The Cold Busted label showcases their international bona fides with a collaborative album involving two producers separated by a half-world's distance. From one side of the globe comes Jenova 7, known to friends as Michael J. Sirois, a multimedia artist from Boston and a member of trip-hop trio Wax Triptych (with Mononome and Mr. Moods). Then all the way over in Ulyanovsk, Russia is the young producer Eddie Shinn, author of the acclaimed Cold Busted debut The Plastic Jam as well as The Third Is Not Superfluous, his album in cahoots with Step. Now, A Cosmic Safari takes this international concept and launches it skyward … the album's songs take place in an intergalactic sound-space. There's "Flying Cabs", which envisions a future that's funky and bright, with hip hop beats, chiming Rhodes piano, squelchy synth lines, and trippy guitar riffs. A "Cosmic Girl" is encountered, loose and free, with an '80s style rhythm embellished by cowbell percussion and floating melodies. "Intergalactic Noir" could signal a new eponymous genre, displaying a distinctive drum beat underneath funky flutes, cool keys, and the sound of space pals getting down. These are just three of A Cosmic Safari's eleven tracks, and Jenova 7 & Eddie Shinn have delivered a full set that is out of this world.
Kid Loco - "Great piece of work."
All Good Funk Alliance - "Dope stuff as always. 'Cosmic Girl' and 'Flying Cabs' both got that bump … so tight."
Belabouche (Midnight Riot / DiscoDat) - "Good solid tunes … will play!"
Inland Knights - "This is sounding sweet."
Quincy Jointz (Timewarp) - "Damn … groovy and fresh. I dig it."
Mason Rothert (Below Zero Radio Show) - “Love this vibe!”
Jon Fugler (Fluke / XLNT Radio Show) - "'Neon Garden' is a little gem, very easy on the ear and with shades of the late, great Mike Kandel, which is no bad thing."
DJ Love (Stellar Music) - "I like the abstract feel … the beats are inventive and unique."
Zac Love (Belmar Sol) - "Well done. Genre-pushing space beats that keep the listener interested from front to back."
Adam Warped (Whiskey Pickle / Strange Days) - "I'm definitely feeling the funky cosmic weirdness."
Double-D (Funky Fresh Radio Show) - "Rockin' fresh."
Marc Lacasse (sHIFT Radio Show) - "Cosmic and moody futuristic funk surrounds each track with a positive vibe."
Clairvo (Tilos Radio, Hungary) - "The proper amount of hip-hop, proper amount of experimentalism, proper amount of soul … this EP has got a unique balance to it."
Aja Allsop (Ketch A Vibe Radio Show) - "Totally fills the need for the cosmic wanting!"
Available from Beatport, Juno Download, iTunes, and Bandcamp