Product Description Description by Nicky Trax (Phuture PR/Blues and Soul magazine) Where Northern soul collides with electronica in a funked up stylee, theres even more amazing soundscapes on Kava Kavas hotly anticipated new album "Maui". With diverse fans such as Mary Anne Hobbs, Freddy Fresh, Capoeira Twins, Rob Da Bank (Sunday Best) through to Simon Mu (Back To Basics), Kava Kava are exploding as a kick ass band with more festival credentials under their belt than even Pete Tong! The new album sampler contains the big dancefloor number, "Dont Stop The Music" and the Cienna Remix of "Maui", and Kava Kava are hotting floors up with their heady mix of French -styled funked up disco, electro sounds, raw live acoustic soulful ensemble playing and some greats beats. Impossible to pin down musically...they combine souped-up baggy beats and 80s atmospherics with richly melodic grooves, led by Fulgonis crisp and uplifting Northen Soul vocals. Kicking off the album is the unashamed feelgood "Dont Stop The Music" already getting the San Fran thumbs up, and set to be remixed for even wider appeal. "Space People" unleashes an upbeat breaks excursion with trumpets and strings, and another album highlight. Squelchy skanking Ram Jam Band sounds rocks as Pat Fulgonis strong vocal presence runs through. The title track "Maui" unfolds in soft vocal n strings style as the breaks push this soundscape out into trippy terrain. Its funky with guitars, soulful and squelchy, and you can dance to Kava Kavas music which mixes it all up with live musicianship, electronica, samples and beats. A bit Polyphonic, nu Talking Heads. Its one of this years more out there album sets and all the better for it! Review "...should be on every funk and disco playlist, period! LOVE IT! 4.5 out of 5 -- DJ Magazine"Hear why they are an essential live experience...... the future of dance...." -- Future Music"essential summer listening" -- M8 Magazine"one of the more distinctive and funky albums of the year" -- Blues And Soul magazine
J**1
One Star
disappointed in the music - -not my type
P**I
Fantastic!
I don't usually dig this kind of music but I chanced upon these guys at Glastonbury this year and they blew me away - I just had to buy some of their recorded stuff and I wasn't let down at all by this epic CD.
M**E
PHUNKT UP FUNK I THINK SUMS IT UP!!
You know when you are in the store browsing, you dont know what to buy so you pick up a cd that catches your eye (no, am not a rapper)? Well, thats what happened with me and Kava Kava and i have to say that i am glad that i followed my instincts. It has sooo many different elements to it that i wouldn't know what catergory to put it in. I have since seen it in the rock section (nah its not rock), i have seen it in the dance section (nope its not dance), i have also seen it in the electro section (and...you guessed it, it isn't electro either). I really think its in a league of its own, i would like to know what the members of Kava actually think. In my words.....PHUNKT UP FUNK!!! Its got the catchy riffs, smokey but smooth vocals, funky break beats and foot tapping grooves . Some elements actually remind me of the fun loving criminals. Whatever the weather, get it - i dont think you will be let down.
A**R
Fresh and funky mash up!
Kava Kava Maui (Chocolate Fireguard Records) Wow. Love this band! Kava Kava come across somewhere between a Manchester baggy beat crossover with acid funk, rock and breaks influences. And they have a great singer too who really shines on songs ‘Space People’ and ‘Terrorists’ hitting hard with passion, soul and some fine cutting lyrics. The instrumentation is wonderful. Shaft guitars, horns, electronics, beats and some great bass guitar licks. Title track ‘Maui’ enlists a string quartet and a 4 Hero-esque groove, while ‘Tic’ is more disturbing, a Tricky meets Red Hot Chilli Peppers mash that could easily be the soundtrack to some weirdo cult sc ifi movie. All in all ‘Maui’ is a refreshingly diverse album from a highly original musical force. Single anyone? I’d pick the perky “Funked Up ‘n Freaked Out” or maybe “Don’t Stop The Music” for unashamed funkin’ boogie tendencies with a positive message.
M**S
Funky To The Max...Could this just be the future of dance?
I read somewhere that Kava Kava's "Maui" could be the future of dance. Yeah right!? Still, I bought the Cd (albeit a tad cynically) and you know I think that reviewer could have something there."Maui" has it all...stonking grooves and beats, huge brass and string sections, the MASSIVE soulful vocal presence care of Fulgoni......."Don't Stop The Music" is simply the freshest live disco/funk/house track i have yet to hear, the more downtempo "Maui" (title track) has Gilles Peterson factor 10 (go on you know you want to Gilles...i know this is a small Northern label but there's HUGE potential here) and the Kavas know how to seriously rock out on tracks like "Terrorists" and champion choon "Funked Up and Freaked Out"This is Northern Soul for E heads, Psychedelia for four on the flour Freaks. Be a dance commander in a club or use it for foreplay in bedsit, its working for me baby! Halleluya. I bought the 4 track 12" version and that is awesome too. Then i caught them live playing in a club in Wales.LARGER THAN LIFE.Marc
J**G
Tic! Thank Goodness Someone Knew...
I am ecstatic right at this moment. HBO has a new series "John From Cincinatti". In episode 2 of the show, there is a song playing as the guys are waxing their surfboards inside the surf tent. It is MESMERIZING! To my dismay, and apparently hundreds of other people, the song credits were not listed. The bulletin board was filled with people begging to know what the song was. I even e-mailed HBO to ask them to release the name of the song. Luckily, someone replied and said "The song playing in the surfer tent scene was TIC by Kava Kava." I immediately went to amazon, found the cd, and clicked on the song Tic with my fingers crossed. Low and behold, that was it! I'm giving the rating of a 5 even though I have no idea about the other songs, just because I am soooo in love with that one song and happy that I found it.
