Surprise Chef :: Education & Recreation

Summer’s winding down. The days are slightly more tolerable, the nights are bringing a chill, and Surprise Chef’s new LP Education & Recreation is the ideal soundtrack. On this upcoming effort, the Australian quintet digs into the laidback ethos of breezy coastal funk. Like a 70s surf soundtrack with drum breaks, the twelve pieces assembled for their third record finds Surprise Chef charting the ebb and flow of tidal groove with an added emphasis on the need to get up and move.

Cuts like “Velodrome” put the full ensemble to use. Led by synth work that fits the 80s soul-funk of George Duke as well as it does a mid-2000s Hip Hop hit, the piece defies categorization. R&B guitar keeps the tune rolling as both timing and melody are molded at the will of the keys. The early 90’s Hip Hop inspiration continues on “Conversation Piece.” A boom-bap anchor contains the gradual expansion of layered percussion with melodic accents. This is pushed to a breaking point when synth and guitar take the reins, moving the track into a brief, yet constrained, free-for-all before closing out in a calm. “Together Again” is one of the album’s few guitar driven outings. The entire band grooves on circular riff and coalesces as one for a dastardly Meters impression.

Comparisons to Khruangbin and Unknown Mortal Orchestra are inevitable. But while these groups are content building lyrical lines upon a linear song structure, Surprise Chef seem intent on selecting a single moment of a groove or break and expanding it as far as they can—an exercise in discovering what can be done with an impetus of a few measures. The approach, rooted in minimalism, leaves ample room for the musicians to improvise and display instrumental proficiency that satisfies their collective goal. Whether you’re cooling down here in the Northern Hemisphere, or heating up in the band’s Southern, Education & Recreation fulfills the desire to transition with your most mellow mindset intact. | j rooney

Only the good shit. Aquarium Drunkard is powered by our patrons. Keep the servers humming and help us continue doing it by pledging your support via our Patreon page.