A Higher Frequency by The Mighty Mocambos - Mocambo [MLP1014]

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A Higher Frequency

The Mighty Mocambos

A 10 track funk album (33m 16s) — released June 6th 2025 on Mocambo

#soul #funk

Germany's iconic deep funk collective digs into a new soundscape: "A Higher Frequency" was recorded with a nine-piece live to tape at legendary MPS studio in the Black Forest, adding an airy, jazzy flavour to their trademark raw and breaks-heavy funk. Ten tracks full of spiritual grooves, soulful themes, loose funkiness and organic interplay, captured with state-of-the-art 1960s gear in a super-vibey room - but the title A Higher Frequency is not just about the pristine analogue sound quality of the recording, it is also a reference to a trancendant wavelength where minds meet and music connects.

Together with long-time friends and collaborators Daniel Kimaz on flute and Guillame Métenier, who worked his magic on the studio's historic Bösendörfer grand piano and Hammond organ, the group spent a week in the Black Forest, with full focus on the mission to capture the live energy and togetherness of the ensemble.

The result is an album bursting with positive energy and power, rooted in a universal funk groove with excursions into many colourful branches like outernational, cinematic, soulful jazz, psychedelic & disco.

The common thread is a propulsive, driving-forward feel: "Open The Gate" welcomes us with hard-hitting breakbeats and dramatic crime brass, followed by the cool groovin' piano-led soul jazz of "Get Loose", while "Spinning" takes us on a ride through cinematic horn choruses and folky-psych flute and guitars. "Back And Better" is Nichola Richards' time to shine, laying her sweet vocals over the sparse hiphop-infused soul beat to tell a comeback story. "Sweet Company" is a lighthearted uptempo tune inspired by TV and library themes of the 1960s. The swampy groove of "Sparks Of Joy" best reflects the fun of the band playing together and "Phantom Power" combines a trademark Mocambo breakin' theme with an unusual instrument, an electric phin from Thailand – a nod to the many so-called "world music jazz" recordings that the MPS studio gave birth to. On "Can't Stop This Fire", soul singer Carlton Jumel Smith from New York City takes over the mic as a special guest and brings the house down with a heavy funk delivery. "When We Roll" builds another highlight where bouncy drums play off disco-jazz horn themes and finally, the gospel-flavoured cine-soul epic "Homebound" drives it all home.

Credits:

SASCHA WEISE drums

VICTOR KOHN bass

BJÖRN WAGNER guitar

GUILLAUME MÉTENIER grand piano, organ & clavinet

BERNHARD HUMMER baritone & tenor saxophones

BEN GREENSLADE-STANTON trombone

SEBASTIAN DRESCHER trumpet, flugelhorn & electric phin

NICHOLA RICHARDS percussion & vocals

DANIEL KIMAZ flutes

The lead vocal on CAN'T STOP THIS FIRE is by Carlton Jumel Smith with vocal backings by Miles King, Victor Kohn & Nichola Richards.

Recorded at MPS STUDIO, Villingen, Black Forest

with SABA console and 16-track tape machine

Recording engineer and tape operator: Tim Heumesser

Re-mix and mastering engineer: Steffen Wagner

Lacquer cut: Martin Sukale

Cover photo: Ben Greenslade-Stanton

Album design: Lasse Singelmann

PRODUCED BY BJÖRN WAGNER
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