With the release of its debut LP, Welcome to Florida, Artikal Sound System defines its daring and eclectic, alt rock-reggae, R&B inflected sound. Fronted by the vibrant sun-kissed chanteuse Logan Rex- and flanked by accomplished instrumentalists Chris Montague (guitar), Fabian Acuna (bass), Christopher Cope (keyboards) and Adam Kampf (drums)- this unique and colorful Delray Beach, Florida ensemble carves out the slinkiest of rhythms amongst deep grooves and evocative lyrics. As their latest single release, “Batshit Crazy” (featuring up-and-coming alt hip-hop duo, Little Stranger), continues to make noise in tastemaker circles, A.S.S will enter the studio in late February to begin production on a forthcoming LP slated for 2024. Artikal Sound System makes its relentless ambition and ongoing mission very clear. “I’m really trying to shave down to the nucleus, the most-true version of myself at any given moment,” says Rex. And as the band’s primary songwriter and magnetic centerpiece, she’s now even more insistent on sharing her rapidly expanding journey, while infusing Artikal’s lyrical palette with first-person soul. “I feel I owe it to people to share what I’ve found in there.” And…while the crazy events of the pandemic during 2020-21 temporarily shuttered the band’s live touring schedule, it also inspired the group’s creative quest towards building their original repertoire. The 5-piece huddled up and crafted Welcome to Florida and released the LP in February of 2022. The album’s provocative and sexy single- “When I Wanna”- is the epitome of Artikal’s seductive power, pairing simplicity and sophistication. Logan Rex carries the track’s hypnotic vibe, revealing a candid homage to getting high alongside a deeper metaphor nodding to solidarity, companionship, and freedom: “So empty your bag out on my counter/ Let’s break it up, see what it-amounts to/ Let’s you and I go to bed high tonight/ And I can get high when I wanna.” Heard throughout their breakthrough album and within their buoyant, kinetic live performances, one can feast on the insistent and slippery funk of “Pull Me Close,” and transition to the cinematic and irreverent heartbreak of “You’re an Asshole,” or the patient, yet pulsating balladry of “Stayed”- stamping their dynamic sonic imprint on the global heart and head. Watch as the quintet embraces social media, expressing its comedic persona on The Road, a tongue-in-cheek series of reels and wry humor detailing the band’s journey on tour. In 2023, the group delivered a slew of scintillating turns onstage, featuring slates of appearances with an array of talent that included summer dates with Stephen Marley, festivals with Slightly Stoopid, a national Fall tour with Iration, and a guest appearance with Andy Frasco (Rex appears on the studio duet “Everything Bagel” on Frasco’s latest album), not to mention a signature headlining run - the ‘WTF’ tour- that continues into 2024. A.S.S. also made a substantial impact at both the Cali Vibes Festival and Closer to the Sun- on their own and in surprise sets with Little Stranger under the moniker Strange A.S.S.! Artikal closed a busy year with a direct-to-fan vinyl offering, the holiday-themed, rock steady album, Happy Holidays. Artikal Sound System’s diverse world view dazzles on the edge; whether at Colorado’s iconic Red Rocks amphitheater (with Dirty Heads), or at Nashville’s historic Ryman Auditorium (with Highly Suspect), or as the can’t-miss new buzz band of any festival lineup. In performance, on some of the country’s most iconic stages, or with their genre-defying repertoire, Artikal Sound System has emerged as a conscious and incendiary musical force. “Always choose art over commerce,” says Rex. “And always choose love over fear.”