Single of the Week: ‘Still Sequence’

Single of the Week: ‘Still Sequence’

13 August, 2007 | 10.54AM

• Section: Music News
• Written by: Terry Church

“We’ve been waiting for the funk to come back to techno for a long time,” says Tokyo Black Star’s Isao Kumano. The Tokyo-based duo have sent ripples through the electronic music community with the release of their new ‘Still Sequence EP’ on Innervisions which combines modern minimal production values with groovy basslines and sexy funk beats. 

Because Tokyo Black Star have helped tech house to find its mojo again, ‘Still Sequence’ is Beatportal’s single of the week.

“It’s all about the funk for us,” reveals TBS’s Alex Prat.

“The soul and the funk are part of Tokyo where we both grew up.

“Even our electronica and ambient tracks sound funky.”

Isao Kumano explains to Beatportal that the ‘Still Sequence’ EP is a result of the pair becoming tired of the straight-up four four beats that techno is rigidly governed by.

“We get bored sometimes of the usual four to the floor beat, so we tried new things and we came up with the beat on ‘Still Sequence’,” says Isao.

The track jiggles and wobbles to broken beat, disco hand claps and bongo loops.

It’s clearly inspired by 1970s disco.

“We think it is part of The Funk to come up with different rhythms like James Brown used to do,” comments Alex Prat, speaking of The Funk like it’s a long-forgotten god that should be resurrected to rule over disco land once more.

On the EP too is ‘Baby Powder’, an entertaining slice of disco heaven, featuring wacky drums and a booty-shaking bass groove.

There’s also the nasty slow burning acid of ‘Midnight Emporer’ that sounds like it could be the soundtrack to a voodoo sacrificial trance dance.

Tokyo Black Star however aren’t too keen to give away any studio secrets.

“We start with a beat, and then construct some cheap synth melodies around it,” jokes Alex Prat vaguely.

So for now, we’ll just have to break out some disco-tastic moves on the dancefloor, safe in the knowledge that Tokyo Black Star are running the show.

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