Great Music While High: Moon Hooch

In an age where music is increasingly processed and sounds digitally created, it’s refreshing to come across music that is entirely produced by humans and still packs a punch. It’s especially exciting when that music doesn’t have a single stringed instrument, vocalist, or keyboard; no laptop or turntable; just 2 saxophones and drummer. What would you call dance music made by 2 saxophones and a live drummer? There’s really only one name that could fit: Moon Hooch.

Moon Hooch self-titled debut album

Based in New York, Moon Hooch have gotten some attention in the last year for things like their risky, not necessarily official live gigs in venues like a New York City subway station and a work ethic that allows them to cut an entire debut album in one interrupted 24 hour recording session, Moon Hooch is the kind of music that seemingly begs to be turned on after a particularly excellent session. Anyone who doesn’t start to lose their mind while listening to track 8 on their debut, “Tubes”, after smoking a bowl is probably not inhaling or definitely doing something wrong.

Moon Hooch makes the kind of music that makes anything seem possible. It’s that sense of freedom that makes most jam bands worth a listen, though it’s not fair to label this kind of music as a jam band. While jazz might not exactly be the best thing either, music like Moon Hooch is why genre labels seem totally ridiculous in an age where straight dance music is made by three guys with just brass and drums. That sense that anything is possible is what I enjoy most about Moon Hooch, because that’s very difficult to get across in a song with no words and very little processed production.

It might seem a bit strange at first, but I promise that Moon Hooch will become one of your favorite bands, as they’ve become one of mine.

Check out other posts from Weedist’s Great Music While High series!