The little-known 50-year-old band you should be paying attention to: the Equatics

The Equatics, when mentioned in conversation, are not a well-known name. You may not think of this small, impressive, rock and soul band, maybe not even of music at all.

The band’s origins go all the way to Hampton, Virginia where they created their first and only commercially known record Doin It!!!! in 1972. The ten-song album in question was initially assembled to compete in the Virginia High School’s Pepsi’s ‘New Sounds of 1972’ challenge, which it won. This explains the limited list of songs.

Their studio album mixes psychedelic rock, soul, and funk

With the knowledge that they have but one album in their discography, I am sure you could now consider adding a few of their tracks into your collage of Spotify playlists. With such a limited catalogue, there is no need to sift through endless piles of songs.

Nevertheless, the band failed to break into the limelight and into the world of music stardom.

This, by no means, makes their music less worthy of being listened to. Their music is something that most can find some interest in. Taking inspiration from many of the sounds of the 60s and 70s, their studio album mixes psychedelic rock, soul, and funk. The album’s sound is smooth and easy on the ear.

Distorted guitars and brass backing tracks make up the basis of all songs, with a sound quality tuned to perfection. The impressive distorted brass instruments provide a great accompaniment and set the playing style apart from other uses of such instruments at the time.

Reducing the album to one word, it would have to be hazy

The music on this album is clearly experimental, making it tough to label with a genre. While other bands stood by their respective, specific sounds, the Equatics are one of the few to lean into so many differing ones, seeking a sweet blend. This is why the songs have an almost timeless feel. They aren’t constrained by any commitments to genre, or the over-the-top electronic sound arising at the time, which often sounded like wiping spilt coffee off a Moog synth. They were experimental without going all out, or trying to change music forever.

The cliché sounds of over-the-top brass and woodwind instruments do not tend to infect these tracks. This is where their background in rock comes in. There is some consensus that the band was highly influenced by rock sounds, rather than primarily soul music and blaring saxophones ringing through the tracks. Many associate soul with Stevie Wonder’s skill on the keyboard, an iconic image from this genre, as well as Grover Washington’s arched back, expanded cheeks playing a hearty solo on the saxophone. However, they are slightly dated in their traditional use. The Equatics however modernise the instrument. Despite it not being a standard instrument that a contemporary artist would consider as their primary sound.

All in all, their music represents a seamless listening experience for those not already fixated or impressed by the genres that the music here encompasses. I see this as very important to introduce such genres to people not familiar with them. And they are all great tracks to listen to during a long study session or car journey – the entire album is relatively slow and flowy. Reducing the album to one word, it would have to be hazy. If that’s to your taste and this has piqued your musical curiosity, I highly recommend the Equatics.