Modern-Funk

Things are happening. It’s a perpetual truth and something of a mysterious, even ominous, sentiment as it applies to XL Middleton’s follow up to “Tap Water.” Fittingly, the content of “Things Are Happening” strays down darker or more cynical paths than its predecessor, and in doing so takes the modern funk ethos as a whole beyond tried and true formulas such as love songs or spiritual anthems. The grooves remain uptempo, the synth work is still warm and percussive. But, there’s a heavier story to tell, and greater truths to face. The album opens with the uptempo, lowrider-ready “Never Have Too Many Freaks.” Upon frst glance it’s a hedonistic ode to maintaining multitudes of willing women for carnal conquest, but further listens reveal the story of a man in search of love, let down too many times and thus led away from the pursuit of romance. “Look Who’s Talkin’” details the strenous nature of socializing as an introvert, with tongue-in-cheek lyrics seated atop a warbly electro-funk instrumental. This theme is explored again, in a more introspective fashion, on the album’s closer, “They Don’t Wanna Leave.” On “Better Friend” (feat. Moniquea), XL plays witness to those who would invade social circles for personal gain - an all too common sight in the music business, perhaps foreshadowing a future hip hop album by dropping a few bars before the song sizzles to a close. Him and Zackey Force Funk team up on “Paradise Of Pavement,” an anthem for the highs and lows of living in LA, framed by cosmic chords and grinding synth bass tones. “Purple Sheets” resonates with a slow Linn drum bounce as XL’s vocoder fnally offers a moment of unbridled love/lust, adding a dimension to the album more akin to “Tap Water” than anything else on the project. Some might argue that the internalized nature of “Things Are Happening” is badly timed, with the hyper-politicized environment we are now living in almost demanding social commentary in art above all else. However, this album is a reminder that, no matter who the president is or what global woes we are facing, we also exist outside of the collective mind and have our own individual stories to tell.

10" in screen-printed sleeve

LP limited to 300 copies

Love Adventure is the debut modern funk EP from Austin, TX native and ABC founder Danny Spence. The album is a vision of beach boogie through an exotic lens; a warm combination of modern funk, hip-hop, and jungle sounds. Appealing to fans of modern funk and electronic beats alike, this album will help close the season out right and set the vibe for many summers to come.500 copies pressed!

Garrett came from the inside of his own mind, from within a home recording studio somewhere on planet Earth. The Private Life of creative awareness and the music captured here is the visceral offering to all outside. Every one of us has a Private Life. This is Garrett’s...

After a long hiatus the Fasaan Recordings crew finally emerges from their basement to break out a second volume of their Chalice imprint.Functioning as a looser side vehicle to Fasaan, Chalice is a home for rawer and more uncompromising side projects of the Fasaan crew and their extended family. Honing in on a murky zone of cheap-sounding machine rhythms and punchy boogie-influenced proto-house sounds, the Chalice style is in your face and then out the door "just like that": take it or leave it.As the title "Import/Export" suggests, the contributions for this installment have been gathered from such foreign places as Copenhagen, Bandung, Tallinn, Manchester and Dublin.But starting off the EP is Malmo-based Fullstondiga Rottigheter and the deranged digital guitar strumming of "1988".Representing Manchester is self-confessed cyber-punk and genre defyer Ruf Dug with the dreamy cut "Cassette Boogie 1" which as the title suggests is steeped in lo-fi tape hiss and bounces along to a b-boy beat and some tightly squeezed Prelude-style synth lines.Representing Tallinn is minimal funk composer Ruutu Poiss of skate crew Haigla who lets his limping drum machine lead us on a wonky trip full of tempo shifts and ambient interludes.Copenhagen-based PRAAH pitches in with a brooding bass heavy 808 jam made under mysterious astral circumstances.Fachrur Riaz Hasbullah slides in from Bandung, Indonesia to deliver the ridiculously smooth stepper "Muram"

San Francisco native and modern funk wiz Diamond Ortiz makes his first appearance on Austin Boogie Crew Records with "Goodies", a sweet and enticing 12" EP of quality jams! Coming off the buzz of his acclaimed "Loveline" LP, Diamond takes a slightly more chill but equally party-centric approach on Goodies. This is the first 12" release on ABC and it's fire from front to back!