Published at 2:01 PM on January 14, 2009

By Sara Miller

Mahjongg generates warmth with winter U.S. tour

When we last reported on the traveling dance-party-starters known as Mahjongg, they were preparing for a European tour and the release of the Free Grooverider 7" single.

Now, the starving artists are Stateside again, Free Grooverider (with a Selector Dub Narcotic remix on the flip side) is officially on sale—and downloadable online, at RCRD LBL—and Groove Rider himself, a.k.a. BBC DJ Raymond Bingham, is once again a free man.

After being arrested in Dubai on a possession charge in late 2007, Bingham was incarcerated and eventually sentenced to four years in a U.A.E. prison. Although this writer didn't adequately do her research last time around, it turns out that Bingham was released last August in a show of Ramadan-inspired amnesty.

Rarely has there been a better reason to dance, and Mahjongg provides the perfect soundtrack for happy (and liberated) feet. But you don't have to take our word for it (thanks, LeVar)! Here's the video for "Free Grooverider"...



...and those upcoming U.S. tour dates:

January
29
- Dekalb, Ill. @ The House Cafe
30 - Grinnell, Iowa @ Gardner Lounge
31 - St. Louis, Mo. @ Billiken Club

February
12
- Lexington, Ky. @ Al's Bar
13 - Knoxville, Tenn. @ Pilot Light
17 - Charlottesville, Va. @ Outback Lodge
18 - Baltimore, Md. @ Floristree
19 - State College, Penn. @ Chronic Town
20 - Bloomington, Ind @ The Cinemat
21 - Chicago, Ill. @ Hideout

Related links:

Mahjongg on MySpace
Mahjongg on K Records
Band of the Week: Mahjongg

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