When combined, Nite Jewel and Dâm-Funk can arguably be considered a supergroup, as both artists have forged their own solid paths in the underbelly of the electronic music scene. It was only a matter of time before the pair joined forces on a real project: They've been teasing that union for close to a decade now through one decent collaboration and several loose associations. On their long-awaited collaborative release Nite-Funk, we get a glimpse of what these two can do when their creative forces unite on an EP, and it’s lightning in a bottle.
In September of 2015, Nite Jewel and Dâm-Funk dropped off what was presumed to be their Nite-Funk lead single “Can U Read Me?” The track was woozy and arguably less aggressive than their previous 2009 collaboration “Am I Gonna Make It,” which was more upbeat but underproduced. While “Can U Read Me?” didn’t make the EP (though it definitely should have), the song signified the direction the duo would be taking on Nite-Funk. At four tight tracks, Nite-Funk is merely an appetizer for a dinner we’ve been craving for years. Both Nite Jewel and Dâm-Funk bring their best selves to the project, channeling vibes of more recent duo successes like AlunaGeorge, only less syrupy and blippy and more soulful and funky.
The breezy opener “Don’t Play Games” delivers melodic hums from Nite Jewel with Dâm-Funk adding playful keys and delicate synths. “Let Me Be Me” follows, carrying a darker, Hall and Oates-esque vibe, with Nite Jewel singing crisply and chanting “I’ve gotta get out and be free.” The slower-simering “Love x2” sounds eerily like a Janet Jackson deep cut, and Nite Jewel travels along that same vein on the mid-tempo “U Can Make Me.” If there is one critique to offer (outside of the exclusion of “Can U Read Me?”) it’s that Nite-Funk could easily be regarded as a Nite Jewel project featuring Dâm-Funk. While his presence is certainly felt through the intoxicating production, it still leans in Nite Jewel’s favor, especially when her ethereal vocals are inserted into the beat. This could have easily been tacked onto her latest solo album Liquid Cool. But even judged on those terms—a Nite Jewel solo EP that happens to feature Dâm-Funk—it sounds like a success. "
*Nite-Funk *was more than likely the result of a seven-year conversation between Nite Jewel and Dâm-Funk playing the “should we or shouldn’t we?” game. Four tracks is only so much to go on, but if this short-but-sweet project was their litmus test, then they should race back to the studio and cut a full-length project. More, please.
