Mandrake Handshake

Formed in 2018 between Oxford and London, Mandrake Handshake is a British collective whose music crosses krautrock, psychedelia, art-pop and experimental rock. The band uses the term “flowerkraut” to sum up a repertoire built on krautrock’s repetitive motifs, psychedelic textures, pop melodic lines and a significant emphasis on improvisation. In both recordings and on stage, Mandrake Handshake develops a shifting aesthetic driven by oblique grooves, dense arrangements and a marked taste for changes of mood. Since emerging on the English independent scene, Mandrake Handshake has released several singles and EPs and expanded its activity to tours across the UK and Europe, while remaining associated with London’s psych and art-rock scenes. The group therefore operates at the crossroads of experimental pop, motorik rock and a collective approach to live performance.