Flamingods

Flamingods are a London-based group active since 2010. The five-piece line-up consists of Kamal Rasool, Sam Rowe, Craig Doporto, Charles Prest and Karthik Poduval. Their music is described across alternative rock, electronic, neo-psychedelia and psychedelic rock, with a sound that also draws on ethnic pop, tribal rhythms, freak folk and experimental elements.

The band starts as a bedroom project set up by Kamal Rasool in late 2009. Its early formation connects Bahrain and London: four of the five members meet in Bahrain, and after moving to London they become friends with Karthik Poduval, leading to the formation of the group. Flamingods also use a wide range of percussion instruments, including instruments collected by Rasool during travels to Tanzania and the Amazon.

Early live performances help establish their reputation. One early appearance at an Animal Collective-curated ATP festival involves an eight-hour set in a chalet on site, with a changing line-up and crowds both inside and outside the venue. In 2011 and 2012, the group builds a following by uploading bedroom-recorded material to Bandcamp and by playing live, including a support slot for Islet at an ATP-organised show.

Their studio albums include Sun (2013), Hyperborea (2014), Majesty (2016) and Levitation (2019).