About

Hailing from just outside of Melbourne, Australia, the members of Surprise Chef first gathered in 2017 with the modest aim to tape a couple of spontaneous funk jams. Those analogue sessions and recordings went as planned, simultaneously uncovering a chemistry and camaraderie that has come to define the lives of the band members ever since. Utilising time and space to build evocative soundscapes that invite listeners into their world, the quintet’s distinct sound pulls from ‘70s film scores, the funkier side of jazz and the samples that form the foundation of hip hop. There's a little bit of everything in their music: punchy drums, infectious keys, rhythm guitars that emulate a Studio One record, and flute lines akin to those heard in a Blue Note session.

Surprise Chef’s output reflects a meticulous education of 1970’s soul, touching on the legacies of composer/producers David Axelrod & Isaac Hayes, with cues also taken from the catalogues of Daptone and Truth & Soul. Recorded over a weekend in Surprise Chef's DIY analogue studio (dubbed The College Of Knowledge), Daylight Savings expands on the dramatic 1970s cinematic soul sound established on their acclaimed first album, 2019's All News Is Good News. Created in Spring 2019, just as the jasmine bush in the backyard of the College Of Knowledge was coming to full bloom, Daylight Savings is filled with the optimism and hope that comes with the impending long, warm evenings after a dreary Melbourne winter. — via Label

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Label: Mr Bongo
Format: Vinyl, LP, Album
Released: 2020
Genre: Funk / Soul, Jazz Funk

File under: Soul-Jazz / Jazz-Funk
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