Khruangbin (/ˈkrʌŋbɪn/ KRUNG-bin; Thai: เครื่องบิน, krʉ̂ʉang-bin, [kʰrɯa̯ŋ˥˩.bin]) is an American musical trio from Houston, Texas. The band comprises Laura Lee Ochoa (bass guitar and vocals), Mark Speer (guitar and vocals), and DJ Johnson (drums, keyboards, and vocals).^[2][3] The band is known for blending global music influences, such as classic soul, dub, rock and psychedelia.^[4][5]

Speer and Johnson met in 2004 when they played for Pastor Rudy Rasmus' St. John's Methodist Church gospel band in Houston, Texas. The church employed Speer as the guitarist and Johnson as the organist.^[6] The two musicians attended a bar after Tuesday night rehearsal, and Speer revealed his extensive knowledge of music from around the globe. Johnson calls him "a music encyclopedia" and Speer told The New York Times Magazine that as a child, he was obsessed with the Microsoft Encarta CD-ROM's catalog of music samples from around the world.^[7]

In 2007, Speer met Ochoa through friends, where they initially connected over a shared love of Afghan music and Middle Eastern architecture.^[8] In 2009, Ochoa, who had trained on guitar and piano, started to learn the bass with guidance from Speer. After playing for six months, she auditioned and got the gig to be the bassist for Yppah on his upcoming tour. Speer already had the gig as guitarist for Yppah and had encouraged Ochoa to audition.^[9] In 2010, both Ochoa and Speer went on tour with Yppah who opened for Bonobo.^[10]

The tour motivated the two of them to make music together more seriously, leading them to form Khruangbin.^[11] Speer and Ochoa went to a barn where they developed the bass-heavy, psychedelic sound that became the basis of the band's aesthetic.^[11] Upon their return, they asked Johnson to join the band as drummer, to play simple break-beats under the guitar and bass.^[12] The barn, located in the 300-person town of Burton, Texas, would become the site of all future Khruangbin recording sessions.^[13] The band has a long-term working relationship with Houston-based engineer Steve Christensen.^[14]

When asked to play their first gig, Ochoa, who was learning to speak Thai at the time, decided they should use her favorite Thai word "khruangbin" (Thai: เครื่องบิน; RTGS: khrueang bin), which means "airplane", as their name.^[15] Speer said that, had they had the foresight to predict the band's success, they might not have chosen a name that was so difficult to pronounce.^[12] The band's name symbolizes the international set of influences that shaped the band's formation.^[15]

Speer described the band's creative process as focused.

"When we first started the band, we wanted to have a formula,” he says. “It’s like, ‘This is what we do, and we’re not gonna try and go outside the box too much. We’re gonna explore the box we’re in. I’ve always been a big fan of that. I used to be in bands where was like, ‘Man, we’ve gotta think outside the box!’ And all I’m thinking is: ‘You guys don’t even know.’ Music should never be just for the sake of being experimental. Before you even start, you have to know what you’re experimenting with first.”^[16]

A notable part of the band's visual style is the black wigs that Ochoa and Speer wear on stage and during promotional interviews and photoshoots.^[17]

Khruangbin's style does not fit neatly into an existing genre.^[44] The New York Times called it "extremely slippery, genrewise (Is it psychedelic lounge dub? Desert surf rock? The sound you hear inside a lava lamp?)."^[7] Mostly instrumental,^[45] the band's sound has been described as soul, surf rock, psychedelic, rock, dub and funk,^[45][46] with one website even describing them as "electronic".^[44] The most commonly used term to describe Khruangbin's music is Thai funk,^[44] though the band members themselves challenge the convention of genres, publicly refusing to be pigeonholed into one particular label.^[44] As music journalist Rob Shepherd noted for PostGenre, "the [name Khruangbin], which translates to 'flying engine' or airplane in Thai, is perfect for their music as it often crosses borders and cultures."^[47] The New York Times wrote that Khruangbin's sound was so distinct and popular that "there now exists an entire subgenre of music broadly known as 'Khruangbin vibes.'"^[7] The band focuses on simple gear and setup. In 2024, Ochoa said she has not changed the strings on her bass since 2010.^[44]