Surprise Chef
Superb
Big Crown Records [2025]
“A looser, funkier, and more freewheeling chapter for Melbourne’s finest groove architects.”
Album Overview: Surprise Chef, the Melbourne-based instrumental crew, has built a name on their soul-drenched, cinematic grooves. Rooted in ‘70s library music, jazz-funk, and golden-era soundtrack vibes, they’ve carved out a distinct lane both at home and overseas—first through College of Knowledge, then via Big Crown Records. Their music always felt tight and intentional, like every note had been planned weeks in advance. Superb flips that idea on its head.
On Superb, Surprise Chef loosen the reins. The record leans into spontaneity and space, swapping out clean-cut precision for mood swings, weird textures, and unexpected turns. This isn’t a band abandoning their blueprint—it’s a band scribbling all over it. That freedom gives the album a pulse, an energy that’s hard to fake. The result feels raw, alive, and wide open.
Musical Style: Superb is a melting pot of instrumental hip-hop, jazz, funk, and retro soul, all filtered through a dusty, analog dreamscape. The rhythm section stays locked in, but what happens around it—synth swirls, string stabs, oddball percussion—keeps you on your toes. Every track builds its own world, yet still feels part of the same funky ecosystem. There’s a vintage spirit here, but the band’s pushing the sound forward, not just polishing old tricks.
Evolution of Sound: If Education & Recreation (2022) was a carefully plotted map, Superb is the band pulling off the road to see what happens. The grooves are looser, the arrangements weirder, the tempos a little hotter. It’s still unmistakably Surprise Chef—but they’re clearly having more fun this time. The emotional swings hit harder, the highs feel higher, and the whole record breathes easier.
Artists with Similar Fire: Think El Michels Affair with more wiggle, BADBADNOTGOOD on a funk bender, or Khruangbin’s dusty minimalism with a few extra knobs turned. The Heliocentrics also come to mind. Surprise Chef sits comfortably among these modern instrumental acts that know how to keep things soulful, cinematic, and just a little left of center.
Pivotal Tracks: “Bully Ball” crashes the party with muscular percussion and layered grooves, immediately setting the tone. “Body Slam” lives up to its name—sudden turns, soaring highs, and rhythmic gut-punches. “Fare Evader” rides a tightly wound groove, flickering with mechanical synths and subtle funk. “Plumb Tuckered” pops with restless energy and twitchy textures, while “Websites” and “Dreamer’s Disease” slow the pulse and let the introspective vibes take over. It’s a full-spectrum experience—sweaty and serene in equal measure.
Lyrical Strength: No words here—but Superb still speaks volumes. Surprise Chef tells stories through groove, pace, and vibe. Their use of tension, texture, and dynamic shifts carries more emotional weight than many vocal-heavy records. It’s instrumental music with a strong sense of character—music that makes you feel something without spelling it out.
Final Groove: Superb isn’t a reinvention—it’s a release. Surprise Chef proves they can loosen up without losing what makes them great. The grooves are deeper, the edges rougher, and the overall feel more alive than ever. It’s not always clean, but that’s the point. Superb captures the band in motion—taking risks, testing limits, and sounding more human in the process. Wherever they go next, you’ll want to follow.
SURPRISE CHEF REVIEW HISTORY
Education & Recreation (2022)
SURPRISE CHEF LINKS
Facebook | Instagram | Bandcamp | Big Crown Records
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