Funk Soul & Jazz charts

Review: Since 2019, Ryozo Band have attracted the attention of fans both in their native Japan and overseas, owing to their deft workings in the realm of jazz-funk and fusion, all tempered by a buzzing affective irreverence. In 2023, they released the 'Utopia' EP, and now follow up said award-winner with yet another, equally affecting EP-form homage to all things felicific and dopaminergic: 'Pleasure'. Kicking off with an impressive, minimalist keyboard exposition, the Ryozo formula soon unfurls as a counterpoint of uptempo wrist-flicked drumming and two horns in unison, overlaid further by sax, trumpet and synth saw. Heavily borrowing from rhythmic and vibeish trends in the current UK jazz scene, 'Pleasure' is a synaptic surge of various sonic serotonins and oxytocins, amounting to what is best describable both as a qualitative and quantitative hedonic calculation in jazz.

Review: With names like Funtown and 'Pleasure', you already know how it's gonna go down. The Japanese imprint here offer two new ones to follow up their prior releases such as 'Better 2 Know U'; on the A-side comes 'Pleasure', on which we're assured that one kiss from this mystery vocalist is all it'll take to get us excited; and then, on the B-side, comes a sudden lo-fi future funk interjection, in what might be one of the sickest examples of the form that we've heard in a while. Not one to miss.