Name: A LA SALA
Brand: Khruangbin

Tax rate EU

Default:19

Supplier EU

375 Media

Total Cap

Format detail

Colour details

Discogs ID

Limited edition

Colour

Black

Format Music EU

Extended format

Extended format: No

Rough Trade Exclusive

Rough Trade Exclusive: No

Signed copies

Signed copies: No

Download code

Download code: No

Bonus disc

Bonus disc: No

Release date

2024-04-05

Format multiplier

Catalogue number

DOC357LP

UPC / Barcode

656605165714

Black LP

Soleil

[r29979328]

Orange

Extended format: Yes

DOC357LP-C1

656605165738

Orange LP

DOC357CD

656605165721

Tape

DOC357CASS

674012926346

Artist

Khruangbin

Label EU

Dead Oceans

Genre EU

Psychedelic

Khruangbin is a US band hailing from Houston, Texas, with roots in Burton, Texas. Their name translates to "airplane" in Thai, paying homage to the Thai rock/funk that inspired their formation. The airplane symbolizes the diverse range of influences that have shaped their music. Deep in the countryside of Texas, they create and record all of their material in a tranquil barn setting which serves as a constant source of inspiration.

Dead Oceans is a US label based in Bloomington, Indiana. Established in 2007 by Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, and Phil Waldorf, it is closely affiliated with Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar. This label has become the home for renowned artists such as Mitski, Kevin Morby, Phoebe Bridgers, Khruangbin, and Slowdive.
With its roots deeply intertwined with other successful labels like Secretly Canadian and Jagjaguwar, Dead Oceans has established itself as a prominent force in the music industry since its inception in 2007. Founded by Ben Swanson, Chris Swanson, Darius Van Arman, and Phil Waldorf alongside Austin-based collaborator Phil Waldorf; this label continues to nurture exceptional talent.
The roster of Dead Oceans boasts an impressive lineup of diverse musicians who have gained recognition worldwide. Artists such as Mitski with her emotionally charged songs, Kevin Morby's introspective melodies, Phoebe Bridgers' hauntingly beautiful tunes, the mesmerizing sounds of Khruangbin and the ethereal shoegaze revivalists Slowdive all call Dead Oceans their current musical home.

As we reach 2024's midway point, here are our favourite albums from our store turntables this year. For more, check our blog for the most important, influential and adored albums by our staff &gt;&gt;&nbsp;<a href="https://blog.roughtrade.com/gb/uk-albums-of-the-year-so-far-2024/">UK article</a>&nbsp;&amp; <a href="https://blog.roughtrade.com/us/us-album-of-the-year-so-far-2024/">US article</a>.

Albums of the Year So Far 2024

Khruangbin’s fourth studio album, A La Sala (“To the Room” in Spanish), is an exercise in returning in order to go further, and doing so on your own terms. It continues the mystery and sanctity that is the key to how bassist Laura Lee Ochoa, drummer Donald “DJ” Johnson, Jr. and guitarist Mark “Marko” Speer approach music. If 2020’s Mordechai, the last studio LP Khruangbin made without collaborators, was a party record that enhanced the band’s musical reputation far and wide, then A La Sala is the measured morning after. It’s a gorgeously airy record completed only in the company of the group’s longtime engineer Steve Christensen, with minimal overdubs. It’s a window onto the bounties powering Khruangbin’s vision, a reimagining and refuelling for the long haul ahead. A La Sala scales Khruangbin down to scale up, a creative strategy with the future in mind.

The trio’s collective musical DNA, the years spent constructing it in Houston’s local-meets-global cultural stew, ensures the band continues to sound like no one but itself. A cascade of crisp melodies emanates from Marko’s reverb-heavy electric, dancing gently around Laura Lee’s minimalist almost-dub bass triangles, while DJ’s drums serve as the tightened-up pocket and unwavering dance-floor on which all this movement takes place. Yet there’s a freshness to A La Sala’s instrumental interactivity, less concerned with getting further out than going deeper in, a profound desire to celebrate the world’s external wonders. Where prior albums strived towards music’s polyglot edges, such inquiries now sound like beloved intimacies. Here, Khruangbin’s sonic touch-points — whether spaghetti-western film scores (on “Fifteen Fifty-Three”), West African discos (on “Pon Pón”), G-funk fantasias (“Todavía Viva”), living room dancing moments (the first single, “A Love International”), or even ambient found-sounds (on “Farolim de Felgueiras and throughout the album”) — are ingrained characteristics. This is who they are! Unique and huge (and growing), ambitious and driven.

Khruangbin’s aspirations and commitment to playful creativity even extends to A La Sala’s vinyl packages, of which there will be seven distinctive covers and color-sets. Designed by the band using Marko’s multitude of travelog photos, the images are windows from the band’s living room onto a set of daydreams, scenes of impossible skies, external glances that illuminate what is going on inside. Each cover image comes with a matching color vinyl. These too are all about looking out and looking back, in order to better look ahead.

A LA SALA

Music EU

Discover A La Sala by Khruangbin. The fourth studio album from the band, featuring seven distinctive vinyl covers and color-sets. Released by Dead Oceans.