King Kooba - The Imperial Solution

King Kooba, on their debut album THE IMPERIAL SOLUTION, deliver some intense and jazz-inflected breaks, starting with the hard-hitting "Release the Cracken" and the more contemplative and melodic "Wolfkub." The drum programming is tight and complex, enough to carry the less melodically inclined tracks such as "My Little Phoney." Jazz trumpet and double bass flourishes dot "Brown Blood," giving it a downtown feel. "Freakmeister" goes for straight-up funk, complete with slap bass and wikka-wikka guitar. And while "Sergio" starts off slow and jazzy, it soon meets up with a rattling, snare-heavy percussion track; "Nearly" stays in downtempo mode all the way. A strong meld of breaks and jazz -- not something you'd expect from a group named after a Super Mario Bros. superboss.