Having west coast roots plays a huge part in how I view Sundays. Sundays are reserved as a day to kick it, ride around until the sun goes down, and hit the park for afternoon/evening activities. These could be unofficial car shows, bbq w/the homies and family or the always present Sunday night basketball games. What makes these nights so memorable is the soundtrack to the evening. You HAVE to, as the homies would say, “have some beats”. This is no joke.
Dam Funks debut album ToEachIzOwn is perfect Sunday night music, as it definitely “has some beats”. Lots of synths combined w/classic West snares and drums let this music just take you on a smooth ride, whether you’re going to the DMV, taking a trip to Va Beach or leaving the Go-Go. A perfect example of this is “Come On Outside”. If you’ve ever sought perfection in a song this is it (WHAT!). Dam’s vocals, combined with an echoing effect, blend in perfectly with the echoed snare (you gotta hear this, very ill). Lush keyboards create a groove filled sonic landscape which forces you to nod your head and just feel cool listening to this. Another standout track, “The Sky Is Ours”, has perfectly timely synths and a thumping 808 which creates another head nodding anthem. Dams minimal vocals only add to the track and assist the instrumentation in shining through on this song.
Dam’s sound is heavily influenced by the 80s electro, funk, and boogie that he plays when he spins. There are hints of Roger Troutman, Kraftwerk, and just about any other genre bending artist from the early to mid 80s that you can think of. There are synths upon synths and enough bass for al 2.5 hours of music the CD encompasses. This is mood music @ its finest….you’ll sing along, you’ll nod your head, you’ll tell your passenger to shut up because its THAT good. Of course there are a few “huhs”, “i’ll come back to that one”, and “maybe laters”, but thats to be expected when you’re truly breaking boundaries with an album and challenging the listener. Simply put: Buy Dam Funks ToEachIzOwn and you’ll instantly get your Sunday cool on.
Some recent press coverage of Dam…
Dam Funk Record Release Party @ CMJ
LA Times: Dam Funk: In With The New, Out With The Old
Stones Throw X Stussy DC X Interview from ABB VIDEO on Vimeo.