Silk Rhodes are the dynamic duo of astro-traveling producer Michael Collins and singer Sasha Desree from Baltimore. They have been offering a woozy, psych take on ’70s soul and funk, from the excellent Stones Throw label. ^[1] Silk Rhodes don't present themselves as clean-cut as Hawthorne, nor do they stick to a very specific era like Myron & E. They're also more about mood than traditional songcraft, but they do share a record-collector approach to vintage R&B, filtered through hip-hop.

Silk Rhodes consist of producer Michael Collins and singer Sasha Desree who came to California from Baltimore and New York, respectively, via rather circuitous routes, becoming friends and collaborators along the way.

Their voyage began in a 1997 Honda CRV turned DIY recording studio built to capture and share light-bulb moments as they happened.

The approach was simple: run a microphone into loop pedal, connect the looper to the car stereo via cassette-tape adaptor, and start spitting out ideas.

Then Collins and Desree, alongside a host of roving lunatics and pranksters, would broadcast their experiments to the streets, commenting on their observations in rhyme, soliciting ideas from strangers, and inviting people into the car to contribute vocals, or loop beats.

These experiments spawned sound collages, and stream-of-consciousness hymns, as well an an electric boogie tune with nods to Joe Jackson and George Benson (“Face 2 Face”), and a lonesome ballad that sounds like a still-lost Donnie and Joe Emerson song produced by Gamble & Huff (“Pains”).

Under the banner of Silk Rhodes, Collins and Desree challenge preconceived notions of what Soul music is, can, and should be.

The duo released their self-titled album on December 2, 2014.

The album is a collection of songs that exemplifies their free spirited vision for future soul music. A touchstone for exploring inner visions with All songs written and produced by Silk Rhodes, Mixed by Matthew David, Design and Layout by Will Pesta, Slik Rhodes Logo by Robert Beatty, Cover Photo by Kirby Adams and Model by Ana Arroy. It’s there from the first notes of the first track, simply titled “Intro” — smooth funk going back a few decades, but stripped down to the bone by a couple of mad sonic scientists. And the album cover, too. It’s a photo of a miniature Silk Rhodes logo on a young woman’s tongue, like a pill. Well, the album is made up of pieces that are basically miniatures -- concise, minimalist sketches. “Pains,” for example, is like a distant dream of a soul song, alluringly so.^[1][4][5]

Silk Rhodes comes back in 2015 with a two tracks collection; Heart of Grass and Stock in My Head, after their debut release.

The band has an Instagram account with 2,410 followers and 128 posts.^[6]