Elektric Voodoo is a “World Beat Rock & Roll” band from southern California that blends classic afrobeat, latin, rock & roll, psych, jazz, blues and many other influences into its own unique genre that tastefully straddles the line between modern and vintage. The band started when Scott Tournet (founding member of Grace Potter & The Nocturnals) started writing new material after leaving the Nocturnals. “Musically I wanted to try something a little different than what I’d done before. I wanted to make music with an undeniable rhythmic pulse, but I really didn’t want to make computer-driven dance music as these past few years that seems to be much of what I hear.” To accomplish that, Tournet tapped into the rhythms of West Africa, Latin, and world music for inspiration. What came out the other side though was not just a world music project.
Tournet’s old band, The Nocturnals, had a quite a successful career which saw them write, record, and perform with The Allman Brothers, Billy Gibbons (ZZ Top), Taj Mahal, Dan Auerbach (The Black Keys), Robert Plant, Mavis Staples, Bob Weir, and many more. Through these experiences, Tournet became schooled in songcraft, soul, pop, blues, and classic rock & roll. So, when he began writing songs to go on top of these powerful world rhythms the influences from his past shone through. What the listener is left with is a unique sound that while immediately is very danceable, also offers innovation, songcraft, and melody.
Rounding out this powerful six-piece ensemble with Tournet (vocals, guitar, harmonica) is Matt Bozzone (drums/percussion), Ty Kiernan (congas, timbales, percussion), Travis Klein (tenor sax, keyboards, percussion), Brad Nash (baritone sax, percussion), and Luke Henning (bass, vocals). After touring for a year and a half, EV went into a studio with the full band for the first time. ANIMAL is a representation of a band of with real chemistry making music together. While the music is certainly inspired by vintage music and sound it is also influenced by modern artists and comfortable straddles the line between old and new.
Glide is very proud to premiere the lead single “Animal Pt. 2” (below)Â from Elektric Voodoo’s upcoming second LP ANIMAL. The band sports a rhythmic howl of righteous grooves, rock tenacity and experimental noise that recalls elements of Antibalas, Tame Impala and Kamasi Washington.
Elektric Voodoocut the track and album at Earthling studios in El Cajon, CA where some music was recorded to tape and other stuff digitally. The band creates a vital intersection of old and new instruments, gear and technology where a nod is given to The Beatles, Stax, Muscle Shoals, Fela records while also jumping aboard some of cool new stuff happening. With the addition of a full horn section, bass, drums, percussion – Elektric Voodoo offers endless eclectic musical possibilities.
“This record deals with themes of man and animal and focuses particularly on where the two intersect,” says Tournet. “Where does instinct take over? Are greed and vanity animal or human or both? Is our sexuality driven by animalistic and instinctual impulses or something that has been warped by human experience? What happens when it goes unchecked? Different songs focus on varying themes of this topic that include our current political climate, drugs, sex, fear, responsibility, family, love, etc.”
With this song (Animal pt. 2) we look at sexuality and how so many of us have internal struggles about our relationship with it and consider it “bad” or “dirty” and try to hide it when in fact it’s something that’s natural and that most everyone else is doing and experiencing,” adds Tournet. “This song journeys through with the last verse allowing the narrator to suddenly read minds and discovering that his co-worker had basically the same experience as he did last night. Moral of the story? You’re not as weird as you think you are. We’re all weird.”
