The Cold Busted label continues its foray into global funk with Poland’s purveyor of old school beats, the intriguingly named LoopMaffia. 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 album for the label, LoopMaffia now unveils his latest concoction in the form of FunkISH. This fifteen track album masterfully blends sonic snatches of vintage vinyl with contemporary arrangements and beats suitable for 21st century dance floors. The citywide strut of “Smaak Dealer,” with its funky flute and urban prowl, rubs shoulders with the soaring strings and soul diva vocals of “Baby Blue Sky.” Meanwhile, “Tha Thang” revels in its car chase rhythm and meaty organ riffs as the loping junkyard funk of “Cheech & Chong” reels in the heads hanging low in the alley. These are just a few of the highlights, and LoopMaffia’s got many more in store.
All Good Funk Alliance - “This is strong.”
Kid Loco - “Great stuff, different moods.”
Simon Hodge (Funk & Soul Show, BBC 6 Music) - “I’m really impressed … well funky!”
Quincy Jointz - “Wow - this is a damn hot EP. Love all songs. Massive support guaranteed.”
Danny Massure (Spring Strut) - “Wow, this whole damn thing is amazing.”
Sneak-E Pete (Blunted Funk) - “Like a ride on a spaceship with Bootsy Collins as the pilot. Love this.”
DJ Chicken George - “Outstanding!”
Stickybuds (Goodgroove Records) - “This album is freaking awesome.”
Flashbaxx (Baxxbeat Music) - “Great audio bullets for the dance floor.”
Sharif Galal (Triple J Radio, Australia) - “I love every track. This is the best modern funk I’ve heard in a while. I can’t get enough of it.”
Mojo Rising - “How can you go wrong with a track called ‘Cheech & Chong’?”
Jamie Topham (CDPool) - “Cool stuff … a nice mix of rare groove, jazz, funk, and downtempo.”
Dr. Best (Radio Z, Germany) - “Yeah, a solid piece of funk … nice!”
DJ Tomas (Friday Night Session, KUSF) - “Nice tracks, taking edit culture a step further into dramatic productions. Well done.”
DJ Nova (Rodon FM) - “LoopMaffia rocks the soul and gives me another reason why Cold Busted is so exciting. The heavy soul mixed with funk sampled hip hop dance grooves don’t stop!”
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) - “Funky as f*ck, people!”
Available now from Beatport and and The Cold Busted Shop.