The sun shines somewhere all the time. Humanity bathes in nourishing light, children play, people dance, work, grow, bathe, learn. As long as the rays of the sun, longer even, the sounds of music emanate from our bodies. Tools amplify our breath, resonate from hits, twang and toll. People come together, travel long distance, just to make music together. Magic Carpet came together for this purpose years ago, some twenty summers and falls. At the core, six guys from diverse musical and cultural backgrounds, who set out to perform various traditions, bring old sounds into now, music enabling rapid travel. Maybe as an educational project? Perhaps, but also a weekly gig at an Ethiopian restaurant in Chicago. Over time they came to know each other musically, lock in, and their sounds flowed joyously through house parties, block parties, street festivals. One long weekend about seven years ago, Magic Carpet all had some time together in Chicago's Bel Air Sound Studio, and recorded the grooviest, loveliest, soulfullest, chillest set of tunes in the world. The rhythm section of Parrish Hicks (bass), Makaya McCraven (kit), and Ryan Mayer (percussion) unfolds hypnotic tales while Fred Jackson's soprano sax dances, Temuel Bey's guitar trances and Teddy Aklilu's keys fill the zone. The tunes wear different masks, from straight-up funk (Aum U Wah) through smooth jazz-inflected bliss (Flow), to the West African grunge of Touareg Fever and Rumba Gnawa. Broken Compass is Magic Carpet's first widely-distributed recording, and it documents the band at the peak of their first stage, before Parrish Hicks's transition in 2017. Since then, the group has continued to evolve, more recently adding vocalist and dancer Tracy King to their lineup. Those in Chicago who know, know, and now you know too. Magic Carpet's light shines.
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Recommended equipment and accessories
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Audioengine A2 Plus
Precision-engineered 2.75-inch woofers and a 0.75-inch silk dome tweeter, featuring built-in DAC and Bluetooth connectivity for seamless integration.
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Pro-Ject Debut Carbon EVO
Featuring a one-piece carbon fiber tonearm, precision-tuned motor, and a heavy steel platter with TPE damping, it ensures superior stability and sound quality.
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Pro-Ject Phono Box DC Pre-Amp
Compact, high-performance phono preamplifier for both MM and MC cartridges, delivering a clean, detailed signal with minimal noise.
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Denon DP-400
Featuring a high-precision, belt-driven mechanism and an adjustable tonearm that ensures optimal tracking and minimal resonance
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Ortofon 2M Red Cartridge
Features an elliptical stylus that accurately tracks the grooves of vinyl records, delivering a rich, detailed sound with an output voltage of 5.5 mV
Featured Upcoming Vinyl
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Manslaughter 777 God's World
Thrill Jockey
July 25, 2025 -
Yusuf/Cat Stevens Mona Bone Jakon
A&M
July 11, 2025 -
Jamie Lidell Places Of Unknowing
TODO
July 18, 2025 -
Grinderman Grinderman 2 Eco
Bmg
July 18, 2025 -
Half Japanese Adventure (Cream)
Fire Records
July 11, 2025 -
Dido No Angel (Deluxe Package)
Legacy Recordings
September 19, 2025 -
Subsonic Eye Singapore Dreaming ("Philosophising")
Topshelf Records
July 25, 2025 -
Arjen Anthony Lucassen Songs No One Will Hear [2xLP]
Inside Out Music
September 12, 2025 -
Bryan Adams BYRAN ADAMS / ROLL WITH THE PUNCHES
BAD RECORDS
September 5, 2025 -
Ludwig Göransson Sinners Score [2xLP]
Mutant
September 26, 2025 -
John McLaughlin Live at Montreux Jazz Festival 2022 [2xLP]
Earmusic
August 8, 2025 -
Folk Bitch Trio Now Would Be a Good Time
Jagjaguwar
July 25, 2025 -
Pete Droge Fade Away Blue
Missing Piece Records
August 22, 2025 -
Rawayana Bomba Estereo & ASTROPICAL ASTROPICAL
Sony U.s. Latin
August 1, 2025