Let Khruangbin Take You on a Soulful, Psychedelic Thai Funk Odyssey

The trio known as Khruangbin formed in Houston around 2010, but their sound is both older and more global than those origins might suggest. Drawing from classic soul and surf music, hip-hop, psychedelia, and most famously, Thai funk music from the ’60s, Khruangbin’s largely instrumental music is the sort of stuff that you put on when you want to chill and feel like the coolest cat in the room. That, or when you want a soundtrack for the Tarantino spy film that happens to be playing in your mind’s eye.

Laura Lee’s fluid basslines, Donald Johnson’s solid beats, Mark Speer’s consciousness-expanding guitar licks… they all come together in a seamless fashion. And as this recent Pitchfork Live performance shows, Khruangbin’s tripped out, exotic funk is no mere result of studio trickery. No doubt, the trio’s constant touring with the likes of Bonobo, Father John Misty, Tycho, and Massive Attack have done a great deal to hone their chops.

Khruangbin’s most recent album, Con Todo El Mundo, came out earlier this year on Night Time Stories Ltd.