Turkuaz: Digitonium

Matt Inman on November 11, 2015

It’s hard to listen to a Turkuaz record and not feel instantly transported back to the ‘70s—to that time when there was an all-consuming conflation of funk and disco, and everything seemed to glitter. This Brooklyn-based collective would never deny such influences—as their discography shows so far, they fully embrace the past—and their newest effort, Digitonium, only strengthens that notion. Just listening to standout track “Nightswimming,” with its saturated synth line and bubbling bass, makes the listener half expect George Clinton to come on the mic. The following song, the velvety “Bijou Drains, the Birddog,” continues in that vein by beginning with a Parliament-esque, pitch-shifted voiceover. It’s at this point in the album—when most bands might be looking to the finish line—when Turkuaz makes it clear that this isn’t a quick-hitting record, but an all-night funk extravaganza. With 24 tracks—almost all of which bleed into each other like a well-timed DJ set—most bands would lose steam, but this train keeps on rolling through burners like “Murder Face” and “Lika,” while giving the listener a breather with more downbeat funk tunes, like the irresistibly danceable “Digital Love.”

Artist: Turkuaz
Album: Digitonium
Label: Techne