KERBSIDE COLLECTION - REMIXED AND REWORKED

Not known for his prolific output, Melbourne producer Ennio Styles makes a surprisingly quick return following his recent remix (with Cy Gorman) for London's Los Charly's Orchestra. This time it's the turn of Brisbane's retro jazz-funkers Kerbside Collection for German label Légère. Ennio takes the downtempo Meters-style funk of 'Sweet Like Nectar' and completely flips it into a B-boy disco funk monster. It gets started sounding like a lost early 70s session from ESG, all percussion, heavy snare fills and Jez O'Connor's Fender bass. Then midway it's as though Nile Rodgers and his friends crash the studio, with layers of guitar, horns and flutes joining the party. Ennio Styles again brings his distinctive approach to the art of sampling, with every sound in this remix taken from the back catalogue of the Légère family of labels, yet somehow keeping a very 'live' feel. Even the added keyboards by James Bowers (JamBow/Kirkis/Sex on Toast) are played on sampled sounds.

Kerbside Collection - are an all instrumental jazz funk and rare groove ensemble from the inner suburbs of Brisbane/Queensland/Australia. ‘A gritty rhythm section of old school drums and fender or upright bass, alongside funky hammond and rhodes, with some sweet George Benson-ish jazz guitar licks on top.’ The sound harks back to the 60’s and 70’s Californian West Coast jazz funk music of artists such as Wes Montgomery, George Benson, Chico Hamilton, Joe Sample and The Crusaders, whilst tipping its’ hat to today’s contemporaries keeping the ‘feel’ alive (Soulive, Bobby Hughes, James Taylor, Eddie Roberts & the New Mastersounds, Cookin on 3 Burners, Mattson 2, Frootful, Stance Brothers etc). Their debut LP 'Mind the Curb' was released May 2013 on Indie German funk label Legere Recordings and P-Vine Records to wide acclaim in funk and soul circles from UK to Japan.