Frequency Of The Week No. 1: Moon Hooch
–Written by Kevin Madert
This is the first in a recurring series we’re calling the “Frequency of the Week.” We’ll be spotlighting up-and-coming artists you should be keeping a close eye – ear? – on. Got a group you think fits this description? Drop us a line at contact@thealternatefrequency.com and we’ll be sure to give it a listen.
Two saxophones. One drummer. That’s it. The Moon Hooch experience isn’t one anyone could imitate. It’s not a genre, it’s not a style, it’s not a sound; it’s a state of being. They call it Cave Music – “It’s like house, but it’s more wild, more jagged, more free, more natural to live in” – and it’s not something that can be wholly understood until you’re immersed in it. It sometimes borders on electronica, but it’s far too raw and emotive to be classified as such. It starts in your feet, works its way up through your knees and your hips and your chest and your head; by the time it hits your ears you’re already a blur of kinetic energy. It’s frantic but paced, sporadic but highly thought out, dark and brooding but funky and danceable as all hell. Plain and simple, it’s really fucking good.
Moon Hooch is Wenzl McGowen (tenor sax, baritone sax, contrabass clarinet) Mike Wilbur (tenor sax, baritone sax) and James Muschler (drums). The trio met at The New School for Jazz and Contemporary music in New York City, where they established an underground cult celebrity by performing impromptu shows in subways and other public areas around the city. These busking gigs turned into tours – with the likes of Galactic, They Might Be Giants, and Lotus, no less – and a debut self-titled album, released in 2013.
Listening to the Hooch is one thing – and a thing you should certainly do. Seeing the Hooch is a different animal entirely. When they perform, nothing is held back. When not facing the crowd McGowen and Wilbur often circle the stage face-to-face, blowing with abandon on their respective instruments with wide eyes and wider smiles. They play off each other, dueling for supremacy but always ceding just before one can overpower the other. The tag team is always kept on beat and moving forward by Muschler, whose simple starter kit and ever-present kick drum never fail to get feet stomping. It’s the ultimate tandem effort, and it’s a wonder how something can be so simultaneously free-flowing and tautly controlled.
The cave dwelling gentlemen have a new album – This Is Cave Music – slated for release September 16. If you enjoy great music written by great people, acquaint yourself with some of their earlier work below. I’d dare you not to dance but, let’s be real. You’re going to end up dancing.