Analog Son: Two Days Of Funky Excellence
Denver funk duo Analog Son to perform two shows with Jason Hann
By Eric Frank
Thursday, February 25, 2016
On Friday, February 26th, the former Kinetix members bring their own taste of funky fresh music to Boulder’s legendary Fox Theatre and to Ophelia’s Electric Soapbox in Denver the following night, Saturday, February 27th. The shows will feature percussionist Jason Hann of The String Cheese Incident and EOTO.
This run of shows will feature tunes from their latest album, Stomp and Shout, which was recorded at Denver’s Scanhope Sound studio with members of The Motet, Dumpstaphunk, Funky Meters and The New Mastersounds. According to Denver's Westword magazine,
“There is a real funk movement emerging right now, and [Analog Son] have at least half the major players in that movement on this album.”
Formed in 2013, Analog Son is the brainchild of Jordan Linit and Josh Fairman, who previously played in the Denver band Kinetix. After a studio project at Fairman’s Scanhope Sound involving Joe Tatton (The New Mastersounds), Ryan Zoidis (Soulive, Lettuce) and Eric Bloom (Soulive, Lettuce), the duo decided to take the project and run with a new concept.
Collaboration is key for Fairman, Linit
Today, Analog Son is a colossal funk-supergroup containing a cast of 28 rotating musicians, from the likes of Ivan Neville (Dumpstaphunk), Terrence Houston (Funky Meters), Joe Tatton, Joey Porter (The Motet), Jason Hann and many others in the scene.
Since their formation, Analog Son has recorded two studio albums featuring 30+ top-tier musicians. They've also shared stages with renowned acts like The Funky Meters, Snarky Puppy, Trombone Shorty & Orleans Avenue, and more at Colorado's top venues. Grateful Web hails the latest record “an absolute gem” and Marquee Magazine describes their sound: “pulsing basslines, searing guitar, punchy horns and funky rhythms.”
COjam caught up with Josh Fairman and spoke about the band's history, their upcoming shows with Jason Hann, and their future.
COjam: How did Analog Son spawn form Kinetix?
Josh Fairman: Jordan and I have been playing together since junior high school. So I'd say it kind of started a long time ago. Kinetix was our collage band. We developed Analog Son apart from Kinetix, but when Kinetix started slowing down, this project naturally became the main focus. Jordan and I have loved funk and jazz music forever, so we really wanted our band to be focused that way, genre-wise. Kinetix was a great jam band, so I think we really learned how to pick up an improvised jam and keep going. I think there is definitely that piece of Kinetix in Analog Son.
COjam: You've got a lot of history with other Denver players and bands. How have those relationships helped you along the way?
JF: We've been in Denver for 13 years, so we really have an amazing network of players we are happy to call friends. We have had them collaborate on both of our albums. Members of Motet, The Congress, Fox Street, Convergence, Super Collider, Dyno Hunter and more have blessed us with some funky playing. Also, it's fun to play shows together. For example, we are going to be shredding with the homies in Euforquestra April 2nd at the Aggie [Theatre].
COjam: What makes Analog Son tick?
JF: What I really love about the band is that we have one real goal: to FUNK. The songs range from jazz to soul, and even venture into rock...but one thing remains the same, we keep it funky. I've been in a lot of projects that play so many different kinds of music, and that's fun, but focusing on one vibe really allows us to explore the genre and take it to the next level.
COjam: What can fans expect from the shows this weekend?
JF: We are super stoked to have Jason Hann of The String Cheese Incident and EOTO playing with us. He always brings really positive energy. We will be playing some new songs, and some classics as well. Come out if you want to get down!
COjam: What's in Analog Son's future?
JF: We've been recording a lot of new music. Look for us to release some singles and eventually an EP later this fall. Also, festival season is coming up, so we are going to be announcing some dates very soon. I'm excited for our future, everyone in the band is gelling and we are really coming together as a unit. I can't wait to see what happens next.
Listen to "Blue Nile" from Analog Son's latest effort, Black Diamond.