CANADIAN 
We recently have hosted a handful of artists that have become known to us thanks to the brilliant work that RIDE frontman Mark Gardener has been doing in his OX4 Sound Studio, especially during this lockdown period – among them are Pennies By The Pound, The Gorstey Lea Street Choir, Leanie Kaleido and Soft Set. Today we present you the new single from yet another Gardener collaborator and this one comes from “north of the border” as they say – no, not the Canadian/US border… but the one that divides Scotland and England. Glasgow to be exact.
These psych rockers The Kundalini Genie are gearing up for their fifth studio album ‘Half In, Half Out’, mixed by Jason Shaw (Cambodian Space Project, Frankie Teardrop, Sonic Jesus, Aerofall) and mastered by RIDE‘s Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound Studio in Oxford.
“Robbie Wilson (Kundalini Genie) is a total force and a total star in the making . He’s so driven and I loved mastering his record,” says Mark Gardener.
In the meantime, the title track is available to us today and, since you should definitely have this in your earbuds, we are bringing it on! How they have flown under the radar for so long is puzzling – this is some of the best psych rock music currently being made anywhere. The kind whose ripping tunes do a number on your head and afterwards leaves you thanking them.
The band released their ’11:11′ album via SpaceRanch Records (Europe) and Little Cloud Records (USA) in 2020. Ahead of this, they present the title track ‘Half In, Half Out’, a powerful offering to whet our appetites for the long-player.
The Kundalini Genie is focused around singer-songwriter Robbie Wilson (sitar, guitar, vocals) and also involves Jason Houston (guitar, vocals), Melissa Rennie (guitar, keys, vocals), Lloyd Ledingham (bass, vocals), Louis Martin (guitar, vocals) and Grant Robertson (drums).
“This song is about assholes, really. People who aren’t nice. People who think they’re better than you, or too cool for you, or higher and mightier than you, it’s also about when those people inevitably fall short of their own high opinion of themselves and make themselves look a fool, in a nutshell,” says Robbie Wilson.
The Kundalini Genie has been blowing minds globally with music characterised by droning hypnotic fuzz rock, 60’s British Invasion-inspired melodies, transcendental sitar, and dreamy, spaced out soundscapes. When not tapping into the intense space-gaze elements of Spiritualized, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club and Swervedriver, sauntering hypnotic guitars stride steadily forward as the sitar floats along, carrying the subconscious into a benevolent flow and inner journey.
With live shows involving eclectic displays of voodoo mojo and sound that ripples through the audience like a sonic tranquilizer, to date the band has performed in support of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, The Warlocks, The Underground Youth, The Myrrors, The Stevenson Ranch Davidians, Triptides, New Candys and Spindrift, in addition to participation in numerous festivals. And now UK fans again have the opportunity to enjoy live in the series of shows just announced by the band, which sees them playing multiple shows across the country with the likes of The Telescopes, Black Market Karma, Dead Rabbits and Firefriend.
The ‘Half In, Half Out’ single is now available everywhere online, including Apple Music and Spotify. The full album is slated for release on November 12 digitally, on vinyl-style CD, and on aubergine-coloured 12″ vinyl with reverse board artwork. It can be pre-ordered via Bandcampat https://the-kundalini-genie.bandcamp.com/album/half-in-half-out
CREDITS
Written by Robbie Wilson
Recorded by Jason Shaw and Robbie Wilson
Mixed by Jason Shaw
Mastered by Mark Gardener at OX4 Sound
Robbie Wilson (vocals, guitars, bass, drums, percussion, keys, harmonica)
Jason Houston (guitar, vocals)
Jason Shaw (guitars)
Album artwork by Cyllan Wednesday
LIVE DATES
Sept 11 Manchester – The White Hotel (with The Telescopes, Dead Rabbits)
Oct 01 Cumbernauld – Cumbernauld Theatre
Oct 26 London – Victoria Dalston (with Black Market Karma)
Oct 27 Glasgow – 13th Note (with Black Market Karma)
Oct 29 Rotherham – TBA
Oct 30 Liverpool – EBGBs (Phantasmagoria)
Nov 04 Birmingham – TBA
Dec 07 Glasgow – Nice N Sleazy (with Firefriend)
Keep up with The Kundalini Genie
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