Mandrill sounds like a block party that accidentally turned into a conservatory-level jam session. It is the sound of 1970s Brooklyn: a humid, vibrant, and slightly dangerous mix of salsa rhythms, heavy rock distortion, and deep-pocket funk. The music is physically thick, driven by a massive percussion section and a three-brother horn line that hits with the precision of a freight train.
What sets them apart is their refusal to stay in one lane. While their peers were often content with a steady groove, Mandrill constantly pivots into progressive rock suites, jazz-fusion explorations, and traditional African chants. They possess a 'symphonic' quality that makes their songs feel larger than life, as if they are scoring an epic film about the city streets.
Start with 'Composite Truth' to hear them at their commercial and creative peak. The track 'Fencewalk' is the essential entry point, perfectly capturing their signature blend of aggressive brass, funky basslines, and rock-and-roll grit that has made them a staple for hip-hop samplers for decades.
Mandrill is an American soul and funk band from Brooklyn, New York, formed in 1968 by brothers Carlos, Lou, and Ric Wilson. AllMusic called them "[o]ne of funk's most progressive outfits... [with an] expansive, eclectic vision." Mandrill was often regarded as one of the most experimental and progressive funk bands of the 1970s. The band's debut album was released by Polydor Records in 1971 and showcased their unique blend of styles. Mandrill Is was released the following year, with more prominent rock and psychedelic influences. 1973's Composite Truth was the band's most commercially successful release and contained their signature song, "Fencewalk". Mandrill continued to release albums throughout the 1970s such as Just Outside of Town (1973), Mandrilland (1974), Solid (1975), Beast from the East (1976), We Are One (1977), and New Worlds (1978). The band also contributed to the soundtracks for the 1977 film The Greatest (starring boxer Muhammad Ali) and the 1979 film The Warriors. 1980 saw the release of Getting in the Mood, followed by Energize in 1982, after which the band broke up due to dwindling commercial returns. The band reunited in 1992 and has toured and released new music occasionally since then. A live album, recorded in 2002 at the Montreux Jazz Festival, was released in 2006. Louis Wilson died in 2013. Mandrill's most recent album, Back in Town, was released in 2020. Although the band was not as commercially successful as some of their peers in the funk scene of the era, their music has been extensively sampled by numerous hip-hop and contemporary R&B artists.
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