The Mulatones

The Mulatones

The Mulatones are a six-piece collective based in the South East of England. Their line-up includes Rodrigo Furtado on drums, Tim Scarlett on bass and hats, Ben Socrates on keyboards and cowbell, Lem Parker on vocals, flute and saxophone, Sean Jackson on trumpet and clave sticks, and Rania Bailey on flute, vocals, saxophone, clarinet and other instruments. Guest players associated with the group include Dom ‘Krystal Gob’ McMahon on beatbox, Duncan Burgess on percussion, Keith Sutton on synths and David Furtado on percussion.

Style and instrumentation

The group plays a mix of Latin jazz, funk, Afro-beat, drum and bass, dub and Balkan styles, often combining several of these within a single track. Their sound is described as energetic and difficult to categorise. Rodrigo Furtado’s playing draws on clave, samba and Afro-Cuban rhythms, while Tim Scarlett’s bass work reflects funk, soul and electronica. Ben Socrates contributes a distinctive piano style, Sean Jackson leads trumpet parts with aggressive grooves, and Rania Bailey adds flute-led textures alongside clarinet, saxophone and vocals.

Collaborations

The Mulatones work collaboratively and have performed with beatboxers, rappers, electronic musicians, percussionists and additional vocalists.