by The days grow shorter, the air blows colder, and yet my heart is warmed on this brisk Monday morning by the funk-infused music of Soulwax.
Soulwax are one of those musical outfits who didn’t feel comfortable with just making music for a living. They have committed their decades in the creative industry towards establishing a truly wondrous universe which surrounds them and provides a foundation that they can continue to build upon. They’ve done this by setting up a successful band, DJ act and record label, all of which form the basis of their careers.
Because of the solid infrastructure of the band, new music feels less like a singular release and more like an addition to an already impressive structure. They have the freedom to keep pushing themselves on the music that they make, and have quite rightly earned the label of one of the most innovative musical outfits in the modern scene.
They continue to celebrate this creative freedom on their new double single ‘Gimme A Reason / Meanwhile On The Continent’. The songs are taken from their upcoming album, All Systems Are Lying, which is set for release on October 17th. Both clearly brandish this funk-injected, rock-adjacent sound that the band are championing, and they make for an incredibly exciting listen, certainly one that pricks the ears and will have fans giddy to experience the majesty of the album in full.
To try and provide the live experience to the listener on a studio album, it’s crafted by cutting together modular synths, processed vocals, tape machines and live drums. These songs, which are very evidently electronic, have a live sound you might struggle to come across on a lot of other studio releases. The bounce and raw appeal of these tracks is pretty unique, and they make for an incredibly dynamic piece of music.
Starting with ‘Gimme A Reason’, this song has funk and soul at its heart; while the tone is repetitive, you’ll be happy to let the track run its course. Very much finding the yolk of their song and allowing the listener to fester in there, Soulwax have something danceable and fun with this track. Of course, they don’t let the song pass them by without showcasing the innovation which has made them such a big name. Using a similar rhythm but different effects, the last 30 seconds of this song see the track transform from a funky floor filler to a relentless hard rock anthem that’s ripe for mosh pits.
The next song, ‘Meanwhile On The Continent’ is a much more experimental and ambitious effort. We start with drums, a sporadic rhythm that never stops, mainly played on toms but with occasional claps. Shortly afterwards, the modular synths enter the scene once again, almost mirroring the rhythm but giving the song a bit more depth in the process. Add on top of that vocals and bass, and this sporadic rhythm steadily morphs into a fully fledged song.
These are tracks that refuse to sit still. Just when you think you have one worked out, something different happens that throws you off guard. They’re not just a representation of the upcoming new album, but are instead an extension of the foundation that Soulwax have managed to build for themselves to constantly elevate their soundscape.
