Key West, Florida psychedelic rockers AstroYeti share their hotly anticipated debut album ‘Gnarly Gumlie’s Voodoo Van’ via Conch Town Records.
Displaying tight musical backdrops which range from psychedelic, to funk, to classic-rock and even elements of ska and dub, the band’s lyrical wit and impeccable musical talents shine across the album’s 10 tracks. Perfectly capturing their live sound with an added professional, spotlessly produced sheen, the new 10 track release showcases what an exciting prospect AstroYeti are.
Speaking about the album, the band add: “Imagine you’re on the edge of a well peering down but you can only see a little ways until it goes dark. That’s how it felt when we set out to write this project. It’s our first album and the formation of the band and our song is audible in every note played I think. We could see parts of certain elements down there in the dark- reggae, funk, psychedelia, puppets – but the whole picture was obscured even from us, the artists until the album was cut.
Some bands are built with a clear purpose in mind, others are formations of like-minded people who want to pursue creative freedom together in a cooperation. I’ve always gravitated to the latter; Make art not content! I always say. Gnarly Gumlie’s Voodoo Van is not only our debut Tropical Space Funk album, it’s a map to where we’re headed, I consider it the overture that teases what kind of funky psychedelic musical trip we’re all embarking on together, band and listeners alike. We hope that people enjoy this motley mix of sounds and imagery, and look forward to continuing the blowing of your minds in the next chapter!”
The new single ‘Blazed’ is a great example of the band’s work, showcasing their psychedelic tendencies with elements of funk and classic-rock. Built around live drums, dappled percussion, warming bass, hypnotic guitar lines, swelling organ and moments of bright brass, tight offbeat rhythms with layers of choppy, bright guitar lines, funky bass, the band create a musical backdrop filled with both driving energy and an infectious upbeat, optimistic tone.
As with the other tracks across the new album, the ear-worm vocal lines and perfectly placed harmonies take centre stage, giving the track a sense of direction and a central pin for the music to move around with a sense of freedom, captured best when the track bursts into shimmering instrumental solos.
Describing themselves as “a secret society of Space-Caper solving time crime fighters”, AstroYeti’s unique blend of trippy island rock tinged spacefunk is perfectly matched with their out of this world image – a band of colourful miscreant universal explorers making joyous music with bags of energy and musical depth.
Having already established themselves with radio play across the UK and US and features across tastemaker press including Earmilk, Psychedelic Baby Magazine, Backseat Mafia and Fab UK, the band’s debut album is due for release January 13th.