Neon Tapehead’s new single Know What I Want wastes no time launching into a strong, powerful groove. The music sounds driven and certain, sounding exactly how a song with this name should. A modernised take on a genre with a rich history, Neon Tapehead have taken funk and dressed it in modern clothes, ready to introduce it back to the world with its modern makeover.
There’s something about the Moscow bands latest release that just screams “I don’t give a fuck”. Alongside this attitude, there’s this femininity to the track. This fused with the power of not giving a fuck is a recognisable feeling, one you find in songs by artists like Beyonce, it’s strong, unapologetic femininity.
The hard punchy bass is, like in almost every funk tune, dominating and effortlessly coaxes a head bob out of you. Coloured with a wide range of synth sounds ranging from laser-like “pew”s and beeps to a wavey underwater sound, it’s a song you imagine you’d hear in a classy cocktail bar in space. With all the various synth lines, different tones, and various backing vocals, the track keeps a constantly full sound, never leaving anything to be desired.
The vocals are impressive. With certainty in the delivery, it oozes the confidence that funk’s known for. Loud and proud, with plenty of backing vocals, the vocal presence is consistent, keeping the track’s energy electric from start to finish. She purs often and adds some “ah”s which just adds a light-hearted layer to it all but still somehow sounds chic. It’s one of those vocal performances that sounds so good that it makes you feel good too, and completely ties the song together.
Where some songs lack, “Know What I Want” thrives, bursting at the seams with unmistakable character, while staying true to that funky vibe we’re all so familiar with. Neon Tapehead took an old(ish), but still very much adored, genre and thrust it into modern-day, without watering down the features that made us all fall in love with funk in the first place.
