Starting off with 1979 posts, I couldn't resist diving into the Brit-Funk scene: Landscape’s self-titled debut album combining jazz, funk, and synthesizer arrangements. 💎

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The Brit-Funk Context: From American Soul to the London Scene

By the late 1960s and early 1970s, as American funk bands such as Parliament-Funkadelic and Sly and the Family Stone establish the foundation, British musicians adapt funk with complex rhythms, jazzy improvisations, and electronic experimentation, creating distinctly British material. Furthermore, this syncopated fusion sets the groundwork for later genres like UK garage and acid jazz.

Some of the really influential bands of this movement are Heatwave, Hi-Tension, Light of the World, and Landscape.

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1974 Landscape Quintet Formation

Landscape’s story begins in 1974 London, when jazzers Richard James Burgess (programming and keyboards) and saxophonist John L. Walters end up in a rehearsal band.

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“Eventually, we started going out and doing gigs in various formats. It distilled down over time to just the five of us who were really committed.” (That quintet also included trombonist Peter Thoms, keyboardist Christopher Heaton, and bassist Andy Pask.) (From Jim Allen’s Album Review for Bandcamp)

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The Electronic Edge: Processing Horns and Small Ensembles

Landscape is known for their pioneering use of synthesizers and electronic instruments, a relatively novel approach at the time. The band combines these electronic sounds with traditional funk, jazz, and rock elements, helping to create a hybrid genre.

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“As we evolved  … finally to the five of us, electronics helped us make a big sound out of a small ensemble. Using pick-ups on the horns meant that we could use processing (fuzz, wah-wah, etc.) on the sax, flutes and trombone and avoid problems with in-house sound systems.” (From Landscape Review at electricityclub.co.uk)

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In 1979, Landscape releases their self-titled album. The album features highly structured rhythms and technical arrangements. Tracks like 'Japan,' 'Sonja Henie,' and 'Highly Suspicious,' provide a calculated fusion of jazz-funk, electronic experimentation, and new wave components. Using synthesizers to expand their palette, they create a machine-like precision that is rare in the jazz-funk scene at the time. 🎹 🎛️

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“When Landscape started a lot of bands were using the same palette of sounds. We were never content to sound like other bands and the seventies was an exciting time in music technology with new synthesizers, effects pedals, digital outboard equipment in studios, and computers so we really went for it. I recall it being a unanimous feeling that we really wanted to be on the cutting edge sonically, while still making exciting and accessible music.” (From Barney Townsend’s Interview for TownsendMusicBlog)

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The band receives a very enthusiastic live audience response, and the sound is even stronger on the LP. However, the charts struggle to classify this specific crossover of jazz, rock, funk, and electronic experimentation. 💔

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'Kaptin Whorlix': The Standout 1979 Track

'Kaptin Whorlix' is my favorite track on the album—it's the funkiest piece among the ten tracks, embodying Landscape's signature crossover of jazz, funk, and electronic elements. Landscape’s debut album may not have been a commercial hit, but it remains a key document of Brit-funk development. 🚀 

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Gülben - 06/2024

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📌 The band has the best website ever!

📖 Jim Allen writes for RockAndRollGlobe on Landscape

📖 Barney Townsend’s interview for TownsendMusicBlog​​