A new subspecies of exploratory bass music has been discovered amongst the high mountain peaks and the effervescent pine trees of central Colorado; Music producer Mufunka’s latest release, Samsara, covers a dynamic range of musical concepts, evolving emotion, and symbiotic intensity. The Buddhist metaphor for the wheel of life, including all things we experience and are unconsciously aware of, is given a new narrative journey in a masterful 8 track, full length album, with Mufunka’s use of clever reverb and odd time signatures impressing upon us wide vacuums of space for our imaginations to frolic.
As we begin to peel back the skin and examine the innards of Samsara, Mufunka’s command over snare-centric beat progressions, tantalizing dissonance, and clearance of the frequency spectrum put his compositions into crystalline focus. In tracks like “Event Horizon”, the blend of automated triggers and ever-growing background of bass tones packs a punch for even the most critical of heads. Conversely, with tracks like “Chrysanthemum”, the swelling kicks give the listener a feeling of rebounding through endless tunnels, bouncing from wall to wall, end to end, never quite knowing which is up or down.
When asked what inspired his album, he replied, “In Buddhism, Samsara represents the wheel of life, [and] I wanted to share what I thought the journey in between could be like.” Motivated by a recent passing of a family member, Mufunka is determined to showcase his own musical progression. To end the album, Mufunka decided to save the best for last, “Slipstream”. In a single track, the listener can see the culmination of ideas presented throughout the album; with all vibrations aligned and dissonance dissipated, Slipstream transports us to the end of our sonic journey, placing a cherry-flavored bow atop an electrically charged and emotionally uplifted album.
With free downloads of Samsara on Soundcloud, it’s too easy to get plugged into Mufunka’s nucleic prowess, and with such a steller landing for the LP, there’s no telling what sorts of iridescent productions still sit up his sleeve for a later date. Additionally, you can catch Mufunka opening for Kursa, K.L.O, and friends on April, 9th, 2022 in Chicago, IL.
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