Before boogie funk had a resurgence in 2012, Ruckazoid was dropping rare funk albums in 2004. His demos were floating around LA, but it wasn’t until 2009 that Breakbot remixed Ruckazoid’s original “Life’s Fantasy”, which was later released in 2011 as an original track titled “Fantasy” on Ed Banger Records. Fantasy became a breakout hit scoring a #1 single on iTunes. In 2013 when Daft Punk released “Get Lucky” featuring Pharrell, funk was officially back in the mainstream. Those in the know knew Breakbot & Ruckazoid helped rekindle the funk flame worldwide. After all, the label Ed Banger is headed by Busy P, and Busy P managed Daft Punk.
Suprinsingly, Ruckazoid did not tour with Breakbot, opting to stay in the studio to record more albums. Amazing Lover being one of these albums, with Love Game becoming the lead track.
Love Game is the joint, it’s not show off music, it’s music to groove too. If you like to groove, this is the joint. Live players, vintage gear, live strings, it’s the real deal. Love Game sets the tone for the entire album, and continues to get funkier with Soo Hii where Ruckazoid revisits his falsetto which is notoriously compared to Michael Jackson. (search: Breakbot Fantasy on Youtube to see yourself).
Soo Hii was a private demo written for MJ, with Put Your Love On Me being an ode to Kashif. Each song has its own take on the funk and avoids competing with other tracks on the album. Keep Me Running is an intimate groove with a super catchy hook, while Keep It Ghetto is the harder boogie funk instrumental for midday BBQing. Nothing Better leaves the listener with a dreamy vibe, and features clever wordplay and an emotionally charged chorus reminiscent of Prince Rogers Nelson.
This is the first of many releases on Steady Trippin’, and Amazing Lover is a must have for any funk aficionado.
| A1 | Love Game |
| A2 | Soo Hii |
| A3 | Put Your Love On Me |
| B1 | Keep Me Running |
| B2 | Keep It Ghetto |
| B3 | Nothing Better |
