On a weekly basis, The Groove Seeker goes in search of killer grooves across rock, funk, hip hop, soul, electronic music, jazz, fusion, and more.
Thunderball: 12 Mile High (ESL Music, 11/9/2010)
Thunderball: “Make Your Move”
[audio:http://alarm-magazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/11/03-Thunderball-Make-Your-Move.mp3|titles=Thunderball: “Make Your Move”]Thievery Corporation’s Eighteenth Street Lounge Music record label has been releasing downtempo and electronic music since its establishment in 1996. As one of the label’s original artists, Thunderball has been on the cusp of the genre, its music known for its cinematic quality and global sound. From Bristol-style drum and bass, 1970s blaxploitation soundtracks, and Afro-dub, to funky Bollywood sitars, lounge-centric jazz riffs, and futuristic synth lines, making it sound cohesive is a feat in itself. 12 Mile High, Thunderball’s fourth full-length recording, is yet another musical journey through the group’s signature sound.
The Washington, DC-based trio is composed of Rob Myers, Steve Raskin, and Sid Barcelona. Since their 1999 debut release Ambassadors of Style, when it was only a Barcelona and Raskin DJ duo, Thunderball’s sound has evolved into something more than mere downtempo.
It was on the 2001 album, Scorpio Rising, when Barcelona and Raskin began incorporating live instruments into their sessions—with long-time collaborator Rob Myers on guitar—and a distinct sound began to emerge. But after the record, the band took a break from ESL Music for a different venture. Along with John Horvath, the four musicians began making party-rocking break beats as Fort Knox Five, releasing music on their newly established budding funk and soul record label, Fort Knox.
After a five-year hiatus from ESL and the official addition of Myers into the group, Thunderball released Cinescope in 2006. The album was equipped with an impressive arsenal of guest vocalists, including Miss Johnna M., Mustafa Akbar, and electro hip-hop legend, Afrika Bambaataa.
Thunderball’s latest record is a summation of old and new sonic influences that could have only been made after a decade’s worth of releases. Album opener “Enter the Brahmin” stages a grand opening for the whole album. Even after the beat kicks in, listeners are transported to the Indian subcontinent while the sitar-driven track gives route to complementing Middle Eastern rhythms.
The album’s worldliness does not stop there. Zeebo provides the vocals for “Dub Science,” a subterranean-grooved track that uses classic dub sounds and drum kits. The track has a thick sonic component with echoed samples, wah-wah pedaled guitars, and a tight brass section, but it is all smoothed out by Zeebo’s vocal performance. “Low Down Weather” showcases Myers’ guitar chops in an Italian- and Spanish-fused rhythm. Standout track “Rico Ritmo” has the same Spanish flair, but over a drum and bass beat straight from England.
The trio recruited Akbar’s vocals once again in “Make Your Move,” one of the album’s most audibly accessible tracks. The song is easy on the ears partly due to Akbar’s soulful crooner voice, but the track also takes on the sweet sound of Philadelphia soul. Broken up by a number of uptempo breaks, the song’s overall mood makes it sound like it could be a B-side cut from Curtis Mayfield’s Superfly.
12 Mile High is not a far departure from Thunderball’s cinematic jet-setter persona; the album is a solid assortment of blockbuster beats and ambitious sound implements. With so many musical influences at play, there’s always the danger of coming off tacky and artless. Thunderball deftly steers clear of these trappings; 12 Mile High is a sophisticated effort that speaks the global language of groove.