Club d’Elf Enter a New Groove With ‘Loon & Thrush’

 

Rob Duguay

·

Apr 15, 2026

There are certain bands who have always been in their own class in terms of artistic inventiveness and sonic creativity. They create music that’s tough to pin down due to how it touches upon a variety of dimensions, and one of the many examples is Club d’Elf. Originally conceived back in 1998 by bassist Mike Rivard for a residency at the Lizard Lounge in Cambridge, Massachusetts, this entity functions as a collective while exhibiting elements of funk, jazz, dub, electronica, Afrobeat and other styles from around the world. They’ve been consistently brilliant while abiding by this approach, and this is evident in their latest album Loon & Thrush. It came out on April 10 via the Brooklyn based indie label Royal Potato Family, and from front to back, there’s an abundance of offerings for the senses.

The full-length also marks the first time the collective worked in the studio without multi-instrumentalist Brahim Fribgane, who sadly passed away in 2024. This fact made the process difficult, understandably so, but the end result is definitely something the late musician would be proud of.

“Going into the recording of this album was a very heavy time for the band, as we had just lost Brahim, who was a core member,” Rivard mentions via a press release. “This would be the first album we had done without him, and the thought of never being able to play with him again was a reality that was very hard to grasp.”

Along with the vibrant instrumentation, there are numerous samples weaved in that makes Loon & Thrush stand out as a total listening experience. This is due to the skills of turntablist Mister Rourke, whose talents compliment the music in exquisite fashion. For those who haven’t immersed themselves in Club d’Elf’s music before, it’s stuff that’s going to make you dance. Check out tunes like “Left Hand of Cycle,” “Second Line,” and “Atlas Mountain Hop” and it’ll be difficult to stay still. It also should be mentioned that there are a couple cool Grateful Dead re-imaginings courtesy of “Bird Song” and “New Speedway Boogie.”

In support of the new release, Rivard and the crew are currently in the middle of an expedition with the next stop being at Three Heads Brewing in Rochester, New York on April 18. There are a few other Empire State dates in tow with April 23 being at Colony in Woodstock, The Egg in Albany on the following night, and May 3 at the Brooklyn Bowl. The tour will be concluding at Dharma Bums in New Hope, Pennsylvania on May 9, so make sure to catch one of the shows if you can. In the meantime, give Loon & Thrush a listen via the link below and get down with the rhythms and vibes.

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