Ubiquity Records
(June 7, 2011)
9.0
I wasn’t exactly sure what to think of Ikebe Shakedown. Not being familiar with the group, my only point of reference were such buzzwords as “funk,” “Afrobeat,” and “revival;” the last of these being the most telling. A popular treatment by contemporary artists is the reappropriation of past fashions. More often than not, the attempts of said artists fall haphazardly into a contrived pool of clichés. The sound would come off more forced than felt. Simply put, I’ve learned that in music, it is usually best to leave the past in the past. This was my line of thinking going into my first listening session of the group’s self-titled debut. Several listens later, I realized that Ikebe Shakedown wasn’t faking the funk.
The minute I pressed play, I was overwhelmed by what I was hearing. As an enthusiast of the Blaxploitation film genre, I couldn’t help but feel as if I was listening to a modern day soundtrack from the likes of Curtis Mayfield or Willie Hutch. The album carries a certain soulful grit; so much so that it’s easy to get lost in present-day reality. “Is this seriously from 2011?” I often wondered. You see, at its core, Ikebe Shakedown isn’t trying to be funk. It just is. This isn’t a careless cover job attempting to evoke the soulful appeal of former genres. It’s an honest step back in time. What Ikebe Shakedown has managed to do, in their first major release, is something that modern artists have been attempting to capture for quite some time – authenticity of past sounds.
The album immediately hits hard, with a preview of what is to come, on the opening track “Tujunga.” Instantly, the listener is introduced to a simplistic form that efficiently and effectively utilizes a smooth drum pattern with an unadulterated horn section. Their minimalist approach seems to accurately capture the era from which they are borrowing. Even when the album inserts a guitar rhythm section into the mix, on the proceeding track “Kumasi Walk,” the sound remains incredibly organic. With a laidback vibe, it effortlessly slides along, never losing its natural feel
Grab a free download of “Tunjunga” here.
Ikebe Shakedown – Tujunga by noraritchie
The highlight of the album for me was the infectious track, “Tame the Beats.” If there was ever a moment in which I wanted to break out my finest James Brown impersonation, adlibs, foot shuffles and all, it was at this moment. This funk-oriented groove is the perfect score to a 70s Saturday night. It already has a place in my next house party set list.
Closing the album is the mellow “Green and Black.” Once again, riding a simplistic, yet active chord structure, this composition lets the horn section loose as they drive the track quite well. It’s the perfect ending to an adventurous trip through time.
The debut album for Ikebe Shakedown is successful in that it manages to present an older sound to a modern audience in an incredibly natural way. Had I not known otherwise, I would assume that this was another lost album found while digging in the crates for the next great Hip-Hop sample. That’s just how natural this album feels. The sound is far from manufactured and completely comfortable amongst its predecessors. Seemingly built for a much larger stage, I can only imagine how this collective sounds live. For now, however, I will keep this album on repeat as one of the best releases of the year, thus far.
