Funkatears Electro – “Kurkuma” – creative and innovative electronic music!

Let’s get one thing straight right away: Funkatears Electro has not sold its creative soul to the mainstream devil on the new EP “Kurkuma”. Instead, singer, songwriter, producer, and project leader Úlf Lehmann aka Vonsoh, infuses his electronic experiments with plenty of new touches and unexpected twists. B.Bright and Leon Stevenson, who donate remixes to the title track, “Kurkuma”, also join in on the journey. Phiphono, who was also recently featured on FunkatearsmuSIC’s debut album, is represented, with his remix of “Rote Welle”.

Right from the opening track, “Omisphere Jey Jey”, Funkatears Electro show that the cerebral, more intricate side of electronic music hasn’t disappeared from the scene, you just need to find it. Here the project rolls out bold, banging percussion, growling basslines, and eerie synths. Vonsoh has been perfecting his forward-thinking mix of experimental music to the point that he is now almost beyond comparison. There is no boring moment in this song, even though it’s seven minutes long.

Complex cuts, instrumental juxtapositions, and tempo changes are frequent techniques for Funkatears Electro, while Vonsoh often pulls the tracks apart and then builds them back up. “Funky Tier” featuring Phiphono is full of details, infectious beats and glitchy sound evolutions. Here the sounds keep moving all the time. Funkatears Electro skillfully play with tension, constantly building and releasing it.

As a standalone piece the 8-minute title track, “Kurkuma” takes you on a wild ride, just like Vonsoh has done many times before. This is progressive electronic music at its best. Funkatears Electro always preserve hard-hitting rhythm, even though their tracks may carelessly wander to alien territories in between, and “Kurkuma” is no different. The track has a potent kinetic energy that constantly swings back and forth between percussion and synths. It sounds like the composition is deliberately designed to capitalize on this juxtaposition.

The combination of instruments, the epic build-up of tracks, along with some really smart compositional work, make this an EP that successfully blurs the lines between electronic music stylings. The “Kurkuma – B.Bright Remix” has a cinematic intro before expanding into a number of rhythmic directions that is both nostalgic and futuristic. It thrusts itself forward on rumbling basslines and massive string sweeps. There is some wonderful effects and sounds used in the track, which give it a spectacular high-energy luster.

“Kurkuma – Leon Stevenson Remix”, leans heavily on the track’s rhythmic backbone, while introducing chilling loops, voice interludes, and melodic elements. The immersion factor works tremendously here, and there’s an ever-present surreal yet vivacious sentiment flowing through the mix. Despite the different songs mixes on this EP, there’s a real impression of cohesion here, with Vonsoh and Funkatears Electro never losing their balance and keeping things diverse without becoming inconsistent.

Through the years, Vonsoh has managed to establish his own unique voice with his sound. Funkatears Electro is just another extension of his creative self. On the new EP “Kurkuma”, certifies that his experimentation with creative and innovative electronic music continues to move forward. This is a great time to jump onboard!