Review

Redtenbacher’s Funkestra: 'Hausmusik'

I contacted Austrian-born bassist Stefan through the modern miracle of ‘myspace’ and was promptly sent all of his back-catalogue.

I’ve never actually asked him how he does it, but I’ve honestly never seen such a stellar line-up of musicians on anyone else’s cd – ranging from the best of British (think ‘Sound Stylistics’) mixed with superstars like ex-JB and ‘Horny Horn’ Trombonist Fred Wesley.

The music? Redtenbacher’s cd’s are out-and-out spectacular FUNK, but not conforming to any trends – ranging from P-Funk, to JB’s, to Funk Fusion – all with a mighty big-band horn section and recorded with a contemporary edge.

The new cd ‘Hausmusik’ does touch on House music in parts but those tracks are not House really, they just have a ‘four to the floor’ bass drum and hissing hi-hat’s; and as we know, there is more that sets House apart from other genres than just that.

The House-ier tracks just come across as ‘big band Funk meets Salsoul’ and it’s all the better for that, to be honest, plus there are liberal amounts of Stefanbacher’s regular Funk on the cd too. I can’t single a track out because it’s all so consistent, so go to his web-site and purchase his back catalogue. This proves, yet again, that there are much much more gems hidden away on the net than you see in the shops.
Words SNOWBOY