Ikebe Shakedown, the self-titled album from the Brooklyn-based band, plays with elements of cinematic soul, Afro-funk, deep disco, and boogaloo in all the right ways.  After spending a few years together the group, named after a favorite Nigerian boogie record (and pronounced “ee-KAY-bay”), delivers a driving set of tunes featuring a mighty horn section anchored by tight, deep-pocketed grooves.

“Right now in cities across the globe, there are plenty of great Afrobeat revivalist bands aping the sound and groove of Fela Kuti’s legendary sound.  Yet, surprisingly few of the new groups have strayed from an orthodox interpretation of the genre or done much real innovation…Ikebe Shakedown is here to change that.  The band takes signature Afrobeat elements—big unison horns, slinky bass lines, tight little guitar licks—and blends them with tasty grooves culled from ’70s-style horn-driven funk”. – Marlon Bishop, WNYC

The Ikebe debut for Ubiquity Records sees the band push their globally-informed sound and eclectic approach to tune-writing into new territory. “Self-titling the album is a way to introduce the audience to the many facets of the band — to provide a more complete understanding of what we do,” bassist Vince Chiarito says.  “Our sound has grown to incorporate our influences without overtly representing any one in particular.  It just sounds like us,” he adds.

Most of the rhythm section met at Bard College, and the band rounded-out and officially formed when everyone settled in Brooklyn in 2008.  From there, Ikebe has emerged as a compelling voice on the progressive local scene.  After a run of dates around NYC, the band recorded their debut 7” single and the EP, Hard Steppin’, which was released on Colemine Records in 2009,receiving high praise from critics and fans alike.  The group was invited to record at Dunham Studios with producer Tom Brenneck and at Killion Sound in Los Angeles, home of engineer Sergio Rios of fellow Ubiquity act, Orgone.  “The studios share a lot of similarities — the tracks were all cut live to tape with minimal use of headphones and overdubs.  This basic approach allowed us to dig in and really focus on getting dynamic performances,” Chiarito explains.

The old school mentality to recording spills over in lush, laid-back, and soulful funk joints like “Kumasi Walk” and “No Name Bar,” where the multi-layered horn section plays off a cavernous backing track of slick drumming, spacey Hammond organ, and nimble guitar riffing.  The cinematic soul sound is warm and deep, with the 7-piece band sounding more like a larger ensemble as increasing layers leap from the tape.  At the other end of the BPM counter, on “Tunjunga,” the band build a gritty African disco jam boasting a floor-filling percussion section, adding seductive guitar licks and an irresistible bass-line to set the horns ablaze. “Tame The Beats” is pure fire — bold melodies and heavy rhythms propel the song, with Meters-esque breakdowns providing only brief respite from the action.

The Hold Up

Over the past eight years, Ikebe Shakedown has cemented a reputation as one of New York City’s boldest, most creative instrumental bands. Combining cinematic soul, Afro–funk, deep disco, and an irrepressible groove, Ikebe Shakedown has forged a style all its own. Each song is anchored in the deep-pocketed pulse of its four-man rhythm section (Barnaby Alter, drums; Dave Bourla, percussion; Vince Chiarito, bass; Robin Schmidt, guitar) and driven by one of the tightest horn trios on the East Coast (Mike Buckley, tenor/baritone sax; Jason Colby, trumpet; Nadav Nirenberg, trombone), with tunes ranging from dance-floor burners to lush, captivating scores.

The band first came on the scene with 2009’s debut EP, Hard Steppin’, from Colemine Records. Praised by WNYC’s Soundcheck as “the perfect soundtrack for the unwritten Tarantino movie of your imagination,” the five–song release led to tours up and down both U.S. coasts and paved the way for Ikebe Shakedown’s first full-length LP on Ubiquity Records. Recorded at Killion Sound in L.A. with Orgone’s Sergio Rios and Dunham Studios in Brooklyn with noted producer Tom Brenneck, this self-titled album, released in 2011, featured 14 blistering tracks that Okayplayer called, “an adventurous trip through time” and “one of the best releases of the year.” Having toured the record throughout the U.S. and Canada, Ikebe Shakedown returned to the studio in 2014 for their follow up album for Ubiquity, Stone by Stone. Recorded at Daptone Studios, the 10-song set let the band become more adventurous than ever before, weaving psychedelic textures and raw soul into powerful compositions, or as Wax Poetics called it, “a greasy and sometimes trippy funk world.”

Now, after hitting major jazz festivals, opening on extended runs for stars like Lee Fields, and with the band’s members simultaneously touring with acts like Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings, Charles Bradley and His Extraordinaires, and the Monophonics, Ikebe Shakedown is poised for their next big release in 2017. The new album, The Way Home, is due out October 20th on Colemine Records. It shows how the band’s style has continued to evolve, with material that transports listeners beyond their living rooms into dance parties and spaces for introspection. Building on the success that has led to musical features in series such as Eastbound and Down, movies like Our Brand is Crisis, and commercials for brands including Mini Cooper, Vans’ Off the Wall, and Surfline, the songs are at once richly familiar and incredibly fresh, paying homage to classic influences while pushing a brand new sound. Defying genre or classification, this album proves Ikebe Shakedown is helping define the next bold and soulful wave in instrumental music.

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