On Junie’s Transmission, the opening track of Dam Funk’s third album, P Funk legend Junie Morrison describes how “the upheaval suffered by the human race” began when society removed “the funk”. It sets out the general mission of this slightly flabby, 20-track odyssey: to revive classic funk, while abolishing the comedy stereotypes – think Jheri curls and Cameo codpieces – that have been affiliated with the genre. Narcotic dizziness hangs heavy throughout its 96-minutes, with guests Ariel Pink and Snoop Dogg bringing lo-fi swampiness and g-funk glamour to the floor. The end result sounds as indebted to bygone funk as it is to new, skewered Brainfeeder-affiliated funk, such as on Floating on Air, which features Flea. You could argue that in the six-years since his debut, Dam’s mission has become obsolete, with funk the backbone of many revered artists’ albums. But on Invite the Light, funk remains not only Dam-Funk’s backbone, but his beating heart, his brain, his codpiece.
