Modal Forces / Percussive Forces cover

Modal Forces / Percussive Forces

Released

Library music is short incidental mood music recorded specifically for TV, radio, and films, and the rediscovery of a vast, rich, varied, sometimes funky, sometimes plain odd catalogue of library music has influenced hip-hoppers, beatmakers, samplists and DJs alike. For this 2023 album, Degiorgio takes the library format (most of the tracks are sub-three minute, many under two) to create a series of jazz funk and modal jazz tracks, built from electric piano, acoustic bass and synths, aided by live drums from Chris Whitten. 

The result is a series of evocative fusion pieces characterised by a necessary economy with literally no time for slow build-ups or drawn-out musical development. Instead, each track springs to life instantly with the main musical idea and mood pretty much fully formed, every musical part entirely necessary. The first half is sophisticated thematic jazz fusion while the second is more funky, and includes plenty of super-bad live breakbeat drum action along with some killer Degiorgio synth bass sounds. Superbly done.

Harold Heath

Recommended by

Suggestions
Higher Ground cover

Higher Ground

Johnny Hammond
The Lost Album cover

The Lost Album

The JB's and Fred Wesley
LP​.​8 cover

LP​.​8

Kelly Lee Owens
Brand New Heavies cover

Brand New Heavies

The Brand New Heavies
Interstellar Fugitives cover

Interstellar Fugitives

Underground Resistance
Electric Funk cover

Electric Funk

Jimmy McGriff
Smokin' cover

Smokin'

Curtis Fuller
Mama Wailer cover

Mama Wailer

Lonnie Smith
Astral Signal cover

Astral Signal

Gene Harris
Sun Goddess cover

Sun Goddess

Ramsey Lewis