It’s only been a year to the month since catchy funky fusion art collective Loud Apartment released their ‘System Breakdown’ LP, produced by the legendary Bill Laswell and recorded at Orange Music in West Orange, New Jersey. Fast-forward to December 10 when the band releases their third album, entitled ‘New Future’. It was also produced by Laswell and features a guest appearance by Garrison Hawk, famed for his many notable collaborations including with Tricky. Sly & Robbie, Roger Sanchez and Armand Van Helden, DJ Excel and Smoothe da Hustler, the Method Of Defiance collective, Teddy Afro, Gigi, King Jammy and dancehall legends Beenie Man and Joe Lickshot.
Right from the first notes of this song, the tempo and groove get your body moving. Goosebumps are in order once the brass section comes in (don’t worry, they’ll kick in even when you’re not expecting them). Professional production and a really cool 80s breakdance / funk vibe will give you a slight flashback to the days of Grandmaster Flash, but the inclusion of Latin instruments and flute are the icing on the cake, simultaneously reminding us that we are in the 200s. If you listen to the words, you’d have to say that this is perhaps the most democratic human-spirit loving song about technology itself. “Technology is For the People”. It certainly should be, right? Ultimately, this is a groove-filled exploration of the power of music to bring everyone together and remind us of what is important, along with society’s mishaps.
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This collective surrounds frontman Nevaris A.C. (voice, percussion, keyboards), the band’s current lineup also including Bill Laswell on bass, turntablist DJ Logic, multi-instrumentalist Peter Apfelbaum (flute/sax), guitarist Will Bernard and drummer Lockatron. Together, they create kickass and unmistakably awesome fusion between funk, soul and rock with Latin, reggae, dub and hip hop. Inspired by growing up on the old upper west side and influenced by such artists as Parliament-Funkadelic, Miles Davis, Santana, Gil Scott Heron, Mongo Santamaria and Ray Barretto, their sound embodies the intersection of culture that is New York City, loose enough to give room for improvisation and extended grooves.
“The album looks to the future with hope but not in a naive way. There’s a lot of trouble in the world right now especially with regards to the environment and human rights. It’s an urgent plea for radical change and a different world. A new future As the lyrics read, “technological revolution can bring solutions / innovation creation no degradation no pollution / too much exploitation from the governments and corporations / privacy invasion intrusion and manipulation,” says Nevaris A.C.
‘New Future’ is an album that presents the sound of New York Fusion – a blend of sounds that have Funk as a core ingredient. Largely influenced by music from the ’70s and early ’80s, this is actually a modern sound that pays respect to the music of New York. For this release, Bill Laswell created three Dub mixes from the tracks, which were designed as the second side of the vinyl pressing. These mixes create a sonic landscape reflecting on the themes of ‘Technology’, ‘Rebellion’ and ‘Rhythm and Rhyme’.
The band debuted in 2012 with their ‘Get Up Get Down’ LP, mixed by Bill Laswell and featuring Bernie Worrell (P-Funk, Talking Heads), who also appeared with them for live performances at Galapagos Art Space, Drom, and Public Assembly in NYC. In 2019, Nevaris approached Bill Laswell about working with him and drummer Lockatron on new material. From the first time playing together in the studio the new project took off.
As of November 9, ‘Technology’ will be available via Bandcamp and is also being offered as an instant grat download upon ordering the full ‘New Future’ album. On December 10, this long-player will be released digitally across platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music.
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TRACK LIST
1. Rhythm and Rhyme
2. Technology
3. Blessing
4. Rebellion
5. Dub Rhythm
6. Dub Technology
7. Dub Rebellion
ALBUM CREDITS
Nevaris A.C.: voice, electric piano, hammond organ, congas, percussion
Bill Laswell: bass
DJ Logic: turntables
Lockatron: drums
Will Bernard: guitar
Peter Apfelbaum: tenor saxophone, flute, melodica
Garrison Hawk: vocals on ‘Rebellion’ and ‘Dub Rebellion’
Produced by Bill Laswell
Created at Orange Music, West Orange, NJ
Engineered by James Dellatacoma
Mastered by Michael Fossenkemper at Turtletone Studio, NYC
Cover Illustration by José Ortiz
All songs written by Nevaris and Bill Laswell except ‘Rebellion’ and ‘Dub Rebellion’
by Nevaris, Bill Laswell, and Garrison Hawk
Horn arrangements by Peter Apfelbaum.
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