Girih might be new on the dunk!records roster, but we all know that doesn’t mean anything, right? Because these guys definitely can hold their own ground. Knut’s review clearly explains what is so special about the band, for the trio shows what is possible with two guitars (Alex and Jeremy) and one drum kit (Brian). The playlist they compiled for us is a good indicator of their diverse taste, for the guys have some awesome and highly contrasting acts like Big | Brave and Sundrowned, August Burns Red and Dream Theater, Olafur Arnalds and Alexisonfire.

Alex’s songs:
Big | Brave is an influence on what three people can create sonically. Astronoid, Sundrowned, and by extension Holy Fawn are masters of both excess and utilization of that excess. Rolo Tomassi and Novo Amor are doing more with less in these selections, which is huge as an influence as well. And then Animals as Leaders are creating interesting rhythms, often well out of reach in terms of a listener, but still influential when pushing the boundaries of our own musicianship.

Jeremy’s songs:
Jakob was a big intro into the world of Post-music for me, in particular this song’s drum grooves were really inspiring in using double bass as a texture rather than just a time keeper. Similarly Danny Carey’s use of the toms and double bass really makes for a super intriguing groove, with multiple layers in the drum parts. August Burns Red, in this song particularly the intro section, really builds the song in my opinion and sets the stage for the rest of the piece. “Octavarium” is still one of if not my all-time-favorite piece by Dream Theater. I grew up in the prog world, and this song, with how symphonic it is, really takes the listener on a musical journey, and not just lyrically. The same goes for “Nymphetamine”, it’s a sonic adventure with many different actors that come in throughout the 9+ minutes of it. Russian Circles is, of course, a huge influence of ours, and “309” has some super interesting drum grooves in it that inspired a lot of the way I approach writing drum parts.

Brian’s songs:
Olafur Arnalds was the first concert I went to after (?) the pandemic. I was able to see him play at Berklee in Boston after years of missing his rare American performances. It was worth the wait. He is definitely a huge influence on me musically. This track off his most recent album makes me feel like I’m watching a film about my life and I’m at a scene that I had forgotten about. The rest of the songs are a collection of what I’ve been listening to lately. Ranging from brand new to not so new-ish.

Thanks for listening!