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Over the last 15 years, Seattle’s Polyrhythmics have pursued new sounds in modern, groove-centered instrumental music. While their evolution is mainly driven by their own artistic passion, the Polyrhythmics also draw inspiration from their live audiences.
Founding member and guitarist Ben Bloom explained that when making a record, the band members ask themselves, “what do we want to come up with that’s cool?” The band prides itself on finding new musical paths, while still prioritizing the funk and grooves that compelled them to form in the first place.
As they drift from their Afrobeat origins, Polyrhythmics have recently adjusted their rhythm section. Drummer Grant Schroff, whom Bloom calls, “one of the baddest drummers in this town,” holds down the beats without a full-time percussionist. This leaves room for the horn players to take up tambourine and vibraslap, as they did during this studio session performance.
Since their beginnings, Polyrhythmics have also found that their connection to live audiences is central to how they play and how their music evolves. After accomplishing their original goal of recording a single for a vinyl release, the band was inspired by the dancing crowds at their celebratory release show.
“At the time, there was a popular dance called the Space Needle,” said Bloom, standing perfectly still in demonstration. “That was the main dance that was going on in Seattle at the time, and much to our delight, there was an enthusiastic dance floor of people with newer moves!”
Inspired by their grooving audiences, Polyrhythmics got to work developing their live performances. They realized their music comes to life through what Bloom describes as a “two-way street” between the energy of the band and of the audience.
“It’s a little bit of a game with us to try to connect with our audience. The type of music that we play has evolved into really feeding that,” said Bloom.
If some Polyrhythmics concerts are up-tempo dance parties, others may drift into psychedelic atmospheres. On their new album Life from Below, the band pulls from their years-long experience diversifying their music.
“Our goal is to keep pushing the music forward,” Bloom said.
Pushing forward on Life From Below, Polyrhythmics get into a disco vibe on “Smoke & Mirrors” with a rare vocal guest, Adryon de León. The album’s title song is a dramatic, cinematic blend of chaos and cool, and their latest single “Cake Lady” nods to Herbie Hancock’s Headhunters funk-jazz fusion.
“When we make records we’re constantly thinking about what we haven’t done already,” said Bloom. “What styles of music haven’t we touched on that still fit the vibe?”
Listen to the three songs from this wonderful Polyrhythmics studio session performance and you’ll hear that vibe – groovy, funky, passionate and deeply connected to their audience.
Musicians:
- Ben Bloom – guitar
- Nathan Spicer – keyboards
- Jason Gray – bass
- Grant Schroff – drums
- Elijah Clark – trombone, percussion
- R. Scott Morning – trumpet
- Art Brown – saxophone, flute, percussion
Songs:
- Life From Below
- Serpentine
- Mayo Con Yayo
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