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Khu.éex’ — Red Cedar in the Hour of Chaos
(Bandcamp no#, 2025, 2LP / DL)

by Jon Davis, Published 2026-05-08

Red Cedar in the Hour of Chaos Cover art

Now at their sixth album, Khu.éex’ further develops their distinctive blend of funk, cosmic jazz, soul, and psychedelic rock in nine new tracks. For this outing, the band consists of eleven musicians, all of whom appear on all the tracks. The rhythm section of Preston Singletary (bass), Edward Littlefield (drums), and Denny Stern (percussion) is augmented by percussion from several of the other band members, and the horn section of Hans Teuber (saxes) and Jason Cressey (trombone) provides color and punctuation. Steve Moore and Tim Kennedy’s keyboards fill out the sound, and vocalists Sondra Segundo, Gene Tagaban, and Air Jazz use the Haida, Tlingit, and English languages to speak, sing, and rap their stories and messages. Then there’s Council Member Raab (guitar), who provides many of the high points on Red Cedar in the Hour of Chaos, with his gutsy psychedelic tones and wild excursions. My favorite tracks are the ones where funk is to the fore, like “Prophetess / Woman Warrior Song,” “Lovebirds,” and “Bingo Palace.” “Bloodsucker” adds a moody atmosphere with Singletary’s fretless bass, and the gritty guitar of “Surviving a System” soars above a deliberate rhythm with insistent chanting — the liner notes mention “doom metal” but I wouldn’t go that far, as it just reminds me of the heavier moments of early Funkadelic albums. However you describe it, it’s probably the track I like best. The album finishes with “Music Heals,” a stately ballad in praise of nature and tradition with a modern cosmic twist that sees no conflict between ancient ways and scientific learning. The album is expertly crafted at every level, from the ideas presented through the performances and arrangements to the clean production, and perfectly blends serious messages with entertaining sounds that know no boundaries.

Filed under: New releases, 2025 releases

Related artist(s): Khu.éex’

More info
http://khueex.bandcamp.com/album/red-cedar-in-the-hour-of-chaos

 

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