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Astrachan is the solo project and surname of curly-haired indie rock beefcake
Ben Astrachan, a self-taught analog tapehead who conjures up his special blend of starry-eyed lofi folk rock in the candlelit haze of
Puccini’s Studio (Astrachan’s basement bedroom/workspace named after his cat) on Chicago’s northwest side. Apostle to old masters like
Cat Stevens and
George Harrison, Astrachan is nonetheless an avatar of indie’s modern sound, drawing inspiration from contemporaries like Hovvdy and MJ Lenderman to thread together short-and-sweet psych-inflected tunes at once accessible and strange.
Astrachan is also the co-founder of
Berta Bigtoe (with
Austin Koenigstein) and
Astro Heart (with
Ryan Gebhardt), and a tireless accomplice to fellow travelers
Smushie,
No Lonesome (etc), brightening stages across Chicago with his golden voice, polytechnic abilities, and good-natured boyish charm. Forthcoming LP “Cleaner than Clean”, self-produced and recorded directly to tape in Puccini’s Studio, is a noisy upbeat rock-and-roll affair slated for release on Happen Twice in July. It figures to be a banger.
-Jackson Zinn-Rowthorn