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AIFF Afro Soul System Last week AIFF (in long terms Afro Influenced Funk Federation) released it's album worldwide. The Dutch musicians around DJ and producer Phil Martin and musician Ton van der Kolk play an enormous groove establishing their own version of afro-funk. Influenced by classic afro funk like Fela Kuti, they try to bring afro-funk to a new dimension. Like other actual afro funk projects, they integrate all their musical influences in their tracks. The favourite styles they melt to their unique sound range from deep-funk, soul and jazz to reggae and afro music. They just love all kinds of roots music. |
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AIFF give proof to the fact that young musicians can make music in an afrobeat way. The percussions are breathing in a wide space, the guitar simply forces you to dance and the horns change from mellow to rude style. You can feel the “endless groove“ rising, which is when a base rhythm of drums, muted guitar and bass are repeated like the groove will never end. AIFF played most instruments on their own, for the vocals and horns they just asked friends they like to work with like Marco Hijl on saxophone and flute. Their limited first 7“ AKWAABA - Watergirls (UNIQ120-1) was highly recommended by Paul Murphy from Afroart recordings and Andy Smith from Portishead. International DJs Keb Darge and Snowboy played it at their gigs, even icons like Paul Weller love that tune. The positive response to this single made AIFF decide to come up with a full album. AIFF are no newcomers. They play and produce music in several projects. Phil Martin plays drums in his band “The Jazzinvaders” and is producing with the Dutch legendary jazz group “The Houdinis“. He runs his own label ”Social Beats“ with releases of Tim Wood, Solo Moderna and his own projects ”The Jazz Invaders“ and “The Soul Snatchers“. „The Soul Snatchers“ are a soul 45 band which was the basis of AIFF, their impressing tune “Sniffin and Snatchin“ can be found on “The New Testament Of Funk 5“ – Compilation (Unique Records 121-1). Their tracks take the old soul and funk atmosphere to a high modern level and nevertheless develop their very own style. They just show that soul is still alive these days. |
Phil Martin and Ton van der Kolk (aka DJ Draaikolk) have been spinning wheels together at their well-established club series „The Beat Club“ for eight years now. The two show all their enthusiastic passion for music which they want to share with the dancing crowd in these nights. Phil and Ton have also been around many cities in the Netherlands and organised several concerts for bands they really like. They had “Sharon Jones & the Dapkings“, “The Poets of Rhythm“ and “Afrobeat Academy“ playing for their organisation Beatcollective.nl. Ton and Phil have known each other for a very long time. They have been friends since they were teenagers. Their love for old funk, jazz, soul, hip-hop, reggae and other grooves lead to the result of “Afro Soul System“. On the album, they use all the right elements from the old afro beat history and develop a unique new but „old“ sound: afro beat drums and percussions combined with these melodic funky guitar parts, the recognizable fender rhodes and organ parts and heavy, mean and rough horn sections. And all together, the result is the endless groove through a repetitive element in trippy grooves. But let’s not forget about the excellent guests appearing on the mic: First of all, there is Crucial T. on Afro Riddim. He was singer of the ska group “The Continentals“. He joined Ton and Phil for their project “The Soul Snatchers“ together with the horn section of his former band. In the following, they joined in for AIFF as well. Crucial T. had a long career as frontman before and therefore knows how to please a crowd. Besides, he is a great vocalist and toaster. |
The fourth track Life features Linda Bloemhard on the mic. She is mainly the vocalist for the nu-jazz group “The Jazzinvaders“ but worked for a great jazz band called “Mo“ as well. Her great voice has also been part of tracks by “Kraak & Smaak“ and “Mendoza Dance Parti“. AIFF loved the cooperation with Linda and hope to work with her again in the future. Last but not least, there is a well-known guy for all insiders of Unique Records, Travis Blaque. With his album “The Many Facets Of Travis Blaque“, he gave an enormous impression of a rapper with “real“ messages. His conscious style has a great flow and makes you believe in the power and qualities of hiphop movement again. Ugly Duckling shows him in his special way to transport his messages while the horn section plays a great instrumental refrain. The result is a real hit tune with intelligent lyrics. AIFF are in a par with other actual projects who like to sound old and every now, like Quantic, New Mastersounds and Speedometer. The old funk and soul stuff from the sixties and seventies are great influences as there is, of course, the legend of afro funk, Fela Kuti. In actual music, they love the Daktaris (Desco Records) and the Budos Band for their afro-funk with that old sound. |
