PRICE:
$26.00
IN STOCK
ARTIST
TITLE
Gulliver
FORMAT
LP

LABEL
CATALOG #
SDBANU 026LP SDBANU 026LP
GENRE
RELEASE DATE
2/3/2023

LP version. Gulliver, the latest Condor Gruppe album, is a nod to yet another spiritual journey in the band's ever-evolving saga. Released via the groove-obsessed Sdban Ultra, the Antwerp-based nine-piece ensemble take you on a hypnotic trip, paying tribute to obscure Italian '70s film soundtracks, krautrock and psychedelic grooves. Fuse the melancholy of Pink Floyd, the heroism of Ennio Morricone and the world grooves of Goat and you get an idea of what Condor Gruppe is. Always looking to push musical boundaries, Condor Gruppe rely on the adventurous use of their instruments and their intriguing musical patter. Melancholic, exotic, surreal, the band's sound is enriched by instruments including the handpan, Jew's harp, darbouka, and tanpura. Diverse sounds, rhythms and melodies build, exciting the listener whilst always remaining familiar. From the thunderous, spacious prog rock sounds of "What Could Have Been", to the loose, laidback grooves of the mystical "Farid" and groovy "Rhymes On Our Mind", Gulliver is a soundtrack for visits to far-flung places and a mesmerizing trip through the band's own record shelves. Condor Gruppe released their debut album Latituds del Cavall in 2014 with nine exotica fueled songs that echo the sound of an intoxicated ride through the desert. This was followed up in 2016 with FROG BOG - A Tribute to Moondog -- an adaptation of the work of the legendary composer and outsider. Containing six Moondog interpretations, trumpet player Dirk Timmermans, saxophonist Matti Willems, and baritone saxophonist Hanne De Backer joined the five original members of Condor Gruppe, with the results a spectacular mix between Moondog's jazzy compositions and Condor Gruppe's dreamy instrumental sound. Second album proper Interplanetary Travels (2018) -- a nostalgic, melancholic soundtrack -- saw the introduction of the Anoushka Shankar-trained Nicolas Mortelmans on sitar. The title hinting at Sun Ra is no coincidence. Condor Gruppe recorded eight songs that give you the creepy feel of a horror scene, the heroism of the best film scores and the hypnotizing grooves of jungle tribes. At this year's Ghent Film Festival, Condor Gruppe performed a live version of the score for the dark, hypnotic, surreal, erotic vampire film Daughters of Darkness (1971), directed by Belgian cult director Harry Kümel. The score was originally recorded by François de Roubaix, famous soundtrack composer. De Roubaix has always been a great source of inspiration for Condor Gruppe.