The Apples – Killing from the Freestyle Records 45

With the holiday fast approaching, and the Asbury Park 45 Sessions just a few short days away, I am happy to be able to share this side with all of you. I missed the first round of distribution on this record from one of my favorite online record dealers, and as soon as it came back into stock, I had to grab it. I got a copy of a bootleg and have been playing it at some of my non 45 gigs. It has been getting a fairly decent response. When I first heard this record, I thought it was a monster. In fact I still do. I think it’s one of the most creative Funk covers of this year and kudos to the band for throwing this into their live show, getting such a great crowd reaction, and having to get it pressed up. That being said, I’m glad to have gotten my hands on the real deal, and without further ado, here’s The Apples on Freestyle Records with “Killing”.

The Apples are a 9 piece Funk, Jazz, and Scratch collective. Hailing from Tel Aviv, Jerusalem and Haifa, this collective has almost as many damn members as the Budos Band. I’m not saying that in a bad way either, the more the merrier. The band is made up of Arthur Krasnobaev (Trumpet), Yaron Ouzana (Trombone), Oleg Nayman (Tenor & Soprano Saxophones) Yuval Tabachnik (Baritone Saxophone), Shai Ran (Acoustic Bass), Yonadav Halevy (Drums), DJ Todres(Turntables), Schoolmaster (Turntables) and MixMonster (Sound Console & Live Effects). This conglomeration got it’s beginnings at the Rubin Academy in Jerusalem. Most members are accomplished Jazz, Funk, and Fusion artists in their own right, shining brightly in places like Montreaux, and also playing Israeli Jazz festivals with national musicians. While, not all members are from Israel (Krasnobaev and Nayman are from the Ukraine), it’s this exact kind of band that I definitely applaud here at FMF. The Funk and Soul can be heard everywhere in the world, whether it’s Israel, Turkey (there is some heavy Turkish funk out there), Thailand, Brazil, and of course here in the United States. Music sees no color or nationality. If only the world were the same way. Putting down their spontaneous creations since 2003’s Mitz, and 2005’s Attention (where they released their first 7″ on Freestyle called, surprise, “Attention!”), this second side has caused quite a stir throughout the globe. Their sound is quite unique, and they do so without the presence of a guitar or keyboard player, using both turntablists to improvise and also take the place of the aforementioned instruments. According to their bio they they “throw anything from Ray Charles samples to traditional Jewish Kleizmer melodies” into their sets. I’m already thinking on how I can get these guys to Asbury Park. Initially selling out of the first 1500 pressing, the record is back for round two, and I do advise you to pick it up before it’s gone.

The song itself is a cover of Rage Against the Machine’s “Killing In The Name Of”, and if you were out chasing Garth Brooks attempting to be a rock star in his alter ego Chris Gaines rather than screaming “Fuck You I Won’t Do What They Tell Me” at Lolapalooza, then here’s your chance to get the best cover version of it ever. All that and it’s done in a Funk style. Replace Tom Morello’s guitar screeching (or scratching) with a horn section and actual scratching by real DJ’s, and you have a party. To me this is the ultimate compliment and also the ultimate cover. I’ve played this thing out numerous times and there hasn’t been one time where people haven’t come up after it’s been played all excited like they just got their first pair of 8 hole Doc Martens. Lately I’ve been buying a bunch of new releases, and I’m going to try and feature more of them here at FMF. This is the first of many new sides I have lined up, including productions by Kenny Dope, Keb Darge, the Daptone Family, and a slew of others all keeping the Funk and Soul alive and well in 2007. Have a great Thanksgiving wherever you are, and come on down to check this out on Friday Nov. 23rd:

BONUS
Check Out the Promo Video from their 2006 Tour:

Keep Diggin’!