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AIFF Live |
AIFF really have a mission, they want to show you their passion for the music they love in their own demanding way. Let them take you to a powerful trip into their own world of afro funk! Album Sampler Webinfo: |
Bookings Distributie: |
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What others think of AIFF "These boys come correct on wax, with a baritone sax, trumpet, organ, drums, percussion… the whole nine. Upon first listen to AIFF’s debut release Afro Soul System, you’ll immediately notice their affection for Afrobeat legend and creator Fela Kuti through their use of a highly syncopated rhythm section and meandering organ riffs. On the album’s first single “Akwaaba,” whose subsequent popularity led to this full length, we get a hefty dose of said drum and bass grooves accompanied by scratchy Funk guitar and ear shattering horn arrangements. In the end, you’ll no doubt draw your own comparisons to AIFF’s stateside counterparts, but with a love of Reggae, Hip-Hop, Funk, and Soul guiding their hands, Martin and Van der Kolk have created a new style of Afrobeat which pushes the boundaries of the genre, in effect creating a new sub-genre in the process." - DJ Stew - Groundlift Magazine "Afro-funk, afro-jazz and afro-hiphop out of Germany. Eleven tight, solid tracks, and not one weighs in at more than five and a half minutes - highly unusal for any kind of afrobeat project. 'Circles', 'Don't Stop', 'The Seduction' and 'Water Girls' are the big club cuts. Don't sleep on this one!!" - Straight no Chaser - Dom Servini Having first became aware of AIFF through some AIFF remixes, the awesome Jazz Invaders remix for example, I was immediately excited to hear this when it arrived from Unique. The intro starts with easy reggae but the switch into driving Afrobeat via wah wah guitar is stunning. This is a masterclass in production and dynamics. Every sound is clear and defined and the overall composition is perfect, a peak time dancefloor Afrobeat bomb. The other 3 tracks sees Freestyle maestro Diesler take over the production, and these too are just amazing, especially 'Akwaaba' featuring vocalist Laura Vane. Once again it's Afrobeat but much more subtle and song based. These two are actually the B side and in my humble opinion the best tracks. The A side has Diesler dropping a slight house edge to the proceedings with the intro build up on the Club Remix being pretty spectacular, but for my money, go for the more organic B side tracks to be thoroughly wowed. - Pete Isaac - Jelly Jazz (About AIFF 12") Das Kürzel AIFF steht für ‘Afro Influenced Funk Federation‘ und trifft damit den Nagel auf den Kopf. Die holländischen Musiker um Phil Martin und Ton van der Kolk haben eine ganz eigene Version von Afro-Funk entwickelt. Die Wurzeln sind kaum überhörbar im klassischen Afro-Sound eines Fela Kuti verwachsen, allerdings brechen die Musiker die Grenzen auf und mischen Elemente von Deep-Funk, Soul und Jazz bis hin zum Reggae in den knackigen Big-Band-Groove. Nu-Funk Kennern dürfte das Vorgänger-Projekt ‘The Soul Snatchers‘ bestens bekannt sein (Sniffin and Snatchin!) doch mit AIFF legen sie noch eine Scheibe drauf. Da funkt und bebt es wie zu besten James Brown-Instrumentalzeiten, in denen einst der ‘endless groove‘ geboren wurde. Dass das Ganze dennoch nicht zu amerikanisch wirkt, dafür sorgen die treibenden, perkussiven Momente, mit denen das ganze Album durchwachsen ist. - Free FM ULM Vom Reggae zu erstklassigen Afrobeats. Von Berlin nach Düsseldorf via Amsterdam. Percussions, typische Gitarrenlicks und Bläser mischen sich mit dem scheinbar unendlichen Groove von Schlagzeug und Basslines zu einem sehr tanzbaren Sound, der Spass macht und trotzdem extremen Tiefgang hat. Es ist fast schon schwer, einzelne Stücke heraus zu picken, da das Album als Gesamtwerk super funktioniert und nie langweilig wird. Und doch sind es „Circles“ mit seinen etwas stolpernden Beats und feinen Gitarren-Lines und Bläserlicks, „Life“ mit Sängerin Linda Bloemhard, „The Seduction“ im Afrodisco Stil und das jazzige „Akwaaba“, welche sich sofort in den Ohren festsetzen und lange nicht mehr dort weggehen. Bis zum Replay. AIFF sind sicherlich ein Highlight aus dem grossen Kreis der vielen Funk- und Soulbands derzeit. In einer Aufzählung zu nennen mit The Poets Of Rythms, Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, The Bamboos oder dem Quantic Soul Orchestra. - Michael Rütten / Jazzthing Magazin Aiff-akwaaba fave cut is a1, diesler club remix-great, gonna play it in set thanks peace - Rob - Stereo Mc's (About the AIFF 12") |
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