New album: Ultrasonic Grand Prix || Instafuzz

And now for something completely different: American producer/multi-instrumentalist Shawn Lee and British singer/guitarist Barrie Cadogan (from the great Little Barrie) started exchanging ideas based on a shared passion for vintage instruments and music that sounds old school and futuristic at the same time, which led to the Ultrasonic Grand Prix project – one played on a borrowed Vox Ultrasonic guitar, the other had a Grand Prix, which literally and figuratively sounded like a good combination. Yet on Instafuzz, their debut album under this moniker, guitars play second fiddle. Expect a kind of psychedelic electro rock with fragments of influences from blues, rock, soul, jazz, acid house, etc, reportedly inspired by the Personal Space compilation with electronic soul tracks from 1974-1984. The twelve tunes are largely instrumental with creative guitar licks and melodies from deranged synths, on rhythms of analog drum machines, often in an inimitable way introduced by midwestern Baptist preacher The Prophet Five. There’s a lot to discover on this adventurous journey, which is quite strange and freaky, but also groovy and cinematic (think David Holmes), even enjoyable for guitar enthusiasts. Judge yourself.


Instafuzz is out now on CD and vinyl LP through Non Delux.

Add to wantlist: Bandcamp || Discogs || Rough Trade

1 thought on “New album: Ultrasonic Grand Prix || Instafuzz”

  1. I have just discovered this while trying to find stuff for my collegeg radio show on WZBC from Boston. Nice, very nice, I will play something from them this week.

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