On the surface the quiet port city of Gothenburg doesn’t seem like it would harbor much soul music but it comes through in the dreamy rhythmical shifting moody creature that is Little Dragon. The four-piece band blends R&B, new wave, electronica and experimental pop. They kicked off 2011 with a headlining tour of the U.S. and thanks to a recommendation from superfan Questlove of the Roots, a performance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon in March. In May, Little Dragon appeared on the track “Just Don’t” from Raphael Saadiq’s Stone Rollin’, a record some are already calling the album of the year. Big Boi and DJ Shadow called to invite the group to work on new music. And it seems that the rest of the world is starting to catch on to what tastemakers from BBC’s Gilles Peterson and the DJs at Los Angeles’ influential KCRW have known for years. Today, Little Dragon releases Ritual Union, an album which finds futuristic, trance-like rhythms mixed with the soulful vibes of their debut LP plus upfront and danceable sounds of Machine Dreams.

Little Dragon’s second album, Machine Dreams, a more uptempo set with ’80s influences like Prince and Depeche Mode working their way into the mix, followed in 2009. Meanwhile, Gorillaz front man Damon Albarn tapped Little Dragon to appear on their album Plastic Beach and to open-along with De La Soul-their arena-filling world tour. Also in 2010, the group appeared on “If You Return” from Maximum Balloon, aka the solo project of Dave Sitek from TV on the Radio. The next chapter leads to Ritual Union, their third LP due via Peace Frog / EMI.

Check out a performance of Little Man HERE.

08/14 @ Outside Lands Music & Arts Festival- San Francisco, CA
08/15 @ The Roxy- West Hollywood, CA- (Ritual Union release show SOLD OUT)
08/16 @ Music Hall Of Williamsburg- New York, NY- (Ritual Union release show SOLD OUT)
09/03 @ Bumbershoot- Seattle, WA
09/04 @ North Coast Music Festival- Chicago, IL
09/06 @ Henry Miller Memorial Library- Big Sur, CA w/ Seventeen Evergreen
09/08 @ Hawthorne Theater- Portland, OR w/ Unknown Mortal Orchestra
09/10 @ Next Door- Honolulu, HI
09/24 @ Parklife Melbourne- Melbourne, AUS w/ Lupe Fiasco
09/25 @ Parklife Perth- Perth, AUS
10/01 @ Parklife Brisbane- Brisbane, AUS
10/02 @ Parklife Sydney- Sydney, AUS
10/03 @ Parklife Adelaide- Adelaide, AUS
10/06 @ Avalon- Los Angeles, CA
10/14 @ Terminal 5- New York, NY
10/28 @ Moog Fest- Asheville, NC

http://www.little-dragon.se/