All Town Sound レコード& CD

Review: A gentle psychedelic downtempo single offering from 10-piece Californian Afro-funk group In Motion Collective. While there are too many musicians to sing all their praises equally, Joe Harrison and Dillon Casey do fantastic guitar work on side A with 'Hong Sau', featuring a reverse guitar solo. The track is mellow and not too far removed from the realm of Lo-FI Hip-hop, it's cinematic and beautiful but still packs a punch despite its gentle nature. 'Elephant Walk', as the name would imply, is more forceful with its guitar riffs and percussion, done by the talented Mitchum Yacoub. The track is a theatrical groover that doesn't take itself too seriously, despite its rich and detailed instrumental. You can listen to these songs over and over and hear something new each time - or so I would hope with it being 10 people and all.

Review: Living High in the Brass Empire is Mitchum Yacoub's latest showcase in personal stylings of tropical funk, afrobeat, cumbia, and soul; a musical patchwork threaded by a heavy, hypnotic rhythm section and powerfully vibrant horn lines. What sounds like a 12-piece ensemble was actually mostly recorded and performed by Yacoub at his home in San Diego, featuring a few close friends from local groups Sure Fire Soul Ensemble and Boostive. You'll hear rhythms from Colombia; folkloric Cuban percussion; interlocking grooves a la Fela Kuti; a 70s r&b influence and something ineffably brilliant gluing it all together.