Blasting Off by BusCrates
Neo funk rising star Buscrates aims high with Blasting Off, his
first full-length album. The Pittsburgh-based keyboard
cosmonaut has been grabbing ears since his days hooking up
beats with the hip hop crew East Liberty Quarters, but after
slinging spicy one-offs to a slew of hot labels like Omega
Supreme, Voyage Funktastique and Razor N Tape (as well as
contributing production to Wiz Khalifa and Curren$y’s 2009
project), the time has come for a full-length featuring his
growing modern funk repertoire.
“I’m a ‘90s hip hop dude, but I grew up on that ‘80s funk stuff,”
Buscrates acknowledges. DJ gigs provided a working
knowledge of the jams that moved a contemporary crowd, and
as his collection of keyboards and drum machines grew he
began blending the best of both decades with his personal
futuristic edge. “I was nice on the MPC but I wanted to have a
little more dynamic range with what I was doing,” he notes. The
self-described “certified synth geek” was soon branching into
sounds that recalled ‘80s legend Kashif crossed with the hip
hop bounce of DJ Spinna, and the modern funk community took
notice.
For his first full-length, Buscrates has crewed up with an ace
team of collaborators, featuring vocalist Sally Green on the
bouncy lead single “Lost And Found” and “Eight Nine.” Kate
Moe Dee takes over mic duties for the second single, “How Ya
Gonna Do It,” a slinky groove that slides in place alongside
groups like the Sunburst Band and Rene & Angela as an
exemplar of sophisticated R&B. Adding to those credentials are
the sultry vocals of Anda on “Believe,” but of course, it wouldn’t
be a Buscrates set without some stank, neck-snapping
instrumentals. “Five Days” and “Sure Shot,” both collabos with
the drum technician DJ Epik, will rattle speakers and have
already been lighting up message boards on recent Buscrates
DJ sets. Round things out with some easy gliding, jazzy funk
(“Turn It Out” with Brothermartino on flute and “Evergreen”
featuring Tony Ozier) and you’ve got all the ingredients for a
high-flying cosmic ride with Buscrates at the controls.
