Formed in 2008, The Qualitons are an open musical community inspired by the sound and energy of 1960s and 1970s psychedelia. On their fifth album, Club Eco Vol. II – The Nest, out 13 May 2025, creatures of the night gather in the forest as their favourite tree bar, The Nest, reopens.
The Budapest-based psychedelic soul band pushes genre boundaries further than ever on this new record. While their previous album, Club Eco Vol. I – The Trail, uniquely blended P-funk, disco, and old-school hip-hop with Transylvanian folk, Afrobeat, desert rock, and library music, the follow-up ventures into even more uncharted territory.
The tracks on Club Eco Vol. II – The Nest are diverse, yet they form a cohesive concept album depicting the nightlife of a forest. Lil’ Club / Lil’ After recalls the psychedelic soul textures of Khruangbin and Glass Beams, while Habitas Nocte / Expectans offers an uplifting pair of prog-rock tunes laced with Latin Gregorian-style chanting about night butterflies.
Strigidae is a synth-driven hymn to the mysterious owl, and the prog-jazz jams Råtta and Prato de Queijo evoke the hidden creatures of the forest undergrowth. El Capitan is a laid-back bossa nova tune that once again highlights the band’s love for library music and easy listening soundtracks. Fittingly, The Qualitons often describe their style as “groove-chamber music.”
With a musical journey spanning over 15 years, The Qualitons have earned wide acclaim. They made history as the first Hungarian band to perform live in the studio of KEXP, the renowned Seattle-based community radio station. Their growing international recognition is underlined by frequent European tours and appearances at prestigious festivals like SXSW and Mondo.NYC in the US. Their music resonates globally, receiving regular airplay from legendary DJs such as Gilles Peterson (BBC Radio 6), Kevin Cole (KEXP), and Dom Servini (Jazz FM London).
Band members:
Levente Boros - drums, vocals
Ernő Hock - bass guitar, vocals
Ádám Menyhei - keyboards, vocals
Barna Szőke - guitar, vocals
András Weil - keyboards, synthesizers, vocals
