Biography

The Mandrake root is a mysterious specimen steeped in an eccentric folklore. Resembling the fleshy contours of the human body in form, its caterwauling screams – for those blessed enough to hear it – have been known since Biblical times to endow hallucinogenic insight upon the spiritually enlightened... Formed in Oxford in 2018, hypnotic psych collective Mandrake Handshake - christened after a song by The Brian Jonestown Massacre - incorporate influences ranging from krautrock, funk, Japanese animation and Latin pastoral poetry to create a unique style self-dubbed ‘Flowerkraut’: a music to dance to with wild abandon or, to meditate on - a fluorescent soundtrack for private investigations of the mind’s inner-worlds. Having initially teamed up with cult indie label Nice Swan for their ‘Introduces...’ series (in partnership with RIP Records) late last year, the outfit have since found label-mates in the likes of Opus Kink, Malady and Anorak Patch, fast establishing themselves as one of the most enticing new acts in the UK psychedelic scene. “No expense has been spared to bring the listener to the zenith of psychedelic high-fidelity and have them fully understand what they otherwise might only hint at knowing. "This is 'Flowerkraut'. This is the beginning. This is the Mandrake." Photo: Lola Stephen