It should come as no surprise that after years of touring with co-founded band Monotonix, once hailed as perhaps the “most intense live rock band in the world”, that Yonatan Gat would carry that same intensity in his own act. After five successful years, including one EP and two LP’s on Drag City and a world tour spanning 40 countries with his co-founded band, the New York-by-way-of-Tel-Aviv guitarist and composer took some time to himself, but not long before finding inspiration for a solo album while sound checking at a festival in Portugal.

The African influenced-punk tinged drums of Igor Domingues inspired Gat to book a last minute improvised show with Domingues, which was recorded for a 7-inch EP called Live in Café au Lait. Gat soon returned to Portugal to record with Domingues in a studio in the large urban metropolis of Porto. Once there, Gat engineered, mixed and produced the album himself; playing every instrument except for drums played by Domingues.

Inspired by the early work of Brazilian psychedelic experimentalists Os Mutantes. Gat’s truly amazing talents shine on Iberian Passage (out May 27th on Joyful Noise) as it blends together his punk rock influences with the improvisational spirit of Miles Davis.  It can be heard in the lengthy shredded guitar riffs melted in between pulsing African inspired drums.  A masterful guitarist, Gat recently won Village Voice’s “Best Guitarist of 2013” with a sound he describes as “homeless between the Middle East and New York.”

‘Iberian Passage’ LP Tracklisting

01. Escorpião
02. Broken Caravan
03. Kotonou
04. Conga Manteca
05. Seven to Seven
06. Bordeo
Tour Dates

3/20 – Brooklyn, NY – Death by Audio

3/21 – Washington, DC – Comet Ping Pong

3/22 – Wilmington, DE – Mojo 13

http://yonatangat.bandcamp.com/