The Du-Rites
Pressure
Old Maid Entertainment/Ilegalia Records
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It’s not an easy feat to be as productive or as funky as the Du-Rites have been over the past five years. The duo, made up of Jay “J-Zone” Mumford and Pablo Martin, were built on the work ethic of funk and soul bands that made their names during the genre’s golden years. Since their initial release in 2016, they’ve committed themselves to putting out a project each year, and they’ve curated a remarkable collection of music.

This is the duo’s sixth undertaking in the past half a decade, and like each of their previous endeavors, they come with something inventive. After their solid soulful debut, the New York-based band released a “fake” live album, a soundtrack to a fictional ‘70s cop show, and an actual live album. A Funky Bad Time (2020) was a socially distanced psychedelic funk project, recorded with the duo operating from separate locations amidst those grim initial months of the COVID shutdown.

Pressure is their first EP and it’s another winner by the group. “We half as long, twice as funky, y’all,” J-Zone boasts near the end of the project, and he speaks the truth. Musically, it’s arguably their most complex and ambitious effort, packing a double album’s worth of ideas into roughly 22 minutes.

“The Squeeze,” the EP’s first single, features the group at its most way out and is unlike anything that’s previously appeared on any of their projects. It’s the longest recording the duo have ever released, eschewing their usual two-and-a-half to three-minute run time to provide nearly five-and-a-half minutes of trippy funk. The song slowly unfurls, as the group lays down a mix of grooves that sound like Weather Report crossed with The Congos. Martin and Zone pour on layers of organ and fender Rhodes, backing them with a skanking guitar, muddy drums, and violin (played by Greg Holt).

Italian soloist Marianna D’Ama provides her ghostly lead vocals to the track, adding to the song’s hallucinatory vibe. Zone has long talked his brand of hilarious smack on Du-Rites records since their inception, and here, he’s in rare form. He assumes the role of Brougham Fred, a deep-voiced Barry White stand-in, laying his syrupy tones across the track.

The rest of the pressure isn’t as experimental, but it’s always as funky. “Bird Brain” is murky and slightly sinister, with the Hammond organ and Mellotron giving the song an air of menace. “Math Rock” is a straight-ahead soul number, it’s meandering guitar and synths giving it an early 1970s Funkadelic feel.

“Brother Yizar” was inspired by the memory of Keith Yizar, J-Zone’s former high school coach and counselor, and long-time mentor, who passed unexpectedly in December 2020. The track starts off with a marching band-esque drum and whistle breakdown, followed by a wind-sprint surge of guitar, drums, and organ, featuring multiple beat and tempo switches. The Du-Rites also jam and cut loose on “Fly Swatter.” Zone introduces all of the album’s contributors, and then lets guest keyboardist Bruce Martin get busy with an extended solo.

Digital versions of Pressure feature “The Sun” as a bonus track. The song features contributions by percussionist Elson Nascimento of the Sun Ra Arkestra; the master of the Surdo drum apparently showed up at their studio unannounced and ended up hopping on the track. Martin lays down a heavy psychedelic funk groove on guitar, while Zone kicks a nasty drum track inspired by Grady Tate’s “Be Black, Baby.” He also opts to run his organ through a wah-wah petal, and the result is appropriately mind-bending.

Our continuing COVID nightmare has forced many musicians to adapt and rethink their approach. The Du-Rites, faced with the decision of “barbecue or mildew,” continue to choose to keep getting stronger as a musical unit. We’re due for another musical evolution by the duo in 2022, and given their track record, it should be as unique and interesting as always.

Notable Tracks: “Brother Yizar” | “The Squeeze” | “The Sun”

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