Basic

Working with guitars, drum machine, sampler, self-built electronics, and all manner of percussion, BASIC, the trio of Chris Forsyth, Mikel Patrick Avery, and Douglas McCombs, synthesize the vast influences and distinct histories of each member, producing a boundary-less, rhythm-forward amalgam of art rock, trance jazz, collective improvisation, and humming electronics on their new eponymous full-length, out June 12, 2026 on No Quarter.

Philadelphia’s Chris Forsyth, known for his lyrical guitar compositions and mercurial improvisations as leader of the Solar Motel Band, founded BASIC in 2022 naming the project in homage to the 1984 Robert Quine/Fred Maher album “Basic,” yes, but also to indicate a desire to get down to fundamentals rhythmically and musically. Shortly thereafter, fellow Philly denizen Mikel Patrick Avery, whose subtle and propulsive drumming has provided the pulse for Natural Information Society, Marshall Allen’s Ghost Horizons, and Rob Mazurek’s Exploding Star Orchestra (amongst other projects), joined, bringing his unique combination of programed beats and acoustic percussion – a single drum with a metallic bell affixed and a variety of hand percussion run through a self-devised barrage of electronic processors and tonal filters (many controlled in real-time with touch pads) – to BASIC. Chicago stalwart Douglas McCombs came on board in late 2024 to tour their debut record “This Is BASIC,” thereby solidifying the lineup and expanding the group’s sound. As often heard in his work with Tortoise and Brokeback, McCombs’ playing in BASIC combines a mastery of musical negative space with memorable lines on Fender Bass VI, a six-string instrument with a distinctive twang tuned an octave below a standard guitar, allowing McCombs to function as both bassist and guitarist.

After 35+ live gigs touring the first record and the March 2025 release of their merch table- and Bandcamp-only three-song EP “Dream City,” “Basic” was tracked by Nick Broste in a mere two days in September 2025 at Electrical Audio, the legendary Chicago studio built and operated for many years by the late Steve Albini, with minimal overdubs and a final mix conducted over three days in January at Uniform Recording in Philly with engineer/mixer Jeff Zeigler. As a result of their newfound tour chemistry, it all came together quickly and with minimal pre-production. As Forsyth puts it: “I’d say we invented 60% of this record on the spot at Electrical… This record is exciting for me because I really didn’t know what it was until we were finished with it.”