Cartouche
CD SD 088-2
Release Date 08.07.2002
Ladies and gentlemen,
Stereo Deluxe is very proud to present the debut
album of London´s Funky Lowlives: "Cartouche".
It´s their premier release in a full scale
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".
