Even from the title, “Astro Disco”, you can understand that something extraordinary is going on in this single! This track from The Near Jazz Experience’s superb new album “Tritone” is exactly what it promises – a funky, spacey, surreal joyride that blasts you straight into orbit, then drops you into a sweaty basement jam somewhere in outer London. Built on a rock-solid groove from bassist Mark Bedford and drummer Simon Charterton, “Astro Disco” locks in fast and never lets you go. It’s funky as hell, but not in a retro or cheesy way – it’s forward-thinking funk, twisted through layers of cosmic jazz and noise. Terry Edwards is a one-man brass section here, layering saxes, trumpets and other oddities in a way that sounds like a cosmic marching band gone wild. And Matt Johnson of Jamiroquai contributes keyboards, adding unique areas of melody. There’s a bit of everything in the mix – even touches of Soft Machine weirdness, even a cheeky Kraftwerk nod buried in the rhythm. It’s danceable, but chaotic; tight, yet totally unhinged. There’s something wonderfully old-school about it, but it also feels fresh – as if the band is inventing the sound as they go. “Astro Disco” might not be an average single, but it’s a perfect showcase of what The Near Jazz Experience does best: they throw genre rules out the window and invite you to dance in zero gravity. If you like your grooves dirty, your brass loud and your music avant-garde and adventurous, this track is for you.
♦ 8/10
Dimitris Zacharopoulos
