Ever since he remixed Abimaro & The Free’s ‘Mark’ back in 2014, NuNorthern Soul boss Phil Cooper has kept in touch with Daniel Stenger, the producer and self-taught multi-instrumentalist behind the Flashbaxx project. Cooper was always convinced that Sanger would be capable of crafting a very special release for the label but was willing to give him time to come up with something special.
With Take Care My Friend, a mini-album inspired by the German producer’s deeply rooted love of jazz-funk, Stenger has repaid the faith shown in him. He’s delivered a collection of quality cuts marked out by audible warmth, effortless musicality and memorable, sun-soaked songs.
As he makes clear in the liner notes included with the vinyl version of the mini album, the project began with the recording of luscious, Rhodes-laden opener ‘Alright’. After staying up all night recording the track, Stenger not only decided to continue recording with the same relatively limited set of instruments (think bass and electric guitars, drums, piano, electric piano, organ, hand percussion and a handful of synthesizers), but also stick to a hybrid sound that added a subtle Latin shuffle to his Balearic-minded take on jazz, funk and soul fusion.
We’re biased of course, but there’s no denying that Stenger’s creative choices have resulted in a superb set of tracks. While the restricted kit list provided focus during the music-making process, there’s still plenty of musical variety across the six tracks that make up the set.
For proof, compare and contrast the jazzy, loose-limbed headiness of ‘It Just Happens’, where simmering synth-strings, twinkling melodic motifs and glistening guitar licks rise above smooth jazz-funk bass and a gentle broken beat rhythm, and the slow-motion soul brilliance of ‘Strangers’, where Kathryn Kempf’s evocative and poignant lead vocals rise above a sumptuous downtempo groove and heart-aching piano lines.
This subtly varied but musically coherent vibe continues across the mini album. Stenger indulges in a bit of New York daydreaming on ‘Brooklyn Love Boat’, a wonderfully musically detailed chunk of 1970s style jazz-funk heat that offers knowing nods to Roy Ayers, Herbie Hancock and the jazz-fusion stylings of Azymuth, before opting for a deeper, slower and even more seductive sound on the Hammond-sporting bliss of ‘Take Care My Friend’.
Closing cut ‘City Lights’, a gorgeous, soft-focus affair smothered in echoing Rhodes riffs and immersive chords, has the feel of an underground classic in waiting: a stirring, string-drenched future sing-along whose emotion-packed lyrics are delivered brilliantly by Glasgow-born singer/songwriter Chris Pookah.
Despite the song’s subject matter – the painful final breakdown of a relationship – there’s something strangely uplifting about the combination of Pookah’s pitch-perfect vocal delivery and the absorbing warmth of Stenger’s comforting and sonically detailed music. It provides a fittingly impressive finish to a mightily immersive mini album.
DJ Feedback:
LAURENT GARNIER/ PBB
Whaouuu the original mix
RAINER TRUBY
Ouch, this is so good that it hurts, fender chords on point, solos inspired & uplifting, production crisp, jazz-fusion without being too frantic. Plus that little samba bridge. This is a pure 10/10. Please sort me out xx
DANNY KRIVIT
Absolutely love this.
OSUNLADE
Nice nice nice.
BILL BREWSTER/ DJ HISTORY
Moods mix is the one for me x
A MAN CALLED ADAM/ WWFM
Love this.
MATT / THE POOL
Vibing off of this one.
RAZOR-N-TAPE/ AARON DAE
Love me some Nick MOODS! Sounding Ave!
KEV BEADLE
This is really nice, particularly the original version. Love it, both original and remix too
OLIVER DOLLAR/ DEFECTED
Loving the fusion vibes
DOM SERVINI/ WAH WAH 45S
This is gorgeous early doors bizz – both mixes!
LEO MAS
I love both versions. Great release.
CRAIG SMITH/ 6TH BOROUGH PROJECT
This is a great release. Dig both mixes as they both have different vibes.
LEX / LENG
Wow this is super nice!
FISH GO DEEP/ SHANE JOHNSON
This is lovely… both the proper jazz funk of the original and the lush and languid groove of the remix. Will be playing.
DICKY TRISCO
Moods is a belter!
KASSEN/ WARREN LUKE
Just lovely.
SEAN BROSNAN/ NEED WANT
Really love the tempo of the Moods remix. Perfect bar music (thats a positive thing!)
HARRI JAMES HARRIGAN/ SUB CLUB
Really liking these.
STEVE COBBY/ FILA BRAZILLIA
The Moods mix is fabulous.
SLOTHBOOGIE
Loving this! Classy.
ROCKSTEADY DISCO/ PETER CROCE
Phat Phil doesn’t miss! Digging both mixes.
MARC MESINERE/ SOL POWER SOUND
Love this! sounds so lush!
CAL GIBSON/ BAN BAN TON TON
Lovely stuff!
TREVOR FUNG/ THE PROJECT
Love the Moods Mix
SI KURRAGE / POINT BLANK FM
Nice to get a little down-tempo vibes, the original, reminds me of those ubiquity releases, with a hint of azymuth, whilst the remix brings a slightly different groove and drifts dreamily. Nice work would love to play earlier in the show
STE HODGE/ NO FAKIN
A fine bit of loveliness right here…Both mixes are great. Original’s ace, wonderful bonafide jazz funker with killa Bossa middle eight to boot. Really nice loose feel to it that’ll get the dancers shiftin’ The remix will be attracting deserved attention from all angles of the music fraternity.Bottom end sounds amazing, one of those tracks that beat heads, disco bods & beach bums alike will all cotton on to..NNS firing on all cylinders.
MAX P/ HELL YEAH
Moods rmx is soo faaat !
