Label: Daptone

Released 10/31/2025

With Hourglass, Antibalas returns to its instrumental roots. The title track begins with a plaintive and ecstatic tenor saxophone solo before digging into an intense 12-8 groove. The group pivots with “Lo-Life” highlighting the groupʼs ability to swing a lá Machito or the 1970s Ghanaian dance band leaders like Gyedu Blay-Ambolley. Others like “Solace,” “Escape” and “La Ceiba,” conjure echoes of the classic Lagos afrobeat sound, albeit spoken with a Brooklyn accent. “Oasis,” the albumʼs finale, is a step into a psychedelic unknown future, with a deep sense of liberatory funk eternally at its core.

Track Listing:

1. Solace
   
2. Lo Life
   
3. Escape
   
4. Hourglass
   
5. La Ceiba
   
6. Oasis