In a 2016 video, astralblak (fka ZULUZULUU) repeat the question “What’s the price for a young black man’s life?” and illustrate the all-too-common violence at a traffic stop for black Americans.

astralblak - Space & Time EP - “astral funk” from Minneapolis

Five tracks of astral funk for your earlobes inspired by ancestral dimensions featuring Omar Abdulkarim on trumpet and mixed & mastered by Medium Zach. Legendary graffiti writer Ewok MSK AWR HM on the cover art!

Greg Grease MMYYKK elliott. Just Nine

This Thursday, Aug. 15, the Walker Art Center is hosting its third annual Sound for Silents: a screening of five short films, accompanied by a live score by Minneapolis funk, soul, and hip-hop collective Astralblak. The evening will begin at 7 p.m. with DJ sets from The Current’s Sanni Brown and Sean McPherson.

At 8:30, Astralblak will perform an original score, co-commissioned by the Walker’s Moving Image and Performing Arts programs, to accompany five short films from the Walker’s Ruben/Bentson Moving Image Collection.

“When we first got commissioned to do this project we were all really excited because scoring is something that we’ve wanted to do for a long time,” said Astralblak’s Greg Grease.

We are longtime fans of MMYYKK, both his solo work and also his bedrock role in Astralblak (fka Zuluzuluu), so it’s always exciting when he hits us with new music. He’s been dropping musical breadcrumbs from his new LP The Midst of Things over the last few weeks, and the whole LP went live last Friday. As usual, the LP is tight, funky, with layered synths and drum machines creating the kind of…

Wrapping Up: Over Two Outstanding Releases, MMYYKK explores Future Funk & Spacey New Age/Ambient

Wrapping Up is where we can write about a few of the songs and albums that are our “Best of 2021” year end lists that we otherwise didn’t get a chance to cover MMYYKK, the nom de plume of Minneapolis artist Mychal Fisher, is a powerhouse artist who is a bedrock of the beloved local group Astralblak. His solo work has often run alongside the deeply groovy, richly funky and future-focused funk of…

You Can Support Minneapolis Independent Radio Station KRSM AND Get a New LP of Great Local Artists

Local independent radio station KRSM is having a fundraiser to support their grassroots station, and instead of trying to pawn off stupid tote bags or ugly t-shirts, they compiled a 12-song release of some of the best artists in the Minnesota music scene for a record that is only available through this fundraiser. The record, titled Radio for All Vol. 1, features Reviler favorites like Greg…