| Electro-Jazz, Funk |
Just released, this musical UFO combining electro, jazz, funk, dub, and probably more that I’m forgetting, is an album that can make you dance until the end of the night… Forq is a group, an entity revealed in just a few words: “The strange is at the heart of what we do at Forq,” says keyboardist and composer Henry Hey, laughing. “We play improvised music based on groove. I don’t really think of it as ‘fusion,’ unless we’re talking about merging Ennio Morricone with 70s game show music, classic video game soundtracks, and D’Angelo.”
But is that enough to describe this album? Probably not, as there is a narrative that runs through the entire album, like a deep desire to relive the 80s and 90s, to rewatch music videos from bands like Toto or Van Halen, all while playing a little “Pac-Man” on an Atari 1040 STF. Here, I’m talking about the prehistoric era of computing, a time when musicians using the early versions of the music production software Cubase spent more time figuring out the application than actually making music.
“We’re looking for darker sounds, where someone might wonder: what is this? It makes me really happy to create such an atmosphere,” explains Hey, whose résumé includes an intimate collaboration with David Bowie at the end of his career. At the same time, Hey points out: “I love melody and catchy tunes. So I want to keep those elements and not make things too abstract harmonically, so we don’t lose the audience. My sense of ‘strange’ is more about the sound.”
This album, therefore, defies classification, at times brushing the edges of pop music. It will surely amuse and make you smile. *Big Party* also reflects Forq’s unwavering belief in the power of groove. “I always want the listener to feel like this music moves their hips,” says Hey. “And if it doesn’t have that effect on me, I don’t want to play it with this band.” No matter how far ambient and textural inspirations take us — from the Ray Conniff Singers to Edd Kalehoff’s music for *The Price Is Right*, to *Dig Dug*, a classic arcade game — the story of funk remains the foundation of these jams. Think James Brown, Sly Stone, Quincy Jones’ essential productions like Michael Jackson’s *Off the Wall*, the early works of Busta Rhymes, A Tribe Called Quest, and the pioneering neo-soul of Meshell Ndegeocello.
This out-of-the-ordinary album is, in my opinion, a timely release, as I’ve had a lot of complex albums on hand lately. It’s a perfect way to unwind, with some truly beautiful instrumental tracks here and there. For me, this album is a “Coup de Cœur,” particularly for its creative aspect, which revisits history effortlessly, a drink in hand…
Thierry De Clemensat
USA correspondent – Paris-Move and ABS magazine
Editor in chief Bayou Blue Radio, Bayou Blue News
PARIS-MOVE, September 19th 2024
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