If your experience of penguin-related funk to date is Rufus Thomas’s Funky Penguin you’d be justifiably wary of the concept of flightless Antarctic seabirds in a funk context. Enter veteran hip-hop producer and multi-instrumentalist Tom Caruana to remove the dubious taste of said ‘novelty single’ with new funk 45 Penguin Strut. An b-boy-friendly, upper-midtempo instrumental, it features wah-wah guitar (the sound of which is possibly the source of the track title) and features flute and sax solos. Drum break? You know TC’s got you covered there. B-side? Of course! Whadya think this is – one of those single-sided 45 type deals? So expect to find Pole Star on the flip (continuing the polar track name theme, if not a strictly southern hemisphere one) which promises to be slower and jazzier with more hip-hop friendly drums. The digital is out already but the vinyl, which is a 300-pressing run (one third transparent blue wax: two thirds black wax), drops the middle of next month.
(Out 17 October on Village Live Records)
