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Funk

Bruce Mack is at the vanguard of fusionism’s new frontier with ‘Silent Witness’

Bruce Mack, a stalwart of the New York music scene, obliterated the boundaries of sound with his latest fusionist Tour-De-Soulful-Force, Silent Witness, which epitomises his flair in blending genres into a seamless sonic soul-stirrer.

Silent Witness is served with soul-infused grooves, blues-laced interstellar melodies, and hip-hop with funk-infused rhythms, and unravels as a revelation in fusionism which entwines elements of the past to forge new innovative sonic trajectories. Every progression in the song is a lesson in avant-garde experimentalism, yet it’s the cohesive, melodious nature of this multi-faceted hit that ensnares the listener. The lyrics which compel the listener to lean deeper into the nuances of the world’s vibrations also signify the artist’s relevance and value in an era that is becoming increasingly out of kilter with our inherent nature.

Mack’s journey in music is as diverse as the sounds he creates. From his early days with doo-wop aspirations to his expansive work with various ensembles and collaborations with artists like Vernon Reid and Melvin Van Peebles, his creative evolution is evident in every note of Silent Witness. His tenure with Greg Tate’s Burnt Sugar the Arkestra Chamber has further honed his skills in creating music that’s not just heard but felt.

Silent Witness will be available to stream on all major platforms from March 1st. Stream the single on SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

The celestial architects, Terrestrial Soulz, led prog-rock and hip-hop through an orchestral maze in ‘Slipping Away’

Salt Lake City’s Terrestrial Soulz reached the pinnacle of genre-fluid experimentalism with their standout single, Slipping Away, taken from their debut album, Crash Landed.

After an extended orchestrally-laced prog-esque intro that licks funk into the groove pockets, the track that will give you 90s melodic rock nostalgia kicks into full gear through the introduction of the sleek and sharp spoken-word rap bars that deliver a sobering exposition of grief, oppression, and our inescapable relationship with fear that are facades can hide, but deep down, it’s always gnawing away at our psyche as ‘time slips away’.

As the single progresses, there are even more transitions in the interstellar pioneering transmission as soul spills in from the vocal harmonies and orchestral strings join guitar strings to relay the riffs. Between the distinction in their sonic signature and the weight in their bars, the outfit that is renowned for their explosive live performances is fated to make waves in an era when so many of us are searching for meaning. What it means to be human is stitched right through this cinematically avant-garde hit.

As Terrestrial Soulz is currently hard at work on their upcoming LP, Third Rock from the Sun, and priming for a state-wide tour, they’re more than worth a space in your playlists and on your radar.

Slipping Away is now available to stream with the debut Crash Landed LP on Spotify and SoundCloud.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Gabe Kuchan got into the groove of gratitude with his euphoric riot of funk rock, When You’re Around

With contributions from Cooper Swartzentruber, Harold Cui, and Ben Fremin, the latest single, When You’re Around, by Gabe Kuchan is a riot of swanky and sun-soaked funk rock euphoria. The dazzling funk-rock masterpiece delivers a soulful essence reminiscent of Bill Withers, encapsulated in deep, groove-filled pockets constructed by the Chicago-born, Berklee College of Music-educated artist.

Driven by dynamic guitar work and the robust flair of tight rock riffs, the refreshingly nostalgic offering is a rich multi-layered soul-sating experience which sees the wild sax solos as one of the standout features around the vocal zeal as they inject an infectious energy that elevates the track to new heights.

Kuchan, frontman of Gabe Kuchan and the Funky Doctors, brings his extensive experience in funk, rock, and blues to the forefront in When You’re Around. His skill as a guitarist and vocalist, honed through years of busking and playing in various ensembles, shines through in this single. The influence of artists like Cory Wong and The Yellowjackets is evident, yet Kuchan’s unique style and interpretation make the song distinctly his own.

When You’re Not Around was officially released on November 18 stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Play That Funk Metal Music and Hit Play on Master Splinter’s Latest Installation of Clamorous Rancour, Wednesday Night

For their latest release, Wednesday Night, the trailblazing outfit, Master Splinter, which is hell-bent on being the breakthrough outfit out of the year funked up a sludgy and clamorous alt-rock aesthetic reminiscent of Mudhoney, Melvins and Soundgarden while proving once again that Mike Patton isn’t the only one capable of delivering the Mr Bungle effect.

If you’ve ever wondered what it would sound like if a 70s funk rock ensemble had a violent acid trip with instruments in hand while being caught in the throes of lust, indulge in the Portland, Oregon-hailing troubadours of rhythmically tight, face-melting aggression’s latest offering, which punches through hip-hop-inspired drums and uses the devil may ensnare vocal lines to rile up the energy from the searing hot guitars and prowling basslines.

The 2023 Remaster of Wednesday Night hit the airwaves on October 26; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

It’s all bells and no whistles in Roman Gastelum’s ingenuitive hip-hop track, Pavlov’s Dogs

After a bell ring in the intro to pay a conceptual nod to the iconic conditioning experiment, Roman Gastelum moves straight in with an amalgam of funk grooves, jazzy timbres, and hip-hop beats in his standout single, Pavlov’s Dogs taken from his debut LP, EQlibrium.

With the single and LP title, we probably don’t need to tell you that the LA-based bassist, vocalist, lyricist, and composer is an intellectual cut above the rest. In fact, if there were any more genius touches to this release, Roman Gastelum’s door would be blown off its hinges after an army of sapiophiles came knocking. But it is far from just pretentious art over substance.

