Arthur Ahbez takes another step to the side of his previous material and experiments with a cocktail of 60’s sunshine bubble-gum pop and then forces it through a box grater of psychedelic surf rock in his song “Take it Easy”. An ominous opening line “Hey little girl, scratching the eyes out of the world” in typical Ahbez fashion sets up the song as an interlocutor for mitochondrial survival, singing lyrics of journalistic malpractice, teenage cruelty, and a lovers heart break before ending in a passionate yell of desire for a long night of love making.

Arthur Ahbez on

“I wrote Take it Easy on my Mellotron in 2018. Initially written as a solo piano piece, I demoed it to my band and Chay in a moment of brilliance conceived the perfect drum beat. Thank god I recorded it because true to Douglas fashion he totally forgot what he played when we regrouped to rehearse the following week. The majority of the recording was tracked live, and boy was it a blast to play. When Chay and I lock into a mojo it is really hard to break the spell, and as the song progresses the tempo rises along with the intensity into a wipe out style cacophony of percussive indulgence.”

November 8th sees the release of the long-awaited rock and roll triumph Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez. Arthur’s third album expands past his lo-fi acid folk roots into a masterfully woven audio amoeba of late 60s-influenced rock and roll ballads, sautéed in a lovingly nurtured protoplasm and mashed through some vintage microphones. Flaming Ahbez band members Hamish Scott (bass), Joe Ghatt (guitar), Chay Douglas (drums), and Ryan Ballinger (percussion, backing vocals) find themselves alongside Arthur (Vocals, Guitar, Keys) as they join forces to create something entirely beyond the veil of Arthur’s previous solo albums. Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez captures the raw, unfiltered essence of their live performances while exploring new uncharted territories of the Ahbez sound. Arthur’s quest for sonic enlightenment and his desire to represent unbridled creative copulation undoubtedly leaves its mark on each of the 10 tracks, leading listeners through psychedelia, blues, rock and roll, and acid folk, culminating in a grand cowboy tale reminiscent of western heroes The Sons of the Pioneers.

The squeeze of existential angst prompted Arthur to begin studio recording in March of 2019: “I had booked a one-way ticket to Europe for a lifestyle change, and suddenly realized, I have this kick-ass band I’ve been playing with for 3 years, and I haven’t recorded an album with them. What the hell is wrong with me?” To help capture the magic of jamming with his band and be unrestricted by the duty of engineering, he turned to studio pro Joseph Faris. Joe’s limitless can-do spirit helped cultivate and chisel 10 songs into a record that exhibits the creative prowess of Arthur & The Flaming Ahbez while never straying from their authentic musical vibe.

This album marks a pivotal chapter in Arthur’s musical odyssey, promising to captivate audiences with its blend of lush arrangements, psychedelia, and retrograde musicianship in the undeniable chemistry of a band that has truly found its groove.

Arthur Ahbez
Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez
Tracklisting

1. Sister
2. A Simple Medication
3. A to G
4. A Song For Jim
5. Late Night Empty Pocket Blues
6. Take It Easy
7. Reckless
8. Hot Poop!
9. Lost Sleep
10. Cool Water