Tenement by The Du-Rites

NYC funk combo The Du-Rites - Jay Mumford (drums, keys, kalimba & percussion) and Pablo Martin (guitar, bass, keys & percussion) - cranked out seven funk albums in six years. After 2022’s Plug It In, they continued working, but chilled on releasing music for a bit. Jay worked as a session drummer (Gnarls Barkley, Kelly Finnigan, Just Blaze, etc.), was sampled by Vampire Weekend and toured with guitarist Adrian Quesada. Pablo toured as a guitarist with veteran UK singer-songwriter Belouis Some, producing and composing when not on the road. When not on stage and in studio with others, the pair maintained their weekly residency in NYC and released a handful of digital singles to keep ideas flowing. But after a three year hiatus from making albums, their new EP, Tenement (on UK-based Village Live Records), is a lean, mean funk machine.

Guest flautist Seth Hachen compliments the twists and turns of the abstract “In Du Time,” while the title track is meat and potatoes instrumental funk. “5 on the Floor” continues the experimentation with its featuring of a kalimba and heavily syncopated, off-kilter drumming, while “Bucky’s Groove” (featuring Bruce Martin of Tom Tom Club on synths) brings it back to basics with b-boy breakbeats. The Du-Rites' use of guitar and synthesizer tones that are absent from the standard “retro funk” sound are what truly separates them (“Filibuster” and “Super Phunk”), but the dirtiness of the drums keeps things grounded in what funk is about. But above all, Tenement is an exercise in groove. Abstract groove, stank face groove, booty shake groove…it all makes an appearance in the EP's just under 17 minute run time.

The Du-Rites are an NYC-based funk combo of Jay Mumford on drums, keys + percussion and Pablo Martin on guitar, bass guitar, + synthesizer. 7 albums and numerous singles deep, The Du-Rites have been paired with a wide rage of talent, from Ghostface Killah; to Eddie Palmieri; to members of Sun Ra Arkestra; to Robert Glasper. Dig!

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