Just over a year after his last golden-funk full length for the Cold Busted label, Poland's purveyor of old school beats -- the intriguingly named LoopMaffia -- is back. Inspired by the likes of DJ Premier and Pete Rock, LoopMaffia began working with sampled beats in the late ‘90s and soon was an instrumental member of Polish hip hop group Rap Kulminacja. After the group split up, LoopMaffia went back into the lab and ’back … back into time’ by finding new inspiration in the rhythms and sounds of classic funk, R&B, and soul. A regular fixture on the Cold Busted Bust Free series, as well as responsible for the Street Bangerz Volume 7 and FunkISH albums for the label, LoopMaffia brings his newest body of work, Letters From, into focus. He gets a boost from friends Toni Pereze and DJ Flovcut plus blood brother My Neighbour Is on the first and final cuts. Showcasing more of a classic-meets-contemporary blend on previous efforts, this album is all about bending ideas in a way that points towards the future. There's still some familiar, vintage sounds, but LoopMaffia plays with their malleability more this time around. Letters From is at its most exciting when the synths are put into overdrive, as on the boundary blurring nu-funk of "Future In The Past", "Funk On Water", and "The Rain Bringer". Further exploration into these new territories is also pervasive throughout the other cuts: from sublime strolls in the park, to evocative saxophone story telling, to the Spanish horn tango and gothically guttural outliers.
Opolopo - “I’m feeling ‘Future In The Past'!”
All Good Funk Alliance - “Dope beats … I’m loving this.”
Dogu (Ancient Astronauts / Switchstance) - "Good vibes right here … love the warm grooves."
Flashbaxx (BaxxBeatMusic) - “Really nice beat science going on here. I love the heavy swing in combination with the ‘real’ funky drums … nice tools for DJ'ing.”
Stickybuds (Goodgroove Records / Baffin Island Beat Brigade) - “Always cool stuff from these guys!”
Robin Parris (Parris & Vanucci / Dancefloor Outlaws) - “A fine selection of low slung, smokey basement beats. ‘Night Cruisin’ is the stand out track for me.”
Basement Freaks (Goodgroove / SunsetSoul) - “Soulful jams.”
tOtALcULt (Cult Music / NuFunk.net) - “Sublime, beautifully funky material … coming at it from a unique direction … just my cup of tea.”
Shantisan (Salted Soul) - “Beautiful album!”
Brandon Bass (Hub City Music / Mile High Sessions) - “Hot as expected … nice work!”
Raoul Lambert (We Play House Recordings) - “I really like that ‘Chasing Sun’ jam.”
DJ Rahdu (BamaLoveSoul) - “Jazzy and nice.”
Black Mighty Wax (Irma Records) - “Absolutely super … I’ll play all cuts, but ‘The Rain Bringer’ is an emotional experience for serious listeners.”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show, UK) - “Heavy, grinding funk that is absolutely brilliant stuff.”
DJ Doubles (Urgent FM, Belgium) - “Great stuff … loving the diversity!”
Marc Lacasse (sHIFT Radio / Jackhouse) - “Lots of sick, cut up and jazzy jams tossed in to funky effect … and some cinematic orchestration, too.”
Adrian Lugo (WEFT 90.1 FM, Illinois) - “Quality downtempo beats to make sure you recall the smokey days of summer.”
Available now from Beatport and The Cold Busted Shop.