With football season under way I’ve been bashing my team on their message boards with a certain irregularity. It’s about time I posted something positive about my favorite city. Back in my college days I had opportunities to sample a wide variety of music thanks to my position on the radio station WCPR. One of the labels to send us new music regularly was Ovum Recordings – an electronic label from Philly co-founded by Josh Wink. Along came an album from fellower co-founder King Britt and his soul-collective known as Sylk 130. When the Funk Hits the Fan was an album that I truly wanted to love. Philly Soul come alive again, it meshed R&B with funk and slide a mellow groove under the whole. But I just couldn’t get into the album, and eventually sold it off like so much other promo throwaways.
But there was one song that stuck out in my mine. “The Reason” was a gorgeous slow ride of chill-out grooves. It’s the kind of song that makes you envision he party after – everybody mellow on the sofa, coping with the wilds of the night. Or maybe it puts you in a convertible, cruising the strip late one Thursday night with no destination and no hurry. Whatever it was, I loved the feel. A couple weeks ago I finally picked up another copy found in a stash of CDs another former radio worker was cutting loose. It was time for me to re-explore. And indeed, my musical tastes have matured enough to realize that When the Funk… is pure soulful delight – a trip down memory lane through the Philly of late 70’s dance. The tracks just slide along and make you realize what R&B could be… should be. I welcome King Britt & Sylk 130 back into the fold, and look forward to getting the follow-up – Re-Members Only.