Superhuman Happiness was a project led by Stuart Bogie, composer, arranger, vocalist, saxophonist and clarinetist. Bogie played for years with Antibalas and has also played on records by TV on the Radio, Zack de la Rocha, Massive Attack, and Angélique Kidjo. The evolving band included the similarly prolific multi-instrumentalist Eric Biondo, drummer Luke O'Malley (who also played with Antibalas), and in later years vocalist Dia Lina. Bogie has more recently released solo material and an album with The Bogie Band feat. Joe Russo.
‘Needles and Pins’
‘Needles and Pins’ was a 2011 single, written by Bogie and O'Malley, two years before the debut album. The lyrics may be some of the Superhuman Happiness’s finest. There’s a haunting beauty to the images. It’s also one of their funkiest, gnarliest grooves with a stop-start drum beat and fidgety bassline that hops between frenzied fills and sustained notes. It’s a brilliant arrangement, with none of the many instruments stepping on the others’ toes. A great live version came complete with street noises, laughs, and both keyboard and digital drum pad beats. The lead guitar riff somehow works on acoustic. The band’s shared joy is obvious both in the single’s video and the street version.
‘See Me On My Way’
For debut album Hands (2013), Bogie and his fellow musicians used an “Intentional Collaboration” technique, which involved practicing “musical and theatrical improv games simultaneously drilling certain musical skills, while opening up their creative impulses and developing the group mind. Many of these games are simple clapping patterns, which over time became the foundation for the majority of pieces on Hands.”
One of the grooviest songs on a groovetastic album, ‘See Me Own My Way’ encompasses a lot of what made the band great. There’s tons of syncopation, polyrhythms and catchy melodies, and the groove is often changing. A highlight is when all those things happen at once: from 3:25, instruments build up gradually, a shaker keeps the pulse while drums switch between itchy feet fills and a steady rhythm, and two guitars play distinct lines, each hummable and danceable. It’s very Fela Kuti, who Bogie has named as an influence. (Bogie also performed in Fela!, the musical. The band collaborated on a cover of 'I.T.T. (International Thief Thief) for Red Hot Organization's Red Hot + Fela, along with Fela! star Sahr Ngaujah). Like in much of Fela’s music, the bassline in 'See Me On My Way' stays mostly consistent, serving as a foundation for changing drums and the harmonic instruments to come and go. After 6 minutes, Bogie pulls out his baritone for punchy rhythmic phrases before a return to the motif.
‘Sentimental Pieces’
There’s a tug and pull between drifting, easy melodies and anxiety on ‘Sentimental Pieces’, another track from Hands. The bass sounds agitated; the lyrics flit between the two moods (“Sleeping in the skies / Never had a choice”); and then there’s the kind of riveting dissonance and horn interplay Fela would be proud of. Then Bogie’s “Falling off in pieces” melody delivers us “home”, even if it’s not the most homely lyric. Throughout all the tension, the band are groovin’ like hell – particularly when more joy arrives with the high-pitched, one-note melody guitar line, and the bass alternates between staccato stomps and snarling slides.
‘Drawing Lines’
By the time of Escape Velocity (2015), Dia Lina had started singing with the group and they had more of a synthy sound. Lina trades lines and harmonises with Bogie, their voices melding in a dreamlike collage. It’s a floaty song until the joyous, triumphant sax in the second chorus. The “La, la, la, la” mimicking the sax is equally joyous, and also very Fela (check out ‘Teacher Don’t Teach Me Nonsense’). A punchy bassline is contrasts with the soft singing in the verses. The bridge (“Trace, shape, colour it in”) is as catchy as the chorus. That seemed to be the idea behind quite a few of the group’s songs: pack as many hooks in as you can, and leave room for improvisation. By this point they had tightened up the track lengths a bit but most on the album are 5 minutes plus. ‘Drawing Lines’ was another of the few Superhuman songs to have a video.
‘Step It Up’
‘Step It Up’ surprisingly never received a studio recording. The lineup had changed quite a bit by 2016 and here they play as a comparatively small four-piece. Bogie’s synth bass and Biondo’s wriggly lead lines find every nook and cranny between the drums. Dia Lina delivers an unbelievably smooth live vocal until she cracks up after comically delivering a “Whatcha doing?!” straight at Bogie.
It evolves into an audience participation hand-dancing contest. “We’ve never done this before,” says Biondo (as soon becomes obvious – “Come on. This is not embarrassing stuff. It’s very, very fun”). But the lack of polish is part of the charm. Perhaps it’s best this song only exists as a one-time event – the spontaneity contributes to the joy that seemed ever-present in the band. “Oh, yeah! He doesn’t wanna stop! Don’t stop, my friend! That’s superhumanly happy!”