FunkinEven – Heart Pound review

The tenth release on Eglo, the label birthed by Floating Points and Alexander Nut, and yet another effortless slab of brilliance from London producer FunkinEven. A man who’s dazzled with subtly effervescent funk jams like “She’s Acid” and “Kleer”, not to mention his production work with Fatima (such as the floaty “Coming To America” tribute, “Soul Glo”) “Heart Pound” sees him go off on an acid-inspired tangent that once again showcases his incredible production skills.

Fans of old-school acid artists like K Alexi, Adonis and Blake Baxter will roll over with delight when they hear “Heart Pound”. With a classic 303 synth squall at the heart of it all, as well as galloping snares and a rock-solid kick anchoring the whole thing down, Funkineven multi-tracks his deep, commanding voice to create a call and response between him and his studio. When his chorus ends, cymbals and snares fill in the gaps making it a thrilling voyage – and one that never loses momentum thanks to his incredible arrangements and the host of subtle touches he adds to the motorik melody.

“Another Space” is even more hyped, and a true product of late ’80s hardcore. With chords cut up, pitch-shifted and resequenced to sound similar to The Latin Rascals seminal tape-edits, he drops a spanking Miami bass beat to really kick things off and let’s it ride out with cut-up vocal samples and flanged hi-hats keeping the momentum high throughout. Both tunes signal yet another subtle shift in direction for Funkineven – a bad move for most artists, but for this accomplished and forward-thinking producer, the sky really is the limit in terms of how dope and eclectic he can be.

Oliver Keens