The True Story of Bananagun

Description

Discover the surprising debut album from this Australian band. Hailing from Melbourne, but with a sound that spans Afrobeat and 60s/70s exotica to Fela Kuti-esque repetition, the proto-garage rhythmic fury of The Monks, and the grooves of Os Mutantes, Bananagun’s music offers seductive exoticism. It's the kind of discovery that could have come from a dusty crate of records filled with hidden gems. "The True Story of Bananagun" marks Bananagun's first full foray into writing and recording as a complete band, having originally germinated in the bedroom from the ideas of guitarist, singer, and flutist Nick van Bakel. The multi-instrumentalist grew up soaking in skate videos and absorbing the hip-hop beats that accompanied them. This love of groove is at the heart of Bananagun, even if the rhythms now go far beyond those nascent influences. "We didn't want to do what everyone else was doing," says the band's founder. "We wanted it to be vibrant, colourful, and deep like the jungle. Like an ode to nature." It seems to have paid off!