The first band in the Tra.kz Artist Spotlight is T. Mandrake, a clever new outfit out of the UK that fuses rock with ’60s Stax soul and jazz. They say a T. Mandrake song is as likely to remind you of Strange Days era Doors or Young Americans era David Bowie as it is to conjure up images of a Weill/Brechtian theatre-piece performed by The Sensational Alex Harvey Band. Yes, they are unique and they don’t care who knows it. Take a listen to their song “Honey” here.
They take their name from the flower (mandrake) whose roots (which resemble human figures) are used in magic rituals – although a lifelong love of the Peter Sellers character Captain Lionel Mandrake in Dr Strangelove or: How I Learned To Stop Worrying And Love The Bomb surely proved an influence. Later this year, T. Mandrake will release their debut album entitled From East To West And All The Rest. Until then, you should hear these four tracks, and prepare to think again.
