fumbata : the free music movement

The idea behind Fumbata is simple. I make music because I want to, not because I'm trying to make a living with it. I have day job. So why should I work within the debilitating structure of the music industry, whose first priority is money, not music? If you take money (and the industry) out of the equation, then music is pure again: it exists only for the enjoyment of the creator and the listener.

For me, free = freedom. So I skip the industry, and give the music straight to the listener.

Get Up, Get Down, Get It On. The long-awaited sophomore release from Fumbata is nothing less than a monster: 3 albums, 42 tracks, comprising 4 years of unreleased material.

The Fumbata sound is still here, with layered, multi-rhythmic beats, pounding bass, and simple melodies, but Clay has grown up (and out) since the last release. This isn't standard electronica anymore. These tracks run the gamut from arena-sized bangers, to funky head-bobbers, to soothing downbeat lullabies. You'll hear drum n'bass, downbeat, big beat, hip-hop, funk, dub and industrial all thrown into the mix, sometimes all at the same time!

With so much variety, it's hard to know where to start. So, it's broken into three album-size chunks: Get Up starts things off with a bang, full of lively beats and throbbing bass. Get Down eases off a bit and dips into chill-out territory every now and then. Get It On is... well, everything else!

It's too much to describe here, so click on the image to the left to hear it for yourself!

On June 10, 2004, three Atlanta artists: Jonathan Bouknight, Edie Morton, and Julie Nellenback constructed a temporary installation interpreting the physical, cultural, or spiritual symbolism of gestation. Fumbata provided the soundtrack for the exhibition: a gently pulsating 30 minute track that imagines what it might sound like inside the womb.

The debut album from Fumbata, featuring cold winds rise, the theme song for Fusion TV.

Clay : Alone is dramatic, filled with the kind of icy passion that fuels good movies, novels, operas, and plays. The songs tell stories, get us hooked, and then swell to pulsing climaxes just before they twist into something entirely new and different. It is electronic music, inspired by the likes of Massive Attack, Talvin Singh, and Dieselboy, but it transcends all the annoying sub-genres of electronic music. Songs jump from drum n’ bass to downbeat, techno to jazz in a heartbeat, but never seem to lose the groove.

In fact, the music on Clay : Alone is dependent on the groove. The frenzied clicks and thumps of processed drums and the revolving growl of sub-bass are Fumbata’s meat and potatoes. The drums lead the way, the bass blasts out the tune, the melodies are sparse and simple, and everything else is icing on the cake.

It's just like it sounds, folks. Check here for the latest uploads, downloads, and downright funky stuff to tide you over until the next release.

Check out the Fumbata store at Cafepress.com for shirts, bags, lunch boxes and other Fumbata merchandise. And if you're not into MP3 thing, it's the only place where you can buy the CDs, already all put together...

Doesn't it seem like everyone has a blog these days? Well... me too! Head over to MySpace to hear what's happening in Fumbata-land. Find out what makes my rusty gears turn, and why this music sounds like it does.