In his first full-length album since his return from hiatus, GRiZ came back sounding like the fullest-ever version of himself.Out today, Future Funk Volume 1 leans into heavier bass design than the beloved producer’s early breezy material, but the aptly titled project never loses sight of the funky principles that have long defined his artistry.
Brass, saxophone, hip-hop vocal energy and wonky bass collide inside an album that feels bright, weird and unmistakably GRiZ.‘Outlaw’ starts the album hot with a deep, undulating bassline rumbling beneath irresistible horns and swaggering lyricism.
The track immediately suggests an evolved version of GRiZ, who has found new range in the space between jam-influenced funk and bass music.That energy carries into ‘Rump Shaker,’ which functions as a reunion with Big Gigantic, with whom GRiZ released the fan-favorite ‘Good Times Roll’ a decade ago.
The pairing remains as natural as ever.Smooth saxophone patterns glide over a fluid beat beat while nasty bass growls give it enough bite to detonate in a festival set without requiring any added live-edit theatrics.
‘Rainbow Machine’ featuring ProbCause is pure GRiZ appeal, colorful and bass-forward with a feel-good pulse.‘BBFL,’ which arrived as a single in April, continues in that lane with hip-hop vocal fuel while ‘Funk You Up!’ keeps the album locked into that sweet spot where groove and low-end pressure riff playfully off of each other.
In the album’s middle stretch, ‘Found Your Love’ opens with a more soulful vocal intro before settling into a sunnier, ‘Chasing The Golden Hour’-adjacent groove, favoring warmth over peak-time chaos.It is a reminder that GRiZ does not need to push every track into maximal impact to keep the record moving.
Then ‘When I’m Hot’ comes in with force.Featuring Effin and ProbCause, it delivers some of the album’s heaviest dubstep and sound-design while still folding in sax and keyboard ...