Sir Isaac Newton, the man who ‘discovered’ gravity, said “for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction.” In other words, what goes up must come down. In Sam Huber’s soulfully funkified universe (and where, in an incidental Newtonian twist, he’s already had an album called Gravity-Insanity), what goes up must “Get Down.” DOWN, the follow-up/companion album to the recently released UP (both on True Groove Records), is Huber’s ‘Future Funk’ manifesto. Just as UP‘s concept of ‘Future Soul’ is rooted in vintage soul while looking and thinking beyond the horizon at the same time, DOWN‘s ‘Future Funk’ puts a post-modern spin on the fundamentals of funk with sounds and beats that are earthbound and interstellar all at once.

“DOWN is where you Get Down,” Huber notes. “It’s a landscape that happens on the dance floor, on the downbeat. You might say this album explores the darker side of Future Funk; it’s quite a bit heavier, musically and lyrically, especially compared to the more lighter and romantic songs on UP.” The album’s nine tracks traverse a world of grooves that go from only a star shaped pair of sunglasses away from being a lost Bootsy Collins track, to the dance floor, outer space and back. DOWN manages to strike the unique balance of being undeniably hardcore funk while remaining completely accessible to those not informed by the musical teachings of George Clinton, et al.

In concert as always with producer/co-writer Tomás Doncker, and backed by the ever-present True Groove All-Stars with special co-conspirators Bill Laswell and original funkateers Michael “Kidd Funkadelic” Hampton and Amp Fiddler along for the ride, DOWN optimizes Huber’s Future Funk ideals to maximum effect. With deep, almost subsonic, woofer shredding bass, vintage analog and modern digital synths and deliberately slower grooves, it’s easy to see what the darker side he references is all about. But just as funk ‘can not only move, it can remove,’ the music compels you to get down and lifts you right back up. “There are some darker themes in the lyrics, like dealing with the pandemic and all it’s side effects, climate change, alcoholism, co-dependency and depression. But there is also room for optimism and love so it’s not a depressing album. No matter how dark the world seems there has always have to be hope in what ever you do. The positivity comes from love, friends and music.” In a truly old school Funk move, DOWN will be released with UP as a double vinyl LP called UP & DOWN in 2022.

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Company Name: True Groove
Contact Person: Larry Kay
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Website: SamHubermusic.com