Play Time is the new trio of percussionist Booker Stardrum, synth player Ben Vida, and saxophonist Will Epstein, three incredible musicians known for a wide range of solo work and collaborations. The project began in 2021, after Stardrum and Epstein relocated to New York’s Hudson Valley, joining Vida, who was already based there. The three began meeting regularly at Vida’s house to improvise and spend time together, and started performing locally, including a residency at Kingston venue Tubby’s. Play Time developed a style rooted in improvisation, repetition, and group interaction, drawing on elements of ambient music, minimalism, jazz, and electronic music. Their sound is described as “a polymetric blend of improv and pulse minimalism for saxophone, drums, and Moog”. Comes July 3rd, they will release their debut album, Magic Object, through Balmat, the experimental label run by Albert Salinas and Philip Sherburne. The album was recorded over two days in a converted barn studio. According to the band, the recording process played a key role in defining what Play Time would become. “You’re hearing us discover the voice of the band in real time,” Vida explains. “We finished those sessions and we were like, ‘Oh, that’s what our band sounds like now.’”

Ahead of the album’s release, Play Time have shared the first preview of the album in the form of opener ‘Open The Door, Joey’, a celestial and stunning track. Take a listen below.