With INSPIRE // RADICALISE, Berlin’s hi-tech jazz collective Zeitgeist Freedom Energy Exchange return to connect two pillars of the city’s music culture: its long-established club scene and a thriving wave of new jazz. Led by Ziggy Zeitgeist, drummer of 30/70, the group has earned a reputation for improvisational live shows that blend house, funk and disco – bush doof jazz made for the dancefloor.
The album’s dual structure is intentional. The »INSPIRE« side celebrates musical heroes: »Sylvester« honours the queer disco icon through slick funk grooves, disco guitars and expressive vocals from Desney Bailey. The West African disco jam »Celebrate Some Time«, inspired by a trip to Ghana, features rich percussion and vocals from Eric Owusu (Jembaa Groove), capturing ZFEX’s signature bounce. »RADICALISE«, in contrast, underlines the band’s philosophy: using dance music as a radical tool. »Midas Touch« unfolds with broken beats and layered clarinet textures. »Who’s the Kid ?« veers into space rock, climaxing in a fuzzy Hendrix-style solo. On »Lifestyles of the Hip and the Crazy«, synths spiral across a cosmic soundscape, grounded by a steady bassline. With a tight rhythm section, swirling synths and cosmic FX, INSPIRE // RADICALISE once again shows how jazz-funk energy can transform dancefloors into sites of sonic resistance.
