Fast Atmosphere - Galactic

Galactic was born in the early '90s, after two Washington DC punks – guitarist Jeff Raines and bassist Robert Mercurio – relocated to New Orleans and found themselves intoxicated by the sounds of the scene that nurtured The Meters, Professor Longhair, the Neville Brothers and Dr. John. Armed with the rhythmic tradition of its hometown, the six-piece future funk outfit has spent over a decade tearing through venues across the world, leaving hordes of die-hard Galactic junkies in its wake. Constantly weaving modern and retrospective styles into its own trademark jazz-funk-rock fusion, Galactic has created a far-reaching canon informed by ongoing influence from a wide range of genres, including hip-hop, blues, pop, and electronica. Now, with six albums and countless landmark live shows to its credit, Galactic is once again headed to new territory—for now, as an instrumental powerhouse.

With the departure of longtime vocalist Theryl “Houseman” DeClouet in late 2004, Galactic’s remaining five members forged a bold revisitation of their roots as an instrumental act. Anchored by the seamless rhythm team of bassist Robert Mercurio and drummer Stanton Moore, Galactic’s lineup has always represented a diverse set of influences that unite in one, multi-dimensional sound. With Jeff Raines on guitar, Rich Vogel on Hammond B3 organ and keyboards, and Ben Ellman on saxophone, Galactic applies a sense of classic analog funk to a fresh, progressive dimension of creative freedom favoring organic development over stylistic homogeneity. Jazz, hard rock, country blues, and world music styles all find their way into Galactic’s slinky fusion. Each member of the band views the return to instrumental exploration as an opportunity for Galactic to revisit one of its strongest attributes. While the band has always embraced stylistic changes and relished its musical adventures, its instrumental chops have never wavered.