Devils of Moko

Usually it is simple coincidences that lead to sensible constellations: Pianist Dominic J. Marshall, bassist Mulele Matando and drummer Sam Gardner met at the Leeds College of Music when all three enrolled in the African Ensemble there. At the end of their studies, however, the three instrumentalists parted ways - for the time being. Marshall formed his own trio and was part of the Cinematic Orchestra, Mulele Matondo played with Kongo Dia Ntotila, and Sam Gardner with Septabeat and the Samadhi Quintet. But in the interwoven, exciting British scene, they simply had to run into each other again sooner or later, or more precisely: four years ago: The reunion or rather reunion must have been so joyful that they didn't want to part so quickly. With their trio Devils of Moko, they can live out their various musical preferences completely and brilliantly; they describe their band as a "melting pot". Which means nothing other than that traditional jazz influences, melodic free-spiritedness and buzzing synth sounds meet polirhythmic grooves that owe as much to all kinds of electronic dance music as the bass lines do to an African heritage as well as to funk and soul. "If music is water, we are like fish," says Mulele Matando. Let's get into the water!