Dam-Funk is back to share his vision of the soothing flavors that are most-notably funk with the lead-single, “We Continue” from his highly anticipated new record, Invite the Light. Pulling no punches, Dam-Funk drifts in-and-out of a groovy-green mist as he sports a leather-black fedora and shades to convey his message of persistence.
With 80’s r&b making a comeback, Funk’s new video couldn’t be more relevant. Armed with an arsenal of cool-and-collected sounds that flourish, Dam-Funk’s music exudes top-notch production by harnessing his multi-instramentalist talents, including: tantalizing synths(keytar not withstanding), the retro-bass, and echo-snare drumbeats to fill the space and rhythm-dimensions. Dam-Funk, whose real name is Damon Riddick, has been busy these last six-years chronicling his real-life experiences into a fully-realized vision of G-Funk in the modern era.
“We Continue” flows as if the summer-nights of Los Angeles chose the year 1987 as its guide and never felt the need to change course. Given it’s intentional minimalist-production, the black-&-white driving-sequences and smokey-green stand-up shots cut right to the core of Riddick’s sincerity to reignite a genre typically identified as the underdog of popular music. Riddick’s record label, Stones Throw, hails the new record as a semi-auto-biographical testament to his personal and professional challenges for the last six-year stitch in time.
Expected to drop on September 4th, the much-anticipated follow-up to 2009’s Toeachizown is touted to be Dam-Funk’s pivotal masterpiece. Appropriately crowned as the King of Modern-Funk, he seeks to push the genre back into center-stage and wipe the slate clean of its comically-driven association as caricature. Funk indicates the once-lost genre is serious with a powerful message to deliver. The album will feature guest appearances from Ariel Pink, Kid Sister, rap-artist: Q-Tip, Jody Watley, Nite Jewel, and his 7 Days of Funk collaborator: Snoop Dogg(Snoopzilla)himself.
Although Invite the Light stands merely as sophomore full-length LP-release in Riddick’s solo-catalog, over the years he has dropped a slew of material in the form of EP’s, participated in creative collaborations, and live performances. Funk’s EP’s consist of: 2010’s Hood Pass Intact, 2011’s InnaFocusedDaze, and 2012’s I Don’t Wanna Be Star!, followed by the riveting predecessor to his forthcoming new-album: Invite the Light, STFU. Riddick joined forces with Snoop Dogg in 2013 to create the neo G-Funk era record, 7 Days of Funk. The record contains notable highlight, “Faden Away.” Respectively, the two titan-perfromers met at a SXSW show in 2011 and caught the winds of inspiration in an effort to work together.
In support of Invite the Light, Dam-Funk will set-out on tour in western North America this September.
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