Haptics, the debut LP from Melbourne ten-piece funk ensemble The Cactus Channel, is an exciting and soul-drenched paean to funk. Put another way, this sucker was put on the Earth to make the listener groove.
Not bad for a band whose collective members have just graduated from high school!
Kicking off proceedings in fine fashion is the mind-bending “Emanuel Ciccolini”, chock-full of throbbing bass, stabbing guitar, wailing Hammond organ and a seriously tight horn section.
“The Colour Of Don Don” is distilled sunshine with a vaguely Mexican mariachi feel to it, and one can nearly feel the hot wind of the Sierras ruffling one’s hair.
On the footloose and fancy-free “Level Up” there’s a mad intensity in the rhythm section that make it ideal for a car chase in one of those 1970s San Francisco police dramas.
The Cactus Channel take the opportunity to flex their reggae muscles on “Under The Birdcage,” whilst the epic closer “Hot Teeth” finishes the album with as much strength as they started it with – raw and nasty funk, served straight up, no chaser.
Haptics is a solid and thrilling debut brought about by some incredibly passionate and knowledgeable young folks who had a plan – and brought it to incredible fruition.
Highly likeable, and freakishly entertaining stuff here.
– Thomas Bailey
