We all love a bit of twisted danceable psychedelia, right? Well, five lads from the English town of Southsea are providing just that with their eclectic mix of eastern riffs, psych rhythms and altogether perfect swirl of mystical magic carpet sounds. Tipped by NME as ones to watch, after hearing their new grooves pound in your ears, you’ll probably agree that Kassassin Street have got something pretty cool going on.
Oozing funk sensibilities, groovy dance jams and psychadelic overtones, you’ll be glad the lads from Kassassin Street skipped class to start a band.
Aptly named after a street in their hometown, the five-piece began when frontman Rowan Bastable and drummer Nathan Hill started wagging P.E. class to jam in their school music room. Guitarist Ryan Hill, keyboardist Andy Hurst and bassist Tom Wells soon joined the pair to make some noise in Nathan’s poorly ventilated bedroom. Somewhere between ripping apart effects pedals, jamming screwdrivers into guitars and playing Mario Kart 64 during their uni days, they formed their dance psych band.
Swirling 60s pop beats with experimental electronica and oriental sounds, their first two singles’ east meets west rhythms will surely get you grooving. With an Arabian-sounding guitar riff and plenty of exotic percussion, their debut single The Royal Handkerchief Ballet is full of eastern mysticism and free-flowing psychedelia. Oozing funk left, right and centre, the melody transports you to a faraway majestic land and lets you loose amongst the spellbinding guitars. Whilst we may never know what a ‘royal handkerchief ballet’ is, one thing is for sure, their first single takes psych to a whole new danceable realm.
Released late last year, second single Centre Straight Atom is another entrancing dance anthem. Played for the first time in Andy’s parents’ kitchen, it actually has a pretty deep message about standing up for the rights of others. Opening with a driving synth hook, hazy guitars and heavy electronics then unleash their full force making the tune edgier than their debut single. But, saying that, its funky rhythm still pulls out all the stops, making it yet another song to get you grooving.
Playing at a bunch of local festivals like the Isle of Wight and featuring on an impressive amount of ‘Best of’ lists, these five English lads are definitely ones to watch just as NME predicted. With no plans for a debut album just yet, we may need to get comfy on their magic carpet ride.
But hey, putting these two twisted danceable psychedelic tunes on repeat? Don’t mind if I do.
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