Chronophonic brings the funk with a jazzed-up release

Footwork

Chronophonic

Self-Released

Recommended if you…

Footwork

Chronophonic

Self-Released

Recommended if you like: Hip-hop fused with jazz and funk

Everything’s bigger in — Colorado? Musical interludes and jam sessions, that is. Welcome to Footwork, the sophomore effort of the Colorado-based eight-piece, Chronophonic.

Described as having a jazz/funk/hip-hop sound, Chronophonic is a breath of fresh air from mainstream music. Citing major artistic influences ranging from Radiohead to James Brown, Chronophonic unleashes a rarely heard sound with Footwork — which is a nice change of pace from the mainstream, ditzy, bubble-gum divas and uber-tattooed pop-punk bands.

With only 11 tracks spanning the nearly one-hour running time, Footwork is full of long jams that would put The Doors to shame. Three tracks are full-blown instrumentals — each with a unique sound. “Deep Puddin’, Pt. 1” shows off drummer Jim Fierro’s mastery of percussion, while Jon Stone’s guitar playing on “Outro” is very Santana-esque.

On the title track, the vocal duo of Jon Piazza and Jake Sanders break it down a la Busta Rhymes. With swift delivery and impeccable flow, they rap: “I roam the earth in motion with breeze / composing these symphonies / silencing any eyeing me with ill intent / your stolen styles frozen by the swift spoken Frisco resident.”

“Bean So Hot,” one of the album’s most distinct songs, is a roller-coaster ride of tempo. While both vocalists deliver the line: “The ending of life is just some kids clapping their toys / balloons pop in this hot atmosphere,” a metal guitar rift cuts into the flow. A minute later, however, things slow down again, only to pick up later in the song. But don’t be mistaken; this track is one of the gems of the album.

Currently in the process of promoting the new album, Chronophonic has booked nearly 20 shows in the next three months. But there’s a catch — all shows are in Colorado. Unless you want to take a road trip or fly west this summer, the safe bet might be to hop onto www.cdstreet.com or head to the store and pick up Footwork. It’s worth the cash and will refreshingly jazz up your record collection.