San Francisco-based alt-rock band Keepers of Humanity takes us through a very tightly wrapped musical experience with their latest EP “Pansori”…spoiler alert, it’s pretty awesome.

First thing that hit me…of course after the awesome music that we’ll talk about, is the attention to details to almost every details there is, starting from the album cover art, which is absolutely amazing, excellent presentation and design, I love the color scheme…the whole vibe from the art has already caught my eyes…

…and let’s take this opportunity to get to know the awesome band members…

Jean Nanjo, vocals, piano, keys

Rudy Choy, bass

Steven Bonaccorso, guitars

Alexi Robins, drums

….working with producer Mat Gilbert on this album, pushing their limits and exploring uncharted musical territories…obviously, the pain and sweat that went into the making of this album is very clear.

Now, let’s jump into the nitty gritty…

“Pansori” is the second studio EP and it’s loaded with 5 completely unique tracks, each is like a journey in and of itself…

The name of the game here is super artistic musicianship and diversity.

“Pansori” starts with “Intersection”…and it starts with a trippy guitar riff and right away the drums and shakers/tambourine jumps in and the light beams hit the vocals, making it sparkle…

“Intersection” is many things, it’s a hybrid beast…it’s alt-rock, it’s trippy, it’s pop, it’s upbeat…and instantly catchy…it’s also another thing…it feels like a big musical production that’s playing on a big stage…it’s progressive like this, especially when the piano starts riffing…

Going into a completely different mood, “No Greater” is a very heroic sounding upbeat piano-centric rock ballad…phew…that was a mouthful…it’s got a fantastical vibe to it…and it mixes things up with a huge contrast in the rhythmic approach to the verses and chorus, it’s very progressive and changes dramatically like a plot twist in a tightly written movie.

The album’s title track starts with a very unique chant only to be followed by a very smooth alt-rock indie folky guitar riff along a steady groovy direction from the bass and drums…

The word “Pansori” actually got me doing some deep diving and heavy research…so naturally I googled the term and found this little piece of info that makes sense…”derived from the Korean word pan, meaning “a place where many people gather”, and sori meaning “song”. Pansori originated in south-west Korea in the seventeenth century, probably as a new expression of the narrative songs of shamans.”

…aaahaa…so that is what’s happening…never heard of anything even close, the vocal flow in this song is super rhythmic and super smooth, once again, Keepers of Humanity manages to make something so different, yet filled with their musicality and character.

“Cosmic Mind” is the fourth track…and by now, I don’t have to say, but it’s a whole new beast with the same soul of the band…now with a more upbeat tempo and more energetic vocal delivery, literally soaring at some points during the song…intense organs, drum beats, exotic vocal musicality and a mesmerizingly composition…this is pretty hypnotic and mind-expanding.

Keepers of Humanity’s way of saying ‘bye for now’ is with their closing track “Fantasy at Daybreak”…it’s a smooth-sailing song that takes a minimal indie approach that is perfectly fitting…

“Fantasy at Daybreak” is a very relaxing song that has the power to alter your mood…it will wind you down…I guess we need more of that in our lives…

…so a big thank you to Keepers of Humanity for the pretty awesome emotional state they put the audience in…”Pansori” is a musical journey that you shouldn’t miss.

Wishing all the best to Keepers of Humanity, can’t wait to see what you cook up next for the world.

Cheers!