Hypnotic Brass Ensemble is a nine-piece brass band from Chicago. They’re fixtures in and around the Union Square station, and were the subject of a great Sasha-Frere Jones article in 2009. I saw them several times in the subway before I knew who they were, and while they seemed a little more polished and professional (and protective; they don’t let passersby take photos or videos) than your average busker group, I had no idea that they’ve been a fairly well-established act since the late Aughts. Their first guest spot on the latest Gorillaz album, on a track they share with Snoop Dogg, is brief – in fact I think it’s pretty much confined to the first 10 seconds – but it shows off their collective mastery of tone. Love that layering thing they do.

They later show up behind Mos Def, about halfway through the jarring, tense “Sweepstakes”:

And in their natural habitat:

Their next EP, “Heritage,” will be out in April.