Considering their debut single lands directly in the middle of Los Bitchos’ psych-leaning cumbia and Night Beats’ crate-digging heavy psych, it may be no surprise to learn that the new duo Abraxas is comprised of the latter group’s frontman Danny Lee Blackwell and the former group’s recently departed founding member Carolina Faruolo. In fact, as soon as both guitar and vocals enter the hazy, trancy soundscape of “Sunrise State (of Mind),” it’s pretty apparent who they belong to.
The track arrives ahead of a full-length collection of tracks the duo began penning together at the onset of lockdown, with Blackwell sheltering in place in Texas, Faruolo in the UK. Rather than that distance creating cracks in their creative partnership, it only manages to broaden the scope of sounds and cultures encompassed on Monte Carlo, an album inspired by the duo’s mutual love of soul and doo-wop in addition to the psychedelic cumbia the record basks in.
Along with the single, the pair are revealing a music video for the track that feels era-appropriate to the late-’60s and early-’70s influences their music pulls from, both in its set design and the performers’ outfits. “[Directors Horacio Bolz and Edward Heredia] were able to create a video concept that originally incorporated elements of our album artwork and sound,” the band shares. “The feeling of weightless-ness and interplanetary discovery permeates through the video beautifully.”
Check out the clip below, and pre-order Monte Carlo here ahead of its October 28 release via Suicide Squeeze. You can also revisit the “Neighborhoods” session Blackwell filmed for us last year here.
