Described as the “brainchild” of Australian musician Ben Cripps, Cripptic is a brand new act on the modern Funk and Soul scene, using memorable bass lines, wily synth parts and solid, toe-tapping rhythms to create his fresh and funky sound. His first single is Cripptic – Muffin Pincher, a deliciously retro slice of Funk that’s bound to send you straight back to those heady Disco days of the 1970s.
Based around some expertly-played slap bass, Muffin Pincher is an instrumental track that retains its optimistic, upbeat vibes throughout. Opening with some spacey synths and a pounding four-to-the-floor rhythm, the track soon grows to include some classic scratchy Funk guitar as well as some more layered synth lines that sound positively cosmic. You can certainly hear the artist’s influences coming out in Cripptic – Muffin Pincher too, with the legacies of legendary acts like Chic, Chaka Khan and Quincy Jones all having their part to play in the distinctive sound of this track. Cripps’ own experiences as a session musician have also no doubt contributed to its style; in the past his rhythmic bass skills have been used by the likes of Smokey Robinson, Mary Wilson and Jimmy Barnes.
We love hearing music that has its own vibrant, distinctive style, and that’s certainly what Cripptic – Muffin Pincher has. The melodic, retro-sounding synths, understated Funk guitar, accomplished slap basslines and perpetual four-to-the-floor beat combine to make a nifty Disco-infused Funk track that will remain stuck in your head long after you’ve heard it. From this track alone it’s also blatantly obvious that the man behind Cripptic is immensely talented, especially when you discover that he played every instrument on the song and produced it as well. As such, fans of modern funk and soul everywhere will no doubt be hoping that we’ll be hearing more of these groovy sounds coming out Cripptic’s Melbourne studio very soon.
