Hinweisescale album format, but you surely have already heard of this funksome duo on various occasions. Be it their 12"es on Ascension Records, their "Inside EP" on G-Stone Recordings or some of their fabulous remixes with which they added their magic touch to tracks from Tony Allen, Sidestepper, Tim Hutton, Boozoo Bajou, Speeka and Jack Costanzo. Most recently, they have completed remixes of Masters at Work's 'Brazilian Beat', and 'Honey' by Richard Dorfmeister's Tosca. Those who are into good music thus have already heard them. So to say, Jon K. Whitehouse and Gary Danks, a.k.a. the Funky Lowlives are no newcomers. Since they got together in 1998, they´ve been around with their own productions and remixes. It´s only that they´ve always been so busy DJing and remixing that it took them a little longer to finally realise their first proper artist album. Wait, yes, there already was the "Ascension presents: The Funky Lowlives" compilation that was earlier released by Stereo Deluxe with the best of all the early Funky Lo 12" material plus a few mixes were summarized, but with "Cartouche", the two Londoners present ten brand new tracks fresh out of the box. As with their earlier productions, "Cartouche" is shaped by the very particular Funky Lowlives sound. Though, as in their own words, they´ve "never set out to make a trademark sound", one can naturally comment on their music as being "theirs". You may grasp it right from the first few beats of the opening track "Saturn Return": The music is a Hi-Fi mosaic of jam sessioned vibes and masterful studio acrobatics. After the third or fourth track you´ll realise: The sound is fueled by a polymorph musical liquid that soaks various grooves in different intensities with latin flavours, a funky feel, folky tunes or a dubbed out, laidback attitude. Add to that a playful, yet gracious idea of music and sound engineering free of samples, plus smooth vocals that capture the listeners ear very subtly. The female vocalist on "Cartouche" is by Clare Szembek, whose distinguished and unique vocal style perfectly matches the filigran beats. Nappy G, MC and percussionist from New York takes care of the rhymes. Summed up, you have the Funky Lowlives sound. It´s the best in true Zeitgeist acoustics that pulls the rug under the accusation of trendy elevator music with light amusement. "Cartouche" gives you instantly the impression of two classically trained musicians that have fallen for the colorful joys of electronica without leaving their musical knowledge behind. Composition, character, vibe and ways of production of the Funky Lowlives appear as a hybrid of electro-acoustic ideology and traditional ways of making music. It´s organic, yet clearly stemming from microchip based technology. The musical bandwidth, the far reaching frame of production and the great musical talents of Jon K.Whitehouse and Gary Danks have made "Cartouche"an uniquely light listening experience. Excitedly we can wait for their first steps in live in concert performance that the Funky Lowlives plan for summer. Until then, we enjoy ourselves with "Cartouche".
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