Time to shine those dancing shoes, pull those disco slacks back out the closet and step out onto the dancefloor. One of Hungary's most established producers, songwriters and film score composers has been on a tear lately, unveiling a brand new series of "Words" releases. Void of an official press release, we'll need to go freestyle on this one and choose our words wisely. But one thing's for sure, this screwball double-header is positively unhinged.
Ambrus Tövisházi's Erik Sumo Band made a name for itself in the early 2000's with a string of indie-pop-related releases before disbanding, reuniting and then releasing a 'best-of' album in 2013. Yet here they are, picking up where they left off with even more experiential madness to add to the already diverse mix. In September, the Erik Sumo Band released "Words Volume One", a collection of seven tracks rooted in a disco spirit though interspersed with all kinds of influences, taking cues from a global all-you-can-eat buffet. In November, the seven-piece unveiled seven more outlandish tracks on "Words Volume Two", even more daring than their previous venture, presenting a veritable "Tower of Babel" (or shall we say 'Babble'?) with songs presented in Finnish, Portuguese, French, German and Hungarian.
Long story short, Budapest's Erik Sumo Band is back with a distinct and far-reaching blend of "Afro-Mediterranean-Hunglish-Scifi-Disco" and, apparently, more in the making. So while we head back to the dancefloor to take notes and physically study this loquacious offering, we look forward to volumes three and four of this potent concoction, set to arrive next year. At the same time, we feel oddly at peace knowing that there are still some out there delivering high-quality production, top-shelf creativity and, quite simply, having fun with it. Kudos to Ambrus Tövisházi and his musical entourage. These words are for you.
You can now stream "Words Volume One" in the player below and "Words Volume Two" in the video below.