Last week, Sinkane treated his fans to the surprise release of his latest album, Lost Tapes, which is comprised of 10 previously unreleased demos and studio recordings. The album, which is free to stream via Bandcamp, delivers an engaging, psychedelic ride through the creative mind of the guitarist and singer, who often explores a wide spectrum of styles ranging from Afro-funk to reggae-fusion.
At a time when fans can no longer go out in the world to get their live music fix, Lost Tapes offers listeners the opportunity to turn inward and explore their inner-consciousness on a wild ride of sonic and psychedelic mastery.
Sinkane–real name, Ahmed Gallab–wastes no time in welcoming the listener into his creative dreamscape thanks to the lush presence of sparkling notation to open “Ambient Weeks Pt 2”. The calming instrumental almost makes one feel like they’re stepping into a dreamlike setting, far away from the grim realities of the world at the moment. From there, the music ascends to dreamy heights with calming swells of keyboard and guitar to match Gallab’s soothing vocal harmonies on “Totally Hot But Pretty Awesome”. Fans who enjoy Pink Floyd‘s “Breathe (In the Air)” will love this 8:15 minute psychedelia adventure.
Related: Sinkane Brings Feel-Good Afrobeat Party To Brooklyn’s Elsewhere [Recap/Photos]
“Kurdufan” showcases Gallab’s family roots in Sudan–the song’s title is named after former province of the African nation–and delivers a lively, Afro-beat experience and a subtle but groovy vocal performance. The energy continues to ascend on “Deadweight Pt 2”, which features the lone traditional rock rhythm on the album. The instrumental powers forward with a very catchy, fuzz-fueled guitar riff alongside a horn section of Elliot Bergman on saxophone and Justin Walter on trumpet.
Sinkane’s knack for capturing mystical and infectious guitar tones is highlighted on “Apache Beat”, which is a wah-pedal lovers delight. The instrumental furiously charges forward and leads the listener into another Afro-funk-inspired tune in “K Town Boogie”, which hears Gallab return to the microphone to deliver an equally impressive singing performance. The wah-pedal party continues into “Runnin'”, a short instrumental highlighting a quirky mix of instrumentation. The music then oozes its way into the slower, darker “Deadweight (Mars Version)”, a semi-atmospheric indie rock ballad that picks up with more African-inspired rhythms in its latter half.
“Moon Blues”, the longest recording on Lost Tapes coming it at a manageable 9:15 minute runtime, is similar to “Ambient Weeks Pt 2” by painting a magical imaginary setting for one to settle in before picking up just before the 4:00 mark with the arrival of a saxophone. The brass instrumentation continues throughout the rest of the piece, delivering a fun mix of twists and turns along the way. The journey comes to an end with a final track which, in a way sounds unfinished, but hears Gallab sing out lyrics all too relatable for the current state of the world with, “Home, sitting all alone/Sitting in my bed, singing in my head/Singing all alone, singing all alone.” The song offers one last unique ride thanks to its pulsating rhythm and chaotic, swelling notation which is kept light and easy thanks to added flute from Tim Maurer.
Stream the new album in full below.
Sinkane – Lost Tapes