Portsmouth, UK (home of Breaking More Waves) may have always sat musically in the shadow of Brighton, 50 miles down the coast, but over the last couple of years the city seems to be playing catch up with a slow fertile spread of musical goodness throughout its island location. Gone are the days when stagnant chindie acts and one dimensional metalcore bands were the norm, now there’s variety and creativity.
Part of that creative resurgence comes via Kassassin Street. Capturing Eastern mysticism, psychedelia and a free flowing looseness, this five-piece have an exhilarating vibrancy and energy to their sound.
Having slowly developed over the last few years via a number of high profile local supports, festivals (Blissfields, Southsea Fest), a BBC Introducing session and with a debut EP (Moloko Velocet) under their belt, it’s the new single, the bizarrely titled The Royal Handkerchief Ballet that the group take flight. Built around a choppy kaleidoscopic guitar riff it finds Kassassin Street bagging some hypnotic rocks-off grooviness that reminds us a little of Kula Shaker (anyone remember them?) but instead fronted by the maraca shaking dude that is Rowan Bastable, a man who sings with a vaguely similar tone to ex-Charlatan Tim Burgess. Add in the fact that Kassassin Street are the most fragrant band you’ll probably ever see live (they have a taste for joss-sticks on stage) and we’re in danger of using words like ‘spiritual’ and ‘vibes’. Certainly The Royal Handkerchief Ballet has the ability to take you that little bit higher – no drugs or god required.
The Royal Handkerchief Ballet is released on the 26 May on iTunes and Spotify. The band play 93 Feet East in London on 16th May. Watch the rather mindf*ck video here.
Kassassin Street - The Royal Handkerchief Ballet
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