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“…Next up was modern psychedelic group Khruangbin. The Houston band consists of three members: bassist Laura Lee, guitarist Mark Speer, and drummer Doland “DJ” Johnson. The story of how the band formed is a surprising one. DJ and Mark initially met in the gospel band of a Methodist church, and Mark and Laura met through a friend and connected over their common interest in Afghan music and Middle Eastern architecture. After eventually forming, they recorded all of their songs in a barn in the 300 person town of Burton, Texas.
When Laura was learning Thai, she came across the word “Khruangbin,” or “flying engine,” and felt it fit the band’s diverse sound. Many have described their music as “Thai funk,” and granted I don’t know much about Thai music, I’d probably call their style soul meets psychedelia. But the band doesn’t like to be boxed into a genre as their influences branch from cultures across the globe. Their second album, Con Todo El Mundo is named after the only response Laura’s Mexican grandfather would accept after he’d ask “how much do you love me?”
Running around with two cameras and zoom lenses all weekend gets exhausting, and I hadn’t given myself much of a break. After photographing Khruangbin, I relaxed in the grass for the rest of the soothing set. Drawn out instrumentals, soft background harmonies, and rain sounds had a transcendental quality on their most popular song “White Glove.” For their track “Evan Finds The Third Room,” Laura picks up a rotary phone after an exaggerated, hypnotic ringtone and answers, “Hello, Pitchfork!”…”
Follow Khruangbin on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
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