What if Black Sabbath played Afrobeat? In short, that’s the underlying vibe
to the self-titled debut by Here Lies Man. The L.A. based quintet is founded and conceptualized by Marcos Garcia of Antibalas, bringing his erudite
experience of West African rhythms and music to the more riff-based
foundations of heavy rock.
The results are an incredibly catchy and refreshing twist on classic forms,
without sounding forced and trite like some sort of mash-up attempt. Here
Lies Man merges and expands musical traditions organically, utilizing the
talents of drummer Geoff Mann (son of jazz musician Herbie Mann) and a
host of skilled musicians to make Garcia’s vision a reality.
“The repetitive guitar figures that happen in Afrobeat music are
very close to heavy rock guitar riffs,” Garcia explains. “ This music is based
on the clave. It’s the musical algorithm that the rhythms revolve around.
It's what gives it integrity and provides the basis for the musical
conversation that's happening. I knew I wanted it to be psychedelic and
heavy, and I wanted to be expanding on a musical tradition rather than
pretending to be creating something new.”
And that expansion is the brilliant, hazy, psychedelic, hook-laden 8-song masterwork Here Lies Man, available on LP, CD and download via RidingEasy Records.
http://hereliesman.com/