Salva

Synth funk is as popular now as it ever was during the '80s, but much of the time it just doesn't contain the same forward-thinking attitude. Hell, it's still funk, and that's good enough, to a certain extent, but Salva brings us something fresh from the streets of San Francisco. There is dubstep's skank'n'shudder in the sounds, but the soaring, razor-sharp synth melodies, crystal clear sound design and bubbling rhythms are exciting in a three-dimensional way for both listening and dancing. Any buzz saw synth pads found on Complex Housing are balanced with more playful sounds, so when they drop, they hit harder, such as on outstanding single "Blue." Salva's got a way with hi-hat programming ― even though it doesn't exactly swing, one finds themselves craving its percolations in every track. The rigid but righteous West Africanisms of "Icey" are a case in point, as double-time hi-hats and cowbells do a delicate pas de deux around each other. This record strikes a fine balance between the blues language of funk and the power of contemporary club bangers.