Friendship

Released in June 2023, Friendship is a six-track EP that further solidifies Surprise Chef's position as leaders of the Melbourne instrumental soul scene. Following their acclaimed full-length 'Education & Recreation', this EP leans harder into the 'library music' aesthetic - a genre of functional music originally composed for film and television in the 1960s and 70s. The recording emphasizes a 'dead' room sound, with minimal reverb on the drums and a prominent, rounded bass tone that drives the compositions. While the band is often categorized as jazz-funk, Friendship incorporates elements of spiritual jazz and psychedelic soul, utilizing vintage keyboards and vibraphones to create a lush yet sparse sonic palette. The EP functions as a bridge between their earlier, more raw recordings and a more polished, cinematic future, maintaining their signature analog-only recording process.