Confunktion Records label founder and German funk/breaks
producer Mr. Confuse returns with his fifth full-length and third original
studio album “Only A Man”, a very personal record that explores the man behind
the music. From well-known soul topics of love and hate to social issues of
modern life – this full-length is all about an odyssey through time, rhythm and
music.
The way Mr. Confuse produces his music is inspired by
growing up with the 90s hip hop production technique of creating something new
by referencing unheard funk and soul. For this album the process involved
sampling and resampling the recordings of up to 16 international musicians to
create an organic, powerful, authentic and danceable funk sound, which can be
heard in each and every second of this record.
Opening titletrack “Only A Man” sees long-time Mr. Confuse
collaborator Dan Salem take the mic to lament the difficulty of day to day
living over a guitar-led uptempo funk workout. Dan also appears on jazzy soul
number “Only Rainbows” and “The Modern Way”. While “Same Old Game feat. Leo
Will” is a sister soul stormer for lovers of deep funk and northern soul alike,
with blazing organ and standout vocals.
Twisting electro funk from the 80s into heavy 60s and
70s-sounding funk that could have been the blueprint for the original version
has long been a defining characteristic of Mr. Confuse‘s sound. On this album
he re-funks well-known freestyle electro classic “Let The Music Play” by
Shannon, with Manoo contributing vocals.
“Can’t Be No Crime feat. Rick” dips into latin-funk
territory and “Cranberry Dream feat. Elaine Thomas” closes the album with some
sweet, sweet soul. But Mr. Confuse proves he can equally hold up a track on his
own, with surefire b-boy favorites to be found in instrumentals “Gain Station”,
“Fast Lane” and “Against All Odds”. And the infectious future jazz grooves of
“Rush Zone” make this tune another album highlight.
It may be ‘only a man’ behind composing, producing,
arranging, mixing, recording, organizing, promoting and performing abroad, but
when that man is Mr. Confuse, it takes “Only A Man” to get the job done well.
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