“Baggage/Tapioca da Maria” is the debut vinyl release from Melbourne based funk collective, Headphones Jones. The 7” Double A-Side offers a taste of two sonic worlds bound together by groove.

The A-Side, “Baggage”, is a sexy, simmering Latin Soul influenced tune featuring punchy vocals and a fiery guitar solo. The AA-Side, “Tapioca da Maria” is an instrumental Brazilian influenced Afrobeat tune, showcasing explosive horns and hypnotic percussion. Both songs were recorded to 16-track tape in a fully analogue studio to try and capture some of the vibe of 60s and 70s artists such as Fela Kuti and Joe Bataan.

Each side is part of a story set in a fictional tropical resort in the 1970s, where a mysterious guest checks in with a precious suitcase handcuffed to his wrist, causing multiple attempted thefts by guests and staff. The guest tries to escape, resulting in a river chase and ultimately everyone involved going over the local waterfall. This is beautifully captured in the dual cover artwork by Jase Harper and features the band members as all the characters.