The sublime sonic atmosphere conjured around the bruisingly clever bars by the artist who received his Bachelor of Arts in Music Performance from the Musicians Institute in LA ensured that even on the 100th listen, you’ll take something new from Pavlov’s Dogs. As the cherry on the urban alchemist cake, the spacey sci-fi surrealism towards the outro is a lesson in experimental scintillation.

Pavlov’s Dogs is now available to stream on Spotify with the rest of the EQlibrium LP which dropped on September 29.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Misty Drinx reinvented 80s nostalgia with his soul and funk-wrapped RnB pop hit, You’re So Cool

After bearing witness to a Toto show in LA, the up-and-coming singer-songwriter and pop icon-in-the-making Misty Drinx Americanised his infectious perception of pop and lavished his sophomore single, You’re So Cool, with layers of soul and funk-wrapped RnB that radiate reinvented 80s nostalgia.

With lustfully intoxicated exoticism oozing from the pores of the sax lines and synth-driven melodies, Drinx brought swathes of colour to UK shores with You’re So Cool. Fans of George Michael and Boy George will undoubtedly want to savour every drop of the delicious aural cocktail which envelopes you in the hazy hues that transform the mind’s colour palette when you’re lucky enough to be ensnared by someone.

With the eclecticism Drinx has already exhibited in his sound, we’re stoked to hear what will follow.

You’re So Cool was officially released on October 20; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

SAIDOU psyched out RnB with his latest exploration of the 5th dimension, INTERDIMENSIONAL LADY

After the success of his 2023 LP, 00ET, RnB’s most experimental entity, SAIDOU, merged wavy elements of RnB with lashings of cosmic psych and funk, drippings of 50s pop, and expressive jazz grooves to alchemise the ultimate aural trip, you might want to strap yourselves in before you experience INTERDIMENSIONAL LADY.

With a love so strong it breathes into the 5th dimension; the amorous track looks far beyond the material dimension to pay an Odyssey-esque ode to the affectionate feelings manifested by a femme fatale with an allure so powerful it makes the soul levitate.

Before crafting his own interstellar soundscapes, the 22-year-old MD-hailing artist Saidou Sosseh absorbed the influence of Al Green, Kanye & Youssou N’Dour and studied music at NYU. During this time, he recorded a handful of songs with the Grammy-winning songwriter Jesse Fink, INTERNATIONAL LADY being one of them.

INTERDIMENSIONAL LADY was officially released on October 6th; stream it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Stix Bones is back on the skins in his funked-up jazz fusion, LEAP

Following the phenomenal success of his hip-hop-influenced LP and a string of critically acclaimed singles, Brooklyn’s most prodigal jazz son, Stix Bones, is back on the skins once more with his seminal release, LEAP, featuring Bob Beamon.

With flavours of North African Funk in the culturally layered rhythmics of the instrumental track and sparks of Latino flair within the keys, vibrancy radiates from the exuberantly sophisticated core of LEAP. While the syncopated percussive fills and seductive bassline growls set up the grooves, the horn section shimmers the soundscape with an unfaltering sense of expressive euphoria that will heighten any mood.

With his previous releases, including his debut LP, Groove Like This, Stix Bones featured on 40 radio stations across the globe and became no stranger to the jazz charts. He’s equally as accoladed in the live circuit; when he’s not opening for the likes of Chaka Khan, Charlie Wilson, and Babyface, he’s helping world-renowned artists complete their albums and playing with the likes of Soulfege. It’s only a matter of time before he becomes a permanent fixture in the Jazz Hall of Fame.

Stream LEAP, which was officially released on September 22, on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jay Hofman unveiled an enrapturing self-deprecating indie electro-pop earworm with I Can’t Sing

Thankfully, the title of Jay Hofman’s latest single, I Can’t Sing, isn’t a disclaimer for the dire vocal performance that will defile your ears as soon as you hit play. Instead, the self-deprecatingly sweet funked-up indie electro-pop hit shares a dilemma that every non-muso diehard romantic will have been stung by, the compulsion to write and sing a love song despite a discernible lack of musical talent.

Maybe ironically, maybe entirely purposefully, the Polish singer-songwriter who is currently residing in the UK crafted the kind of love song that everyone who is lucky enough to be head over heels will want to put on a playlist for the objects of their desire. By switching between rap-style spoken word verses and auto-tuned harmonies in the chorus, even if there was weight to the claim that Hofman can’t sing, it would never have soured the soundscape that is as electrifying as a Daft Punk hit.

I Can’t Sing debuted on September 8th; fall in love with it via Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast

Jazz meets chiptune in Samuel Weaver’s latest score, Saviour Complex

With touches of House of Fun by the Madness grooving through the polyphonic funk of the jazz & chiptune amalgam, the UK-based artist Samuel Weaver concocted a superfluously ingenuity-driven score for the standout single in his debut album, Telechora!

Hitting play on Saviour Complex may be moderately akin to an acid trip due to the artist’s tendency to delve into sonic novelty despite his discernible composition and instrumental talents, but the euphoria-instilled vibrancy of the soundscape will lift you higher than any tab of acid ever could.

Given that intellectualism oozes from every progression, especially when the dissonance of sufferers with saviour complexes starts to manifest in the funk, at 17 years old, the composer, producer, and multi-instrumentalist has the music industry at his prodigal feet.

Saviour Complex charged in on its white knight syndrome on August 19th; hear it on Spotify.

Review by Amelia Vandergast