Mofunk Records

Limited Edition,RepressGalaxy Purple 250 copies

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.

Following the release of his limited-edition "Boomerang" EP and his cassette-only album "Special Request," Diamond Ortiz brings you his first full-length LP, "Loveline." His heavy, bounce-laden style carries the album from start to finish, cementing him as California's heir apparent to the gutter synth funk sound which originated from Ohio and found an adopted home out west, where it fit perfectly with the cultures of lowriding and popping/locking. Diamond Ortiz proves on "Loveline," as he has with all of his past efforts, that the sound he is a proponent of is not simply "retro" or "old school" - it has a place in the modern day pantheon of electronic music.

As co-founders of the label MoFunk Records, and the production team behind one of modern funk’s signature anthems, “Press Play” (featuring Zackey Force Funk), XL Middleton + Eddy Funkster’s album is truly an opus long overdue. In sound, it draws heavily from LA’s musical well over the last several generations, bringing forth hard electro funk styles on “Show Some Respect,” bouncy lowrider funk on cuts like “Solicitation,” and giving a progressive nod to 90’s g-funk on the LBC’d out “California Fly,” which features Domino of “Getto Jam” fame. Furthermore, XL + EF channel the more modern feel of ambient, pad-heavy funk on songs like “On Our Way To Funkmosphere.” In spirit, it’s more of a P-Funkesque party, as the entire MoFunk roster plus extended family join in variously on all of the album’s 7 songs, contributing everything from vocals to guitar and talkbox. This is kind of party you’ll want to join in - an ongoing celebration known as modern funk.Latest effort from XL Middleton, whose “Tap Water” album was well received critically and commerciallyFirst joint effort from founders of MoFunk RecordsFeatures from several modern funk artists including Zackey Force Funk, Brian Ellis, Moniquea, and Diamond OrtizFeature from 90’s g-funk artist Domino, known for hit singles “Getto Jam” & “Sweet Potatoe Pie”