Zachary Mason Returns With Cosmic Funk In "The Funky Martians," next up from his upcoming EP 5... 4... 3... 2... 1... The single opens by dropping listeners directly into a sci-fi soundscape where Martians might not speak Earth, but they understand basslines just fine.
Telling a surreal tale about interplanetary miscommunication set right by an unbeatable groove, Mason mixes his colorful narrative with psychedelic soundscapes, spaced-out effects, and a solid streak of humor. Meanwhile, the track is framed with some transparent sound design tricks in a whimsical radio-drama vein, and its theatrical storytelling and voicing of characters are as over-animated as the music is tight.
Perfect precision is the masterclass here, anchored by a wickedly funky bassline from John Thomasson (Little Big Town) and rollicking drumming by Nate Barnes (Rose Hill Drive). Taking the right level of goofiness and groove, the arrangement feels like it can both brighten your day and get you grooving. Psych-flecked here and there, though put through the wringer of tongue-in-cheek production quirks without clouding good old musicality.
Mason does not simply dip his toe in the funk pool; he twists through a wormhole of humor and invention, bending the genre to its breaking point. This isn't a novelty but simply the last few steps in our innovative journey that our complete EP will feature humor, real-world problems, and sonic exploration. If the rest of 5…4…3…2…1 is anything like this single, we will be in for an interstellar treat.