Back catalogue: Funk

Review: What's important is to spread confusion, not eliminate it: Estonian production master Misha Panfilov knows this as much, running a carefully-curated imagecraft cartel, in which his many aliases confound and bemuse us into believing his many works are the doing of someone else. Case in point: At first glance, we were well-duped into believing Penza Penza were some kind of exotic psych supergroup lost to time, but a deeper investigation as to the origin of the alias indeed reveals the singular force of Panfilov to be the artist behind these tracks. It's no wonder the A-sider is called 'Deep Dive', affirming our propensity for curious, almost forensic suspicion as to its true origins. A serene groove of just-intoned riffs and sizzlingly offbeat hits, this one's certainly a solid accompaniment for your next mescaline dabbling. Meanwhile, we're happy to award the B-sider with "banger of the year so far" - 'My Friend Ash' is an ecstatic mover, as deceivingly retro as it is beguiling, with stabbing counterpoints and wild toppers, as suitable for the club as it is would've been for some kind of 70s hoedown.

Review: Penza Penza, led by Misha Panfilov, is back with a fourth LP, Alto E Primitivo, which was recorded at private events in Funchal, Portugal, and Tallinn, Estonia. The album underscores Panfilov's genre-blending prowess on Detroit's Funk Night Records across 14 tracks that blend deep grooves, intricate guitars, and soulful rhythms from psychedelia to garage rock. The dynamic tracks showcase the groups' newly matured sound with refined production that will find favour with fans of Khruangbin and The Budos Band. Tracks like 'Wacky,' 'Pterodactyl,' and 'Boo Hoo Boogaloo' highlight their instrumental prowess while occasional distorted vocals add texture. Alto E Primitivo then is another gem from Penza Penza.