Night Beats, the psychedelic project of Texas-born, LA-based artist Danny Lee Blackwell, are today announcing their sixth album ‘Rajan’, due out July 14th via Fuzz Club and Suicide Squeeze. Alongside the album news, Blackwell is also sharing the lead single ‘Hot Ghee’ with a video directed by Chris Keller. Watch it here: https://youtu.be/SvYnkbwI-VI
On ‘Hot Ghee’, Blackwell writes: “Blending the elements of rare underground Anatolian deep funk with R&B and soul, with a sample-oriented mindset can be compared to the sound of hot ghee sizzling on a pan. Just like how the ghee melts and blends with the other ingredients, the fusion of these different music genres creates a unique and harmonious sound that melds in mysterious oneness. And just like how the sound of sizzling ghee adds a depth of flavor to the dish, the layered and sample-based approach to the creation adds different dimensions to the music that allows the listener’s imagination to run free. Ghee is also seen as an offering at the beginning of ceremonies, making this opening track of ‘Rajan’.”
As Night Beats, Danny Lee Blackwell creates music like one might assemble a puzzle. The Western psychedelic auteur builds his work from one moment, an initial spark, that must fit a certain criteria: it must give him goosebumps. If that sensation arrives, Blackwell will pursue the idea relentlessly until he has a new song; if not, he moves onto the next moment, constantly looking for the perfect molecule of a song.
On his new Night Beats album, ‘Rajan’, the songwriter is at his strongest, creating works that shine with captivating melodies and hypnotic rhythms, but are underscored by subtle choices of craftsmanship that can only be achieved after countless hours in the studio. Blackwell creates a work that lands somewhere between Spaghetti Western film score and psych-pop opus, a career-defining album that reveals much about Danny Lee Blackwell’s artistic philosophy while keeping that ever crucial air of mystery intact.
Album opener “Hot Ghee” not only sets the stage for where the album will head, but establishes ‘Rajan’ as a scalding-hot take on the intersection of psych-rock, jazz, blues, soul, hip-hop, and more. It’s a wildly diverse and thrilling album, yet remains remarkably cohesive in Blackwell’s deft hands. ‘Hot Ghee’ is built around sultry guitar chords, layers of interacting vocals, swinging drums, a small army of tambourines, and subtle piano runs that gives the song a melodic edge. ‘Hot Ghee,’ and all of ‘Rajan’, is such a special record because it simultaneously showcases Danny Lee’s chops as a world class songwriter, while showcasing the types of music he loves as a fan. Blackwell is one of our most impressive musicians, but he’s also an obsessive listener.
THOUGHTS WORDS ACTION 