Kat & Ben are something special. While unassuming in name, the sound world generated by these two musicians is really pretty magical. Kathryn Shuman and Ben Finley of Kat & Ben are an up-and-coming Los Angeles-based duo of voice and electric bass, respectively, both versatile musicians each known for a thoughtfully inventive approach to their instrument and a knack for finding that usually ungraspable middle-ground between musical models and traditions.
The duo, which formed in 2014, have steadily been generating enthusiastic curiosity in the Los Angeles improvised music community through consistent and similarly magical live performances, including a lengthy Canadian/East Coast tour that culminated in a performance at NYC’s famed Rockwood Music Hall.
On “The Life That Surrounds”, the first single off their upcoming debut album Cycles on Cycles, the duo seamlessly weaves beautiful melodies, adventurous harmonies, thoughtful improvisation, otherworldly textures, and electronic sound manipulation into a sonic environment not unlike a dream. The musical shifts frequently follow a certain kind of dream logic — simultaneously disorienting and familiar, surreal and natural.
Cycles on Cycles is due to be released digitally on Bandcamp and through an innovative re-purposing of hardcover books on February 24th, 2018, coinciding with a performance at ArtShare LA to celebrate the album’s release, featuring collaborations with LA-based dancers and visual artists.
Check out the single as well as video from a recent live performance at The Troubadour below.