Psychedelic Rock, Funk & Cinematic Soul instrumentals from the U.K’s East coast…
Yes, you did read that right!! Today’s funky find was born in the UK, introducing groove and style in the form of heady basslines, crisp-cut beats and funk guitar. Issuing their debut album last November, Pleasurewood emits the kind of style you would expect from sun-drenched beaches, but their raw, authentic psychedelic soul emerges from an “antiquated theme park” in the East of the UK – and this is where their name comes from!
This really cool collaboration between Paul Elliott (musician/producer/DJ/designer) and Anthony Donje sees the pair working together once more – as previously they had worked together as Eleven76.
Working my way through their debut offering, They Live, I love the authentic flavours these tasty, library-inspired sounds leave on the palate! I also love that a place like like Pleasurewood Hills has inspired such coolness!! Who would’ve thought, eh!
Further to the information I have just provided, their Bandcamp page creates a picture from which this new project was birthed, detailing “…a theme park that sits just north of the most Easterly town in the UK and boasts of thrilling and very antiquated rides that are constantly in danger of breaking down and where Exotica and Kitsch rub shoulders with heart attack inducing sudden drops into the void and where a technician can be seen often running from one ride to the other in a state of constant anxiety. Not only the place where Pleasurewood’s Paul Elliott and Anthony Donje draw their name from but also a pretty apt analogue for their debut LP on Farfalla Records.”
‘They Live’ is a trip through a cinematic funk-o-rama of French inspired 60’s and 70’s gauche TV beats and 70’s and 80’s Simla beat Mumbai synth rock. Glassy Vox Continental leads give way to purring Hammond Organ passages. The back beat is always underpinned by the drums and spicy percussion of Elliott. Chanted vocals are drifting in and out of consciousness- Jimmy Raney esque noodlings of jazz guitar played by Donje nimbly step across the stereo field. Both musicians compose and contribute guitar, bass and avian synthesisers….”
Taken from their debut LP, Ghost Ship has a deliciously dark and looming bassline that bubbles below the surface like the rumbles of a storm. Crisp drums clatter together as if shaping the clash of this gathering menace and somewhere from in between these two forces marches out a groove. This groove is funk-shaped and pours out in the form of a smooth melody, rich in all its hot, ear-melting glory! This is a great tune!
Check it out above and if you fancy listening to the rest of the album, you can find that pasted below!
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