It is believed that our generation has a small audience for funk. It is further emphasized how today's musicians don't cater to the genre and therefore, the audience suffers from a lack of exposure. We are prone of fall into the stereotypes because there are few who choose to be different. Well, not in this case. Allow me to introduce you to a group of musicians who go by the name 'Groovetrap' and are indeed, struggling to create something different.
GT, short for 'Groovetrap' recently released their self-titled debut album and has caught the attention of many listeners and musicians already. The album is a pure breed of funk with jazz and rock thrown in awkward places. Experimentation at its core, what is most remarkable about the compilation is how daring the ternary has been in order to produce and record numbers as such that have yet to be proven commercially successful. This only goes to testify that we still have musicians amongst who us choose to be different and will stick with their own originality, irrespective of what the mass audience demands for.
The album opens with a vibrant combination of instruments and words in 'Ek Ochena'. It is taken from the song 'I Heard it through the Grapevine', co-written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, and tuned by The Funk Brothers. The number is said to be popularized by Marvin Gaye. Followed shortly by 'Keno Bolona' that begins with playful piano notes and flows smoothly into the vocals of Simin and Jasper. One of my personal favourites, the second track from the album is tuned and arranged by Saif Quadir. Incidentally, Quadir is the recording, mixing and mastering maestro behind the album and has done a splendid job out of it.
With soulful sax from Andrew Morris and commingling of various instruments, the songs uplift the listeners to another level of sensuousness. Different with each of their presentations; Saif, Simin and Jasper have managed to blend in their individual styles into a collective effort that reflects in all the numbers. The 9th and 10th tracks are in English with slap of rock, fast riffing, piano on the run and a hit of jazz; must favourites for anyone and everyone. Jasper's vocals shape into that of an early '70s entertainer and leave the listeners begging for more. The album closes with an instrumental titled 'Aphrodisiac', a 4-minute blend of funk and rock, smoothly thrown in the right places.
GT's self-titled debut comes in a sleek brass-metal coloured sleeve, redolent of the time of classics played in gramophones and smoky jazz clubs. With the trends diminishing, it is applaudable to listen to music that resonates experimentations from the early '70s. Released under Rage Records, 'Groovetrap' has indeed lived up to its name of bringing a groove to fall for.
