Different World

Funk explorers glimpse new continent, contemplate a visit


Think of Mahjongg's Machinegong EP as achieving something like dub but through a reverse process: Dub took out a lot of the song parts, whereas Mahjongg start with parts but then barely sketch the song or chant that might arise from those parts. It's as if they'd decided, "Let's take the music down to where we don't know it." So we're hearing "could be" rather than "this is." But Mahjongg's got a great sense of form, so they come across as suggestive rather than half-baked.

From Chicago, but not exactly steppin' in the name of love
photo: Jayme Kalal


Cold Crush

Their funk's got whiteboy roughness, which in their case strengthens the music: They'll give you the unadorned beauty of rhythm and timbre, but the music's pushiness means that instead of our going, "Ah, this is a beautiful sound. [Pause] Um, what's for lunch?" we simply hear it knocking about our cafeteria, just another element in the world's overall clatter. Beauty without beauty marks. The joy of not trying to get it right.

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