Candlelight Ficus - Feel-Good Funk

Candlelight Ficus – Music

In their new album "Music," the Graz funk-pop band Candlelight Ficus dives several floors deeper into the world of 70s groove music. Unlike their earlier recordings, which were characterized by a produced, modern sound, they recorded all the instruments for the new album in a live session to capture the essential raw energy of their music. This way, Candlelight Ficus merges the interactive joy of their live concerts with the high standards of studio production, finding the sweet spot between catchy pop music and jam band improvisation.

The band's influences are diverse: alongside classics like James Brown and Marvin Gaye, the tight breaks, hook lines, and solos of the album also reference contemporary acts such as the Lehmann’s Brothers, Vulfpeck, and Cory Wong. Radio-friendly songs like "Running in Circles" and "To The Ground" go hand in hand with the funk ecstasy of the title track "Music" and the North African-inspired "Out of Nowhere," which was created in collaboration with the Vienna-based multicultural band Moneka Group. In the end, the disco sound of "Generation of Delight" goes straight to the bones and refreshes the ears with the powerful voices of the two background singers from the Candlelight Ficus live band, who are brought to the forefront for this feature.