Damu The Fudgemunk’s two volume album, How it Should Sound, resonates from the Golden Age of Hip-Hop. It is purely instrumental with only an introduction by Damu The Fudgemunk himself. Although he uses the similiar samples throughout the album he creates a variety of sounds that all have their own individual story worth focusing in on. This makes one want to listen in on a track more than one time. The complex drum patterns Damu uses have constant breaks and unexpected changes that will keep you on your toes.
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The name’s of all the tracks have very well thought and powerful names which only serves the tracks right. Although there are no real lyrics, aside from the sampling, the instruments all speak for themselves with a very powerful message that is left for the listener to interpret. The first track Start Here begins with the uplifting sounds of horns playing a melody that will have you nodding your head accompanied by the scratching of voices of various influential Hip-Hop artists such as the legend himself, Guru (may he rest in piece). The album transitions throughout tracks smoothly and always maintains a raw sound. It invokes the feeling that you’re sitting in Damu’s basement watching him pull out a plethora of various vinyl records, throwing them on the turntables, as the sounds lift you through a wormhole back in time.
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The echoes of saxophones have a ubiquitous presence throughout the album that create a beautiful jazzy ambiance. A great track on this album is Clap & Form Your Soul. This one REALLY brings me back to the Jazz where you can just listen to the various musical elements converse with one another as each gets their own time to shine. I can’t help but to find the fifth track, Figment, kind of annoying due to the strange sound that the woman makes throughout the song and the synthesizer just seems out of place. Straight From The Harp has a certain divine and eerie sound that I just can’t seem to get enough of. A funk element is thrown in on It’s Called Chill Out. At it’s peak, it just jumps down and dives into a wah wah sound that splashes with a distinct finesse.
[wpaudio url=”https://www.thewordisbond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/09-Its-Called-The-Chill-Out-2004.mp3″ text=”Damu The Fudgemunk – Its Called The Chill Out” dl=”0″]
The xylophone on Only One Me is sure to mesmerize it’s audience and the saxophone develops itself in a strange fashion that adds a new twist to a classic sound. My personal favorite would have to be the title track, How it Should Sound. The heavenly sounding soulful vocal part is complimented well by the edgy saxophone that pierces in and out of the track.
[wpaudio url=”https://www.thewordisbond.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/15-How-It-Should-Sound-2005.mp3″ text=”Damu The Fudgemunk – How It Should Sound” dl=”0″]
Conclusion:
All in all, How it Should Sound demonstrates a high level of craftsmanship by a very well skilled producer. Just as a work of art, the album displays a range of different and distinct sounds that all come together somehow and share a certain high level of unity. What makes this album truly impressive is that it isn’t just a repeated version of old Jazz and Funk sounds, but one that truly utilizes them to its full extent to create a new kind of musical fusion. Damu remains true to his roots on this one. If there was ever a proper tribute to the Golden Age and Jazz in general, this is how it should sound.
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