Sinkane

Blending a mix of krautrock (Kraftwork, Tangerine Dream) with free jazz, shoegaze, R&B and prog rock, Sinkane (born Ahmed Gallab) writes some seriously psychedelic music without necessarily falling into the psyche-rock category. The tracks are almost always bass and drum heavy as Gallab’s light and airy vocal melodies drift over the beat. It’s a juxtaposition that might even remind you of Sade, just newer and a bit more electronic. Born to English college professors in Sudan, Gallab moved to the U.S. when he was five and eventually worked as a session musician for artists and bands including Caribou, of Montreal, and Yeasayer (to be honest, the first couple Sinkane records sound like they could’ve been Yeasayer albums – not necessarily a bad thing). On top of fronting Sinkane, Gallab also plays in a super group called “Atomic Bomb!” who play the songs of Nigerian funk musician William Onyeabor. The core group features members of Hot Chip, LCD Soundsystem, Beastie Boys, and Blur. On tour in support of the new album Life & Livin’ It, Sinkane continues to be one of those artists bridging pop and the fringes of experimental music.