Those who grew up during the glory days of Hip-Hop and the times of the reemerging rare grooves period in England and The U.S. understands one thing, funk and soul lies in the DNA of the scenes. From the early deejays juggling funk breaks to the producer digging for hard to find records to sample from, it’s been this sound that has consistently lived generation after generation. So what happens when you take an established deejay in Hip-Hop and a multi-instumentalist whose band has supported acts such as Lyn Collins and Blowfly? You get Hamburg Germany’s Pitch & Scratch whose latest release “Together” sparks that same feeling of nostalgia similar to digging in the crates and finding that rare jewel of a funk and soul LP.
Tracks such as “Papa Never Was a Genius” featuring the vocals of Wayne Martin epitomizes the body of funk with its downbeat rhythm, sharp horns, guitar plucking and even funky organ. “Breakers Delight” and “Road to Saturn”, which sounds like the Black Byrds were live in the studio, are a Hip-Hop deejay or dancer’s wet dream. The up-rock flair of the tunes will work wonders on the dance floor.
What makes this record so enjoyable is that it’s not just a flash to the past that sounds like another do over release, this takes pieces of the blueprint and pushes the sound forward to the now, not to mention that the music sounds full and complete with instrumentation. This is definitely a must have for the collection.