Gitkin + Desert Friends

An intoxicating gumbo of global soul, surf noir, and psychedelic funk, all filtered through a vintage, analog haze. Listening to Gitkin feels like stumbling across a forgotten reel-to-reel in a dusty Havana pawn shop or a smoky Marseilles speakeasy. There’s a deep sense of wanderlust baked into every groove — part spaghetti western, part funk exotica, with twangy guitars that slither like snakes through a desert bazaar.

New Orleans-based Gitkin, also known as Brian J, a Grammy-nominated artist and producer renowned for his production skills (working with Cedric Burnside, Bab L’ Bluz, Bernard Purdie, Cyril Neville) and as the mastermind behind the funk ensemble Pimps Of Joytime, is experiencing surprising success with this passion project.

Desert Friends is the sonic collaboration between Joshua Tree–based musician and producer Antrom Alexander, Vancouver artist Lucas Penner, and drummer Cody Rhodes, with Kyle Hanson on percussion and John Hebert on bass. Blending elements of surf, Middle Eastern, and spaghetti western music, Desert Friends create an expansive, guitar-driven sound rooted in groove, atmosphere, and cinematic space.