Drifting in from the outer reaches of the Funky Way for the New Year is Ukrainian producer Jad Abstrock with the cosmic sounds of his new album Edge Of The Galaxy. In truth, this collection of space-funky grooves has actually been out since the end of November, and news of its release reached outlying receivers at MB Towers just under a week after that. But hey – what’s the best part of a month between friends? The universe is a big place – especially with successive seasonal singularities like Christmas and New Year taking place in the intervening time.
However, as with all things that fly in from outer space, close inspection is warranted – admittedly with some caution. I think everyone knows by now the sort of body invasion that can result from too close an inspection of alien lifeforms. Luckily, the only orifice Edge Of The Galaxy will be penetrating is your earholes – and happily for them, you’re liable to enjoy the experience. The instrumental cuts that make up the seventies/ sci-fi-obsessed Abstrock’s LP veer from cinematic downtempoisms to four-to-the-floor numbers like the intriguingly named Clean Your House and, even more club-friendly Light’n Up. The likes of opener, The Story Of A Man and Message are reminiscent of something Dan The Automator and Prince Paul might have cooked up for their Handsome Boy Modelling School project, while Interstellar is twenty-first century lounge music. Planet On Paril and Pink Elephants on the other hand have more of a DOOM/ Special Herbs feel and the soulful cinematic Deep Night is very much on an Apollo Brown tip. For the monkey’s favourite though – head straight for the cinematic boom-bap of Outpost Of Jupiter. See, I told you you’d like it. Oh – and don’t expect anything to last more than two and a half minutes either. Just as well the man’s included nineteen tracks.
(Out now HERE)