Khruangbin - The Universe Smiles Upon You ii [2 Black LPs]

Khruangbin returned to their Central Texas recording barn to create The Universe Smiles Upon You ii, a full reimagining of their debut album. The Houston trio set up in the same space where they tracked the original record a decade earlier, with Laura Lee Ochoa on bass, Mark Speer on guitar, and Donald "DJ" Johnson on drums approaching these songs as the players they are now, not who they were then. Instead of chasing nostalgia they treated the sessions as a conversation with their younger selves, using the same instruments in the same room and letting years of touring and studio work quietly reshape the material.

Speer leans deeper into texture this time, using close mics and room noise to give the guitars a more intimate presence, while the rhythm section folds in subtle loops and layered percussion that were never part of the first recording. Each song feels familiar in outline but shaded with new detail, carrying the weight of ten years of growth while preserving the meditative Thai funk inspired pulse that first defined the band.

This black vinyl 2LP edition presents the album across four sides, housed in a gatefold jacket with a printed inner sleeve featuring studio photography and notes about the new sessions. The expanded format gives the mixes extra space and suits the unhurried hypnotic pacing of the record. It plays like both an origin story and a progress report, documenting how far Khruangbin have traveled while showing how firmly their sound is still rooted in that barn in Texas.

• Format: Black vinyl 2LP
• Standout tracks: People Everywhere ii, White Gloves ii, August Twelve ii, Two Fish and an Elephant ii
• Pressing details: Gatefold jacket, printed inner sleeve with photos and recording notes
• Genre/style: Psychedelic Rock, Psychedelic Funk, Surf Rock, World Funk, Thai Funk 
• UPC: 656605168319

The Universe Smiles Upon You ii shows Khruangbin revisiting their early work with quiet confidence, turning a beloved debut into something that feels both familiar yet fresh.

* The Spotify track list may not exactly represent the tracks and audio of this LP edition.

Track List:

Side A:

1. Little Joe And Mary ii
2. Balls And Pins ii
3. White Gloves ii

Side B:

1. The Man Who Took My Sunglasses ii
2. People Everywhere ii

Side C:

1. Bin Bin ii
2. August Twelve ii
3. Dern Kala ii

Side D:

1. Two Fish And An Elephant ii
2. Zionsville ii