The Mighty Mocambos have been around since 2006 but only hit my radar a few years back. The band, out of Hamburg, Germany, has just put out a superfine album, “A Higher Frequency,” that cooks across a range of instrumental and vocal tunes with ingredients of soul, Afrobeat, jazz, and funk that make you feel good head to toe.
This album showcases The Mighty Mocambos command of the funk lexicon with a terrific rhythm section, hard-hitting horn riffs and solos and soulful singing. I find it easy to connect their sound to styles from the past while still recognizing that they are blazing their own path to build their musical legacy. It’s wonderful to hear them among the ranks of world musicians that continue producing the endorphin-inducing sounds of funk music.
The Mighty Mocambos are spearheads of the contemporary funk movement. Their mix of blazing horns, soulful guitars, breakin‘ drums and driving basslines with an extra dose of quirkiness is loved by peers, fans and critics alike. Creating a unique sound with tape machines & second hand gear, their music has a rough intuitive charme. Their adventurous spirit is unparalled in a genre that often relies on throwback. Their distinctive DIY approach and raw funk beats have gained them a worldwide following among dancers and DJs.
Hamburg funk heroes The Mighty Mocambos dig into a new soundscape on their new album “A Higher Frequency” — a 10-track journey bursting with energy and color, rooted in funk, while taking groovy detours through disco, spiritual jazz, cinematic grooves and global moods, all recorded live to tape at the legendary MPS Studio with a nine-piece band.
Track-By-Track
Open The Gate kicks off with a three-note horn canon before the jiggly guitar and drum riff leads the charge. The repeated guitar throughout is percussive and hypnotic. The drumwork drives the engine superbly, and the horn line refrain, 3-note call, and 7-note response is so catchy, especially enhanced by Daniel Kimaz’s airy flute flights. It makes this one of those instrumental tunes that’s totally singable.
“Open The Gate”opens the album and it sets the pace immediately with dramatic crime brass, outernational soundscapes and the kind of hard-hitting breaks that have become a staple of The Mighty Mocambos sound.
Get Loose is a bossa jazzy joint, that could fit in the Ramsey Lewis catalog with terrific grand piano work from Guillaume Méténier. Naturally there’s great horn work as a standard part of the Mocambos repertoire. Ben Greenslade-Stanton slides in a wonderful trombone solo before the horns play in unison. When Nichola Richards enters with her scat vocals, it’s a shockingly gorgeous. Björn Wagner on guitar becomes the fourth soloist to enter and melds into slinky ending.
Spinning is a hard-hitting song with the catchy chorus,
“Spinning” is the second single and it’s one of the few vocal cuts of an otherwise instrumental album, featuring long-time collaborator singer-songwriter from the UK Nichola Richards.
Back and Better is the second tune featuring Nichola Richards on vocals, and it is powerfully emotive. The lyrics apparently describe the return of scorned love, stating emphatically, “I was gone, and now I’m back and better,” with “better” perhaps as a double entendre. The instrumentation feels like some one-two jab punches. I really love the flute flourishes from Kimaz making this tune a knockout.
Sweet Company sounds like it came out of a 60s time machine, with the energetic drumming from Sascha Weise and the lead from Kimaz on flute. It’s got a Georgie Fame and the Flames pop feel, and it’s great fun.
Sparks of Joy is an adrenaline-pumping, horn-led tune. The opening rhythm reminds me a bit of Tower of Power and David Garibaldi on drums. The syncopated rhythm and exhilarating main theme give way to a short tenor solo from Bernhard Hummer followed by a second solo from Björn Wagner on guitar. The third round is a brief break for Sascha Weise on drums and Daniel Kimaz on flute to lay on some flavorful licks.
Phantom Power is one of my top tunes on the album. It’s like the “Theme from Shaft” meets Bruce Lee. At first, I mistook the electric phin played by Sebastian Drescher for a sitar, because I never knew what the phin was until looking it up. This tune is hypnotic throughout the main theme, and then it hits overdrive with the bridge. The one-three horn punch pattern is killer. At its heart, Phantom Power is Afrobeat, but it layers on top cinematic Asian garnishes that make it so special.
Can’t Stop This Fire is sung by Carlton Jumel Smith with backing vocals by Miles King, Victor Kohn, & Nichola Richards. Carlton is an old-school soul legend out of New York City. The whole band really clicks on this, with great symmetry between the rhythm section and horns. For fans of Sharon Jones or Lee Fields, this song will definitely click.
When We Roll is a slick production—as if Nile Rodgers worked with Bobbi Humprhey, flutist on “Harlem River Drive.” Of course that means that Daniel Kimaz has the prominent lead role here with strong accompaniment from Guillaume Métenier on grand piano. Sebastian Drescher also takes a short trumpet solo. It’s a great ride all the way through.
“When We Roll” is the third and final single, and it’s a bouncing boogie number with sun-soaked jazz vibes and a tight rhythm section.
Homebound has a Memphis soul feel with a rolling horn opening and main theme. It has the sensation of a trek, perhaps the origin of the track title. Ben Greenslade-Stanton gets another turn for a trombone solo. The hand claps in the second half are a very welcoming sound, as I can visualize prancing down a Soul Train line to the front door. It definitely is a nice way to close.
Sascha Weise, drums
Victor Kohn, bass
Björn Wagner, guitar
Guillaume Métenier, grand piano, organ & clavinet
Bernhard Hummer, baritone & tenor saxophones
Ben Greenslade-Stanton, trombone
Sebastian Drescher, trumpet, flugelhorn & electric phin
Nichola Richards, percussion & vocals
Daniel Kimaz, flutes
Purchase on Bandcamp
