myriad of influences as record collectors.” The song “The Pit” is out now.
Saxophonist Cole Pulice shares:
The writing process was different this time. We didn’t leave the traditional afro-beat sound behind, but we did allow ourselves to pull from different places with less hesitation.
While the band continues to be based in Minneapolis, several members have relocated around the country in recent years. Each musician challenged themselves to create demos of original material, and from those ideas a small selection was voted on to continue workshopping.
The nine-member group returned to Future Condo, a Minneapolis-based studio where they recorded their previous LP Undying Thirst (2020) and several other 45s. John Peters, a co-owner of the studio, recorded and mixed the record.
The band continue to focus on making dance music, and along with sci-fi elements, they brought in a wide range of cultural elements, too.
Luke Rivard shares:
There are a handful of direct quotes or nods to the traditional drumming cultures in Nigeria and Ghana.
On one track, the three percussionists of the group collaborated with friend and mentor Rasaq Ayantunde, a master Yoruba bátà drummer from Iseyin, Nigeria. “
David Tullis explains:
He (Rasaq) helped us learn to flow, bend tempos, talk to each other, and hear the call phrases. Ultimately, how to play the parts correctly and authentically.
The rhythm section then whittled the longform phrases into smaller segments to fit the BMB sound.
