The new BASIC EP “Dream City” is a minimalist fusion of taut, experimentally-minded funk: think Bo Diddley with a chorus pedal, Yo La Tengo on a Congotronics bender, or The Pop Group gone chill. The trio of Chris Forysth (guitar), Mikel Patrick Avery (percussion, drum machine, electronics), and Douglas McCombs (Fender Bass VI), BASIC produced this three-track, 25-minute release over a two-day recording session in December, concluding an eventful 2024 for the group. The recordings were done fast and live, the three members cutting them together in a room at Philly’s Kawari Sound with minimal overdubs. And although just a trio these tunes sound like more than that. Ample detail is provided by the interlocking guitars and Avery’s unique combination of electronic beats and acoustic percussion that he treats and manipulates live with various self-built electronic processors.

Shortly after the release of their debut album “This Is BASIC,” OG Tortoise bassist McCombs joined the group, and along with Philly-based core members Forsyth (Solar Motel Band) and Avery (Natural Information Society), BASIC toured the record up and down the West Coast and throughout the Northeast and Midwest US.

The chemistry between the three resulted in the development of new material almost immediately, built around their propulsive, lyrical, and strongly rhythmic improvisations (rather than songs, they call them “fields”). The results of these thematic excursions are apparent on “Dream City,” a vision of pasts and futures firmly expressed in an ecstatic state of presence, embracing and accepting changes and fusing influences to create a powerful and dynamic sound.

“Dream City” is out March 7, 2025.