Afrobeat mixed with psychedelia combined with intergalactic funkiness and throw in some jazz and the musical concoction one gets is, Golden Dawn Arkestra, Austin’s avant-garde band that plays with an infectious groove sure to shake hips and move feet. The mastermind behind Golden Dawn Arkestra,Topaz McGarrigle, also known as, Zapot Mgwana, was told at a young age that he was the son of Sun Ra, whose own music has had an impactful influence on band’s sound. Wearing dazzling regal robes, face paint, masks, and headdresses the massive band, that has up to 15 plus people at times on stage, has a look which matches their distinct sound that includes a brass section, saxophones, guitars, drums and an out of this world dance team.
KUTX was lucky enough to have Golden Dawn Arkestra stop by Studio 1A and give us a glimpse of some of their music from their upcoming EP, Stargazer, which the band will be having two release parties for at the Mohawk, tonight and tomorrow (February 25th & 26th). Be sure to get tickets while they’re available, as always you can also stream their music here, on KUTX.
-Andrew Conroy