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.
Casting a new mould, 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.
Previously released singles from Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez include the “combustable” debut release ‘Reckless’, Bolstered by gritty vocals and raucous electric guitar, Arthur hits a new chord in his ability to parry his softer acoustic side with a Dr Jekyll-like moment, making a crook eye face in his lyrics about the absurdity of teenage alcoholism and Hollywood factory farm shootings.
“Heaven is on the inside of Hell,” touts Arthur Ahbez in the opening lyric to 2nd single, ‘A Simple Medication.’ A dreamy psych-pop ode to dreamland with lush guitar and awash in the spirit of the 1960s. Turn on, tune in, and drop out, Ahbez style!
‘A Simple Medication’ tumbled from my soul in the shadowy alleys of Prague. Winter’s grip had me tight, but there I was, nestled in the bosom of that ancient city, feeling its old-world charms creep into my bones. Love was in the air, a rebirth of sorts, shedding the weight of a decade’s grind working back in New Zealand. Autumn left me full of inspiration, pure euphoria, the golden leaves slowly falling and the trees beginning to slumber. It was a magical place to be.”
Arthur Ahbez came forth with the third single from his new album, ‘Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez.’ Hear his band, The Flaming Ahbez, in all their glory, unforgivingly punching through your speakers with their rock and roll ballad, ‘Sister.’
Arthur recollects: “I remember writing ‘Sister’ sometime around 2012. I was in my cottage, and I suddenly got a bout of moxie and wanted to sing something like Buffy Sainte-Marie would—loud, wailing, and with soul. I stuck to two chords (which basically make up the whole song) and let rip. What I ended up with is ‘Sister,’ a kind of absurd song, a song about murder and jealousy, abandonment, unconditional love, and indifference.”
Arthur Ahbez & The Flaming Ahbez
Album 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
About Arthur Ahbez:
Combine a New Zealand-born songwriter with a goulash of 1960s music inspirations and a marijuana cigarette, slow-roast, and then compost him since 1987. The result? Distinctly tangible, folk-laden rock and roll.
In 2013, Arthur released his debut self-recorded and self-produced album Gold. A cozy mix of soft firelight folk and psychedelia, Gold quickly gained a tight-knit following of fans from all over the world. Singles ‘Walk On’ and ‘The Fundamentals’ rocketed their way up local radio charts and were soon after licensed for American television.
2017 saw the release of his second self-recorded effort, Volume II. Part concept album and part follow-up to Gold, Volume II‘s songs exhibited Arthur’s growth as a songwriter and his increasing mastery of a unique lo-fi sonic vision. Side A’s ‘Painters Portrait’ explored his British folk influences, while Side B revelled in his love of 60s rock and roll.
Vacillating between playful tongue-in-cheek remarks and universal truths, Arthur’s songs are grown from the soil of his personal philosophy. Love, existential angst, joy, and trepidation interact behind a canvas of reverb and piercing electric guitar.
In mid-2019, Arthur began work with his band The Flaming Ahbez alongside engineer Joseph Faris at his studio in Auckland, New Zealand. This departure from home DIY recording marked a turning point in Arthur’s search for more sound, more volume, and more energy. The new record soars to dizzying heights in the Ahbez realm and maximizes Arthur’s uncanny ability to churn out distinct and vibrant songs.
SOCIAL MEDIA LINKS
Website | Instagram | Youtube | Facebook | Bandcamp | Spotify | Apple Music
