The Olympians

In 2008, Toby Pazner and a group of New York City’s most sought-after musicians found themselves in a Brooklyn bedroom, gathered around a Tascam 388 tape machine. There, they recorded what would become the debut 45 of a project he named The Olympians—initially released on Truth and Soul Records.

Eight years later, while on tour in the Greek Islands, Pazner had a fever dream in which he was visited by a toga-clad, curly-haired figure. The mysterious presence urged him to return across the great sea to build a "Temple of Sound"—a vision that ultimately materialized as the group’s self-titled album, released in 2016 on Daptone Records. The record featured a long list of elite musicians from the Daptone family, all of whom contributed their talents to help realize Pazner’s creative vision.

The album was met with widespread acclaim, quickly earning a reputation as one of the finest instrumental soul records of the decade–gaining reviews from Pitchfork, American Songwriter, Brooklyn Vegan, KUTX and many others. In the digital space, the project has been backed by unbelievably strong organic growth at DSPs, with streaming numbers exceeding all expectations, turning it into a breakout success for both Daptone and Pazner.