Flamingods

Flamingods are a five piece multi-instrumental band formed in Bahrain in 2009. The band was founded by Kamal Rasool and now consists of Rasool, Sam Rowe, Charles Prest, Karthik Poduval and Craig Doporto. Based in both the UK and Bahrain, the band has carried out operations online as much as in person.^[1] The group puts a focus on exploration and experimentation, often taking influence from different cultures around the world by use of an extensive collection of instruments from as far as Nepal, Thailand, Indonesia, Turkey, Japan and Tanzania.^[2]

History

Origins and early influences

Floating near the western shores of the Persian Gulf is the Kingdom of Bahrain, the desert country where Charles Prest, Sam Rowe, Craig Doporto and Kamal Rasool grew up together, joining forces on various musical projects and detangling myriad influences from other lands and times. At the same time Karthik Poduval, unknown to them as of yet, was being familiarised to a life similarly sated with a rich pick & mix culture only 500 kilometres away, in the city of Dubai, and previously Saudi Arabia, Italy and Albania.^[3]

Kamal started a bedroom project in 2009 in which he attempted to make experimental music that captured the imagery and spirituality of far flung cultures.^[4] He recorded the first Flamingods tracks in his room, occasionally jamming and recording with other soon-to-be members. Having no specific scheme in place for the long term life of the Flamingods, the next few years would see the eventual members relocating to the UK whereupon Karthik was discovered and quickly assimilated into the fray. A band identity had not yet formed but one fateful 8-hour chalet jam at ATP festival later and Flamingods had officially graduated from its initial solo bedroom project in Bahrain to a full-fledged band.^[4]

While being informed by the imagery, music and concepts of far-flung cultures, experimental, psych, rock and pop acts also inspired much of the early works of Flamingods. Bands such as Boredoms, Animal Collective, Sun Araw, Sun City Girls and Deerhunter have been cited as early influences.^[4][5]

Formation and early releases

While still living in Bahrain, Kamal released an EP titled Waves to up to Flamingods' Bandcamp. He along with Craig, Charles and Sam would play in various musical projects together while finishing high-school around this same time. Upon moving to the UK to study Kamal and Karthik were introduced by a mutual friend who knew they would hit it off, and immediately did.^[3] While sharing many musical interests, a band had not yet officially been formed. This would change in 2010 at an Animal Collective curated ATP Festival when the friends brought over their instruments to play with in their chalet. Kamal said of it in an interview with Loud and Quiet, "We did actually start the band at ATP in 2010. We brought some instruments down to just jam with in our room, and then people walking past would be like, 'oh, we want to play too,' and it was just incredible because people were climbing in through our window, and I gave them pots and pans to play... it was just insane. We had 60 people crammed into our chalet and people dancing outside. It got a bit out of control and turned a bit dark. All the lights went off" with Sam adding "It was like a constantly changing band. People would leave but others would then come in. We couldn’t stop it and it turned into a monster of its own. Like, Kamal left, and then I left, and then all of us were hiding in the other room. It went on for eight hours."^[4]

In 2011, the release of their Sun EP would be uploaded to Bandcamp, followed up later in the same year by the Away EP released digitally on Bandcamp and on tape via the indie label Belly Kids.^[6]

Sun, Hyperborea and Moon

Flamingods recorded their first studio album in 2012 in Sound Savers Recording Studio in Homerton^[7] and soon after teamed up with Art is Hard Records to release the album in January 2013.^[8] The lead single "Quesso" featured former Ponytail and Ecstatic Sunshine guitarist Dustin Wong.^[9] Sun received positive reviews from Line of Best Fit's David Tate who wrote "No, it’s not an album that demands your attention. It is however an album that deserves your attention. The complex and dense interplay of all the instruments create beautiful substrata of harmony and rhythm that makes each new listen as rewarding as the last."^[10] as well as from The 405's Barnabas Abraham who in describing the band wrote "They are a five-piece based out of the UK, fusing together Asian polyphonic textures, African rhythms, and the occasional pop sensibility into something of a freak-folk blush".^[11]

When visa laws changed in the UK two months before Kamal was due to graduate from university, he was required to leave upon graduation. He first moved back to Bahrain before taking up a job in Dubai. Charles would soon also move to Dubai to live and work.^[12] Instead of splitting up, the members started writing the music for their next project using their computers with all communication and ideas being shared over the internet. This eventually became their second album release titled Hyperborea.^[12] In 2014, Hyperborea was released on Welsh indie label Shape Records^[13] and received many positive reviews, earning a 8/10 by NME,^[14] a spot as The Guardian's "Band of the Week" and receiving praise from Dazed who wrote "This kind of global-minded psychedelia, created by musicians living across the world from one another, could only have been made in 2014 – and yet Flamingods sound like nothing else right now."^[2][15] In the wake of Hyperborea's release Flamingods performed at music festivals including Milhões de Festa and Glastonbury Festival.^[16]

In 2015, Flamingods released a remix followup to 2013's Sun via Portuguese label Lovers and Lollypops. Titled Moon, the album featured remixes by Dustin Wong, My Panda Shall Fly, Hypnotized, Shinamo Moki, Happy Cat, Kuro BC and Zequals amongst others.

Signing with Soundway Records and Majesty

In January 2016, Flamingods announced their signing with Soundway Records and soon after released a single titled "Rhama" along with the announcement of their third studio album Majesty.^[17]

Discography

Studio albums

• Sun - Art is Hard Records (2013)^[18]
• Hyperborea - Shape Records (2014)^[19]
• Moon - Lovers and Lollypops (2015)^[20]
• Majesty - Soundway Records (2016)

Extended plays

• Waves (2009)^[21]
• Sun (2011)^[22]
• Away (2011)^[23]

Singles

• "Kinich Ahau" (2012)
• "Quesso" (2012)^[24]
• "Taishogoto" (2013)^[25]
• "Vimana" (2014)^[26]
• "Hyperborea" (2014)^[12]
• "Rhama" (2016)^[3]

References