- Kerbside Collection, an instrumental jazz funk group from Brisbane have released their second album's worth of remixes. On Smoke Signals - Remixed a host of producers remodel Kerbside’s original material, a number of international, Australian and Brisbane musicians being featured.
Of the Australian remixers represented, Horatio Luna is first cab off the rank. Luna (La Sape et al, previously in 30/70) kicks the comp off with a remix of Yellow Fever, its march-like drums giving way to a something entirely different towards the end. Brisbane’s own Blunted Stylus (Jigzaw Geoff, Resin Dogs) brings some stripped down disco-vibes on his remix of Traffic. I love the looped, thumping bass guitar, organ stabs and flute! Another of Brisbane’s own, beat-maker Bakmahn provides two remixes of Little Mountain – the first a downtempo numver teases a sultry electric groove from Kerbside Collective. A slowed down sax line keeps the song moving, with hazy production qualities, before dissolving at the end. He serves up Jackin’ Rewerk to take things in an uptempo house direction.
Local MVP Sam Stosuur (of Middle Name Dance Band, Astro Travelers, Tiana Khasi, Sampology) provides one of my favourites of the bunch: a heavyily funky remix Afro Struttin'. The instrumental starts off slow -percussion and synths building- before a great, rolling bassline comes in. Things go up and down (that’s jazz) before a saxophone breakdown leads into an organ/synth solo. Sabrosa, still another Brisbane luminary, brings out the afrobeat elements in their own remix of Afro Stuttin'. It's nice to be able to say that the local content is met, pound for pound but not exceeded, by some mixes from international artists Grant Phabao, Chikashi Nishiwaki & Emi, and Mzuzu. (I also enjoyed the drum and bass remix from Akirpap).
The remix album is an interesting format – and one I’m glad Kerbside Collection has stuck to a second time. Not only does it give you a different perspective on their original tracks, but also it gives a host of talent (particularly Brisbane talent) a chance to imprint themselves on it. In the course of doing so, the talented outfit show that they haven't sprung out of nowhere: Brisbane is a fecund seedbed for jazz, groove, funk, afrobeat and more. Kerbside better get busy on a new album so we can have another remix record of this calibre.
- Hillfolk.