The Olympians

Biography

The Olympians is an instrumental retro-soul and funk group from Brooklyn that emerged from the creative vision of multi-instrumentalist Toby Pazner. The project began in 2008 when Pazner, already established as a keyboard and vibes player in the New York funk scene through his work with Lee Fields & The Expressions and El Michels Affair, recorded the first 45 with a group of sought-after NYC musicians in his bedroom using a Tascam 388 tape machine. These initial recordings were released on Truth & Soul Records, but the project remained dormant until Pazner experienced a transformative moment while touring in the Greek Islands. After performing at the Acropolis in Athens, Pazner had a vivid dream in which a toga-clad figure instructed him to build a "Temple of Sound" and retell the stories of Ancient Greece through music, a vision that would become his artistic calling.

Driven by this dream, Pazner returned to New York with renewed purpose and began meticulously constructing his vision from the ground up. He acquired high-end recording equipment and microphones, leveraging his connections within the Daptone Records family to collaborate with some of the world's greatest musicians. Over nearly eight years of on-and-off work, Pazner crafted lush instrumental arrangements featuring strings, harp, vibes, guitar, keyboards, and blazing horns layered over funky bass and drums. The resulting self-titled debut album was completed in Spring 2016 and released by Daptone Records, featuring an all-star lineup of musicians from the label's ecosystem. The album showcases a distinctive cinematic sound that evokes 1970s soul and funk instrumentals, with song titles drawn from Roman deities and planets such as "Sirens of Jupiter," "Apollo's Mood," and "Sagittarius By Moonlight."

The Olympians represent a modern interpretation of classic soul and funk aesthetics, combining the production sensibilities of contemporary musicians with the soulful strut and orchestral richness of vintage R&B and funk. Their music captures the spirit of 1970s blaxploitation film soundtracks while maintaining an organic, honest approach to retro-soul production. Though not a touring band, The Olympians have established themselves as a distinctive project within the Daptone Records catalog, appealing to fans of instrumental soul, funk, and the broader New York funk revival movement.

Fun Facts

• The Olympians' self-titled debut album was inspired by a vivid dream Toby Pazner experienced while touring in the Greek Islands, in which a toga-clad figure instructed him to build a 'Temple of Sound' and retell the stories of Ancient Greece through music.
• The initial 45 recordings by The Olympians were created in 2008 in Pazner's bedroom in Brooklyn using a Tascam 388 tape machine, the same year the Beijing Olympics were taking place, which inspired the band's name.
• All songs on The Olympians' debut album reference ancient gods and mythology, using Roman names for the deities such as 'Mars,' 'Neptune,' 'Sirens of Jupiter,' and 'Pluto's Lament,' blending classical mythology with modern funk and soul.
• The Olympians are not a touring band but rather an ad-hoc studio project, making their meticulously crafted 2016 debut album a singular artistic statement rather than the beginning of an ongoing live performance career.

Musical Connections

Mentors/Influences

• Isaac Hayes - Stylistic influence on The Olympians' soulful sound and orchestral arrangements (General influence on soul aesthetic) [1960s-1970s influence]
• Curtis Mayfield - Influence on The Olympians' soulful musical direction and composition style (General influence on soul and funk composition) [1960s-1970s influence]
• Mickey and the Soul Generation - Stylistic influence on The Olympians' retro-soul sound (General influence on soul instrumentation) [1960s-1970s influence]

Key Collaborators

• Leon Michels - Saxophonist and Daptone Records co-owner; key musician on The Olympians album (The Olympians (2016), El Michels Affair, Lee Fields & The Expressions) [2016]
• Dave Guy - Trumpeter; member of The Dap-Kings and Tonight Show Band; featured on The Olympians (The Olympians (2016), The Dap-Kings) [2016]
• Homer Steinweiss - Drummer; member of The Dap-Kings and The Arcs; contributed to The Olympians (The Olympians (2016), The Dap-Kings, The Arcs) [2016]
• Neal Sugarman - Saxophonist and Daptone Records co-owner; member of The Dap-Kings; featured on The Olympians (The Olympians (2016), The Dap-Kings, Sugarman 3) [2016]
• Michael Leonhart - Trumpeter and musical director for Steely Dan and David Byrne; contributed to The Olympians (The Olympians (2016)) [2016]
• Aaron Johnson - Trombonist; member of Antibalas and musical director of Broadway's Fela!; featured on The Olympians (The Olympians (2016), Antibalas) [2016]
• Nicholas Movshon - Bassist; member of The Arcs and El Michels Affair; contributed to The Olympians (The Olympians (2016), The Arcs, El Michels Affair) [2016]
• Gabriel Roth - Daptone Records co-owner; released The Olympians album (The Olympians (2016)) [2016]

Discography

Albums

Top Tracks

1. Pluto's Lament (The Olympians)
2. Apollo's Mood (The Olympians)
3. Sirens of Jupiter (The Olympians)
4. Mercury's Odyssey (The Olympians)
5. Sagittarius By Moonlight (The Olympians)
6. The Rain Song (Midnight Movement / The Rain Song)
7. Venus (The Olympians)
8. Mars (The Olympians)
9. Saturn (The Olympians)
10. Stand Tall (How Can I Love (Now That You're Gone) / Stand Tall)

External Links

• Spotify