Khruangbin - The Universe Smiles Upon You

The Universe Smiles Upon You is the debut studio album by American funk & soul trio Khruangbin, originally released in November 2015 via Night Time Stories.

Khruangbin are from Houston, Texas and comprise Laura Lee on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald Ray "DJ" Johnson Jr. on drums. The band is known for blending global music influences, such as classic soul, dub and psychedelia.

Khruangbin's debut album The Universe Smiles Upon You is steeped in the bass heavy, psychedelic sound of their inspiration, Tarantino soundtracks and surf-rock cool.

The Universe Smiles Upon You was recorded at their spiritual home, a remote barn deep in the Texas countryside where their first rehearsals took place. The band listened to a lot of different types of music on the long drives out to the country but their favourites were 60s and 70s Thai cassettes gleaned from the cult Monrakplengthai blog and compilations of southeast Asian pop, rock and funk.

This had a heavy impact on the direction of the band, the scales they used and the inflection of the melodies; which coupled with the spaciousness of the Texan countryside culminated in Khruangbin forming their exotic, individual sound.

Although the band was conceived as an instrumental outfit, The Universe Smiles Upon You features the first Khruangbin recordings with vocals. Tracks “People Everywhere (Still Alive)”, “Balls and Pins” and recent single “White Gloves” show a new dimension to the band.

This album is a 2024 reissue on 180 gram virgin black vinyl housed in a single pocket sleeve with a download code, pressed in the UK via Night Time Stories.