(The band is currently on a multi-city tour as part of this EP, details of which are at the end of the review)
Wiki tells me that All Ball is the name of a manx cat that was a pet of the socialized gorilla Koko. Given the cover art, I am inclined to think of this as the origin for the name of Madboy/Mink’s debut EP. The opening track of the album too follows on the feline theme, titled Alley Cats. The electro swing arrangement is a heady mix; the already groovy retro base getting a nifty techno makeover from Imaad Shah; Saba Azad’s sassy vocals too are in total sync with the fusion. Taste The Kiss is an even better combination of the same genres – the jazz took me back to Django Reinhardt’s gypsy style – I particularly loved the rich interludes headlined by those trumpet solos. The way Pimp the Disco starts it could well have been a cabaret number from a 70s/80s Indian movie, except this one is “electro cabaret”. Loud and heavy on bass for most part, this one is clearly for the dance floor, not so much for sitting at home on a lazy Sunday and grooving to. The song is a tad too long as well. The remaining two tracks of the album follow the funk route, and both are older songs from the duo. Lemonade was released about six months back as a single, immensely trippy with that yesteryear funk groove lent by the guitars and synth (also carrying a very Get Lucky kind of vibe, I felt, especially towards the second half). Funkenstein was part of Dualist Inquiry’s compilation that came out a few weeks back. That Dualist Inquiry selected this song for the compilation in itself is a testimony to the song’s quality. The Groove goes on indeed!
You don’t have to be a fan of electronica to fall in love with All Ball, because Madboy/Mink’s music is a lot richer and diverse than the conventional EDM. And the fact that a lot of it borrows from the charming yesteryear genres goes big time in its favor. AND it is available for free download, so why not give it a shot?
Top Recos: Taste The Kiss, Lemonade, Alley Cats
Download the album below:
Madboy/Mink tour dates:
Delhi
Date: 12th April | Venue: TBC
Kolkata
Date: 25th April | Venue: Princeton Club (TBC)
Pune
Date: 4th May 2014 | Venue: High Spirits
More dates to be announced soon
For more information, contact:
Little Big Noise
Zaira Arslan
Phone: +919820234096| Email: zaira@littlebignoise.in
