Review: Infinite Machine snap up the talents of two steadily emerging artists immersed in the tos and fros of contemporary bass music, resulting in the Moosebumps record and celebrating all things hybrid and indefinable. Russia's Pixelord looms large on the release with his canny use of RnB vocals in unusual contexts, not to mention his wielding of texture and sound design to create an interesting depth of field in his downtempo constructions. Zack Christ is more overtly avant-garde in his approach, not least on the gloriously crumbly "Tungo" which seems hell bent on squashing any whisper of groove into an experimental mess. Bringing fresh approaches to a sound that is widely represented at present, Pixelord and Zack Christ have proven their worth more than most with this EP.
Lay It On The Line (original mix) - (3:27) 142 BPM
Lay It On The Line (Danny Massure remix) - (3:42) 142 BPM
Lay It On The Line (James Beige Blame It On The Bossa mix) - (4:34) 88 BPM
Review: Jazz/soul/funk band Nick Pride & The Pimptones have a great rep as both a live band and as writers of effortlessly catchy nu-soul tunes. Teaming up with singer Zoe Gilby for this latest single, the Newcastle band evoke bossa nova with the rhythms whilst keeping the instrumentation strictly bluesy and funky. With Gilby able to vocalise perfectly along with the rich guitar solos, the lovelorn theme of the song is given a punchy and jazzy feel thanks to some rasping brass accompaniment.
Review: Bootleg mash-up specialist turned funk breaks heavyweight Zamali returns with "The Rebirth", an expansive EP packed with well-crafted, floor-friendly goodies. "Funky Rotator" sets the tone, offering just the right balance between spiralling Hammond funk, shuffling drum breaks and melodic sweetness. Punchier dancefloor fare can be found in the shape of "Far Far West" and Time To Sleep", while "Loose Control" [sic] and "Is It Worth It" drop the tempo, expertly adding a welter of soul and funk instruments for added pleasure. The EP also includes a number of tasty remixes, with the sweaty funk beats, spiralling trumpets and low slung bass of Mister T's "Funk Rotator" rework standing out.
Review: Mixing funky breaks with plenty of soul, Belgian nu-funk wizard Zamali dazzles with the slow boogie soul and retro arpeggios of "Blue Mountains", provides warm jazz-funk textures on the bass-poppin' "Jah Youth" and gospel-reared breakbeat on the brass-splattered funk of "Accentuation".
Review: Belgian producer Zamali made his name with a string of re-edit EPs on Timewarp in the late 00s and early 2010s. These days he's focusing more on original productions, and now he returns to the Greek label with his debut full-length. Contemporary funk is his stock-in-trade, sometimes - as on 'Jack The Ripper' - veering towards the funk-breaks/funk-hop side of the street, other times leaning more towards "new old" homage vibes, but never shy of dropping in a familiar vocal sample here and there, or injecting a hint of disco, Afro or even house flava. Standouts for this reviewer include the Zapp/Cameo-esque 'Fatty Bump' and the jaunty, jazzy 'Gimme Some Faith'.
Review: Anyone checking out this long-player from Belgian producer Zamali is advised to stick with it, because the first two tracks - the moody trip-hop of 'Raclette' and the Balearic-leaning 'Never Again' - don't really prepare you for what's to come. The first hint you get of the album's overall vibe comes in the form of 'Low Key Factor', a midtempo slab of 'new old' funk-soul, after which 'Downtown Lagos' and 'Kings & Queens' pay tribute to the vibrant Afro-funk scene of the mid-late 70s before 'Chicago Soul' and 'Solar Quest' play us out on a more straight-up funk tip, the former having some rockier elements while the latter is pure Blaxpoitation-style squelch. Something for everyone then, eh?
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