Photo by Reuben Radding

A new experimental quartet dubbed Void Patrol have announced their debut self-titled recording, due out on June 17 via Infrequent Steams. Colin Stetson, Elliott Sharp, Billy Martin and Payton MacDonald will blend their vast musical backgrounds to deliver a fusion of jazz, drone and metal. The group also shared that they will perform a record release show at The Sultan Room in New York City on June 2.

The members of Void Patrol have combined their decades’ worth of experience gigging with Arcade Fire, Medeski, Martin & Wood, Tom Waits, Alarm Will Sound, Jack DeJohnette, Oliver Lake, Iggy Pop and more to produce a sound that is uniquely their own on the new recording. 

The forthcoming five-track release features Stetson on saxophone, Sharp on strings and electronics, Martin on drums and percussions and MacDonald on keyboard percussion. Sharp stated, “We managed to combine forces to create an expanded sound world drawing on each of our unique POVs but centered on an imaginary locus outside of each of us as individuals.” 

The new recording was produced in the spring of 2020 and required some creative communication tactics exerted by the band in order to collectively produce their debut material. MacDonald explains, “Through emails, Zooms, and many phone calls we agreed on a basic set of parameters for pitch, form, and groove, and then just got to work making music.”

“If you ask me to describe this music from a philosophical perspective I’ll be reluctant to say anything other than exploration and experimentation were paramount to making these pieces. That being said, these tracks groove hard at times, and by keeping a drone going there is always a sense of grounding and the tonality is clear,” MacDonald state. He goes on to conclude, “One might label this as jazz, but if we’re going to get fussy about labels I would also include drone and metal.”

Tickets for Void Patrol at The Sultan Room are on sale now and can be purchased here.