A Quick Glance Backwards

As we approach the end of 2008, no doubt you'll see and hear plenty of talk about favorite albums released this year. I wanted to take one quick second to make note of a record released very early this year to solid critical acclaim (see: Pitchfork's take) while generating what feels like a lack of blog buzz. Simply put, Kutiman (aka Ophir Kutiel) is not your typical blog fare, primarily because there's never enough talk about world music, which draws from so many cultural influences across borders. Kutiman may be based out of Tel Aviv, Israel, but his debut album has all the joy and care of a world-experienced traveller (isn't that kind of what Israel is all about anyways?). His self-titled record puts your influence spotting to the test, attempting to identify the forays into areas like old school Afrobeat and psychedelic funk, along with more modern tastes in hip hop and reggae. It's all very sleek and different (retro-modern hip is a solid non-definition), but with those familiar markers to keep you wholly engaged in the album.

When Kutiman doesn't have a guest vocalist singing over his tracks, they're pretty much all instrumental which helps provide interesting interludes and changes the mood up between songs. That's not to suggest that the instrumentals merely serve the purpose of wasting time and before the next vocal-infused hit drops, because there's definitely more substance than one might anticipate. In old school flashback mode, much of "Kutiman" reminds me of records by James Brown or Miles Davis or Curtis Mayfield - it's cool, funky and ear-catching. Moving forwards to today, the album sounds much more at home when guest vocalists Elran Dekel or Karolina are singing along with these beats. They make for the larger highlights on a record that's full of standout moments.

Mostly what completely grabs my attention about Kutiman is how smoothly different this album is compared to virtually everything else I've heard this year. It's not for everybody, but it is an album for just about every situation. This includes: driving through city streets at night, socializing whilst sipping an adult beverage at a party, sticking it to the man, and spending an intimate night indoors with a special someone. If Kutiman's sound is your thing, I hope you've just found one of your favorite albums of 2008. Definitely check him out if you're at all intrigued.

Kutiman- Music Is Ruling My World (feat. Karolina)
Kutiman- No Groove Where I Come From (feat. Elran Dekel)

Buy "Kutiman" from Amazon

Labels: kutiman