Watch the jazz behemoth prevail in an arcade game battle against Street Fighter veteran Combofiend.
This Friday Los Angeles based saxophonist Kamasi Washington is set to make his return with a double LP entitled Heaven & Earth, and as a final teaser for the imminently releasing album Washington has shared a music video for new single ‘Street Fighter Mas’.
In the accompanying 6-minute visual – which given its length and grandiose imagery might be more suitably dubbed a short film – Washington peruses his local spot in search of a worthy opponent to engage with in a bout on the beloved video game that is referenced in the song’s title. The video culminates with Washington prevailing in a battle against real-life Street Fighter veteran Peter ‘Combofiend’ Rosas. Elsewhere in the AG Rojas-directed visual, Ryan “Gootecks” Gutierrez and producer Battlecat make cameo appearances as part of Washington’s entourage.
Meanwhile the track begins casually with scattering drums and a sludgy bass vamp that lends itself to the Headhunters-era jazz and funk fusion of Herbie Hancock, before erupting in to an expansive orchestra of strings and harmonised vocals in the chorus.
Dial in to the clip below.
‘Street Fighter Mas’ follows the previously released ‘Fists Of Fury’ and ‘The Space Travelers Lullaby’, which are all set to feature on Washington’s forthcoming album.
Heaven & Earth releases on Friday via Young Turks.
Words by Sam Wilkinson.
Fruit and Grooves Collective 