Nunki Bay Starship provides mellow jazz for wandering minds

Who they are: Budapest-based quartet Nunki Bay Starship blend pop, neosoul, jazz, and R&B. In 2019, they released their debut album, Sigma Sagittarii, to great critical acclaim.

What this is: Monkeys is the lead track of their second EP, From a Proper Distance — a 22-minute listen with five tracks that range from jazz to pop and soul, with spiritual lyrics inspired by Buddhist philosophy. The video for Monkeys, produced by Tamás Bánáti and Tamás Bánhegyi, sees lead singer Dorothy Tóth meditate at a small house party. Paired with the playful track, the indie, low-budget clip feels buoyant and free-spirited.

What they say: “The title of the album refers to the physical distance that we all experienced in the last two years, as well as to the solution of our internal, invisible struggles — after all, every problem seems tiny from the right distance,” the band says. “Musically, we had very similar ideas in our minds about where to go next. And the lyrics are all related to things I’ve been struggling with for years, so it has become a kind of therapeutic record for me now, thanks again to the others for letting me do that,” Tóth, the lead singer, added.

Why you should listen: With lyrics based on the Buddhist metaphor of the “monkey, wandering mind”, Monkeys is the most outstanding song on the EP, involving frisky, perky vocals, and a mellow jazz melodic arrangement of keys, bass guitar, and drums.

​Listen to the full album here and follow our Eastern European New Releases on Spotify.