Biography
Mantra of the Cosmos assembled as a Britpop-rooted supergroup when former Happy Mondays frontman Shaun Ryder joined forces with his longtime associate Bez, alongside guitarist Andy Bell and drummer Zak Starkey—both veterans of Oasis—with the Fall’s Brix Smith later recruited to play bass. Their opening pair of singles, “Gorilla Guerilla” and “X (Wot You Sayin?),” channeled the swirling, psychedelic dance-rock of the 1990s while tilting closer to Black Grape than to the sound of (What’s the Story) Morning Glory.
Zak Starkey planted the seeds for the project in May 2023 by pitching Shaun Ryder on a band that would merge dub, dance, and rock. The lineup coalesced rapidly once Starkey brought in Bell and Ryder tapped Bez. “Gorilla Guerilla” reached listeners in June 2023, after which Brix Smith was added in time for the group’s Glastonbury Festival appearance that same year. Mantra of the Cosmos followed with the August release of its second single, “X (Wot You Sayin?).”
Zak Starkey planted the seeds for the project in May 2023 by pitching Shaun Ryder on a band that would merge dub, dance, and rock. The lineup coalesced rapidly once Starkey brought in Bell and Ryder tapped Bez. “Gorilla Guerilla” reached listeners in June 2023, after which Brix Smith was added in time for the group’s Glastonbury Festival appearance that same year. Mantra of the Cosmos followed with the August release of its second single, “X (Wot You Sayin?).”
Singles
