Irresistible
author: John Manning
Solid grooves, guaranteed to make you want to move your body. "Funked Up and Freaked Out" is particularly infectious.
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funky upbeat rock
author: Maximum Ink
Kava Kava “Maui” (Chocolate Fireguard Music) Spunky, funky upbeat rock that reminds me of older Lenny Kravitz in several respects. Cool and flowing passages mixed with hot and vibrant dance rhythms form a fulfilling release. (8)
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Kava Kava 'Maui'
author: DJ Johnson
What sets Kava Kava apart from other trancey, vibey electronica is the vocals of Pat Fulgoni. He's got a soulful, powerful voice that is also pretty hypnotic on its own. Also, the music is superior to most of what's going on in the genre, thanks largely to living, breathing musicians playing guitar, bass and drums. In fact, Kava Kava is a quartet with just one member, bassist Jason Riley, assigned to provide the electronica flourishes. Guitarist Matt Bond uses the instrument for delicate coloration and texture, a choice that works very well for Kava Kava, as each song sounds layers deep. Mick Reed is a solid drummer, always right in the pocket, and once in a while there's a little bit of startling electronic augmentation, like a hyper-roll laced into his beats. A very nice package, all together, with Fulgoni's voice ripping through the mix to grab you by the backbone. Great for 71 minutes of intense trippin'.
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Kava Kava Maui Chocolate Fireguard
author: REV. KEITH A. GORDON - Alt.Culture.Guide
Normally dance music tends to fall on deaf ears among the Neanderthals here at the ConMedia World HQ. The ACG staff's tastes run towards rock-n-roll, preferably that of the two-fisted, guitar-heavy, slash-and-burn variety. Every now and then, however, something catches our ears that is just so damn...well, funky...guilty pleasure or not, we've just got to make a noise about it. Witness Kava Kava, the brainchild of UK artist and Chocolate Fireguard label founder Pat Fulgoni. For the better part of a decade now, Fulgoni's Kava Kava has been a leading force on the British dancefloor scene. The band has charmed listeners across the island with an eclectic mix of Northern Soul, Clintonesque funk, electronic rhythms and a spirit moved as much by Thom Bell as it is by Fatboy Slim.
Maui is the band's third album, and its first to be distributed stateside under a recently inked distribution agreement. As horny teens used to say to a young Dick Clark, "it's got a good beat and you can dance to it!" Kava Kava puts the magic in the grooves and spares no expense in blood, sweat and tears to pull the listener into their world, the "funky underground." After a deceptively clever, thirty-second Eno-worthy ambient into, Maui kicks into overdrive from jump street. "Don't Stop The Music" features an infectious, razor-sharp guitar lead straight out of the Ernie Isley playbook, complimented by a big-band, R&B Revue feel. The swirling fretwork is psychedelic in nature while Fulgoni's vocals are smooth, seductive and soulful.
Much of the rest of Maui follows the blueprint laid down by its opening song. The title cut starts out with pastoral strings and slightly whooshing rhythms before settling into a Barry White-meets-Hawkwind jam with lush instrumentation and warm vocals guaranteed to melt the heart of any hesitant young lady. "Funked Up And Freaked Out" is an electronica-tinged rocker with Bootsy-inspired basslines, muted guitar riffs and an outer-space vibe that would have Sun Ra dancing on his grave. "Beats For Cheats" is a full-bore dancefloor rave-up with an Oscillator heartbeat and simply infectious instrumentation while "Space People (A&Rlien)" veils its jabs at the music biz behind a tidal wave of recurring beats, toasty rhythms and a message of unity and independence.
More musically interesting than a lot of rock albums you'll hear this year, Maui is a work of no little inspiration. Kava Kava has created a musical chimera that is equal parts P-Funk and Roxy Music, as indebted to Stax soul and the Philly sound as it is to the Manchester beat and Brian Eno. Maui is a strong antidote to the bland, lifeless music you'll hear on the radio, an energetic blend of heart and soul that will have you shuffling your feet in spite of your bad self.
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