KIT SEBASTIAN

+ BACAO RHYTHM & STEEL BAND

KIT SEBASTIAN

London-based duo Kit Sebastian (aka Kit Martin and Merve Erdem) captivate their audiences with moments of pure pop bliss, timeless nostalgia and seductive complexity. Their unique sounds weave a psychedelic tapestry of global influences, vintage synths and melancholy élan from the beaches of Bahia to the streets of Istanbul and Paris. A joyous expression of vibrant grooves and sophisticated lyricism that transcends boundaries, borders and social-cultural preconceptions. Their latest album ‘New Internationale’ was released in Sept 2024 via Flying Lotus’ Brainfeeder record label and it served as a neat summary of the sounds and styles that have long tantalised the duo—French pop and Anatolian psych, vintage Tropicália and early rock ’n’ roll, with breezes of soul and prog blowing through the open windows of the pair’s collective imagination. Steeped in artistic references, from dusty records to world cinema, their second album Melodi represented a considered maturation of the psychedelic jazz-inflected sound that introduced Kit Sebastian to the world on debut album Mantra Moderne in 2019.

With touchstones that read like an education in international counter-culture - Anatolian rock, French New Wave and the finest UK jazz, their crafted soundscapes use an array of instruments - zithers, harpsichords, congas, bongos, bulbul tarang, baglama, gangsa pemadé and mock-up choirs on top of the synthesizers, balalaikas, organs, and saxophones - to evoke a borderless planet and the seamless commune between past and present.

Despite being fused in and inspired by the multi-cultural environment of London, much of what has formed Kit Sebastian, both as musicians and people, has its roots in the interface between cultural heritage and lived experience.

For Merve, growing up in Istanbul, studying in Rome, and now living in London has meant a constant negotiation with her identity, the preconceptions of Turkey abroad and grappling with complex and layered histories.

For K, who grew up between suburban London and rural France without internet, his love for music from around the world has led to a reckoning of what it means to create a pluralistic sound, without obscuring its origins in the process.

BACAO RHYTHM & STEEL

Hailing from Hamburg, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band is a mysterious steel pan group that has achieved cult status on an international scale. Backed by a string of acclaimed singles and critically praised albums, the band has established itself as an essential reference, constantly pushing the boundaries of its musical universe.

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Today, Bacao returns with the same secret ingredient that defines their signature sound, but in a boldly renewed form. Their specialty lies in reworking songs from all horizons - from global mega-hits to underground gems - which they reinvent through their distinctive approach to the traditional steel pans of Trinidad and Tobago.

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Enriched with contemporary disco and hip-hop influences, Bacao Rhythm & Steel Band’s music takes the listener on a rich and immersive sonic journey, moving through a wide range of energies, tempos and atmospheres, all elevated by their unmistakable sonic identity.