Formed in 2002 by a group of unlikely musical gurus who—more or less—weren’t really looking for one another, the four-piece alt-jazz-crossover group known as, The Suborbitals, have received the same complement by almost every critic that has reviewed them: unique, one of a kind, nothing else like them.
“The wind is at their back and their prow, as ever, remains fixed upon the bottom. Dive, good and doomed gentlemen. Ring the abyss bell and take its infinite echo in your squid-like arms.”
Based in Monterey and Santa Cruz, their current roster consists of Ryan Masters (vocals, guitar), Heath Proskin (bass), Gordon Stokes (vocals, drums), and Ben Herod (saxophones, flute).
Defining their own sound as “dark” and “analgesic”, in 2006 they released their debut album, Blackout Rolling. Now, some twelve years later, their sophomore effort, Hey Oblivion, has recently offered its lead-off single, Klutina.
The consistent accolades of uniquity are immediately apparent as guitar, stand-up bass, and airy percussion back a delicately casual flute melody, whose beauty ironically juxtaposes the piece’s dark and metaphoric storytelling of death in the sea.
The music has gentle sway, and an expert-level craftsmanship to it—which makes you want to keep listening. Lyrically, it occurred to me that it could easily crossover to the metal genre with a simple change in instrumentation. Tell me I’m wrong…
“Klutina how the mountains weep
Klutina where the waters feed
Out to the Copper, to the sea
Eyes of light cold heartbeat
Rock his body off to sleep
Silt and salmon fast and deep
Whisper secrets while they eat…”
WHOSE LOVECHILD…?
Syd Barrett hooks up with The Doors to write an acoustic Broadway number…
BELOW: Listen to The Suborbitals’ new single, Klutina, and connect with their website and social media platforms. Please support The Suborbitals by visiting them online, and playing, downloading, and/or purchasing their music, or attending a live show! And, as always, thank you for supporting real music!
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