Steve Soulbasics :: "Kuchwa" Remixes
Review by Terry Matthew | Published May 2008 | Review Archives
Afro-Funk is more than just adding a tribal beat and some incomprehensible chant to the mix. It's actually sort of bothered me for a minute that so many folks have played around with really cheap effects to get that "Ron Trent" sound, without bringing any of Ron Trent's musicality or (this is the point here) appreciation for the culture that inspired this music. In the end, you get something about as authentic as a swami playing a flute in a Bugs Bunny cartoon.
It's good to see that Steve SoulBasics understands this, as he shows on these remixes of his "Kuchwa" single from 2007. The remixes (brand new from Miami) have some rough edges, which actually makes them all the more listenable in my opinion. The More Keys Mix and SITC Mute Pass are both funky and tribal without ever getting repetitive, while the BSC Deep Mix cools it down for some ultra-deep dancefloor heat. The Jay Tripwire Mix is probably the most "clubby" of the mixes and probably the one you're most likely to hear on a standard night out - using some elements of the original to offset a harder sound. This is what art is about: grabbing influences and reincorporating them into your own sound and vision.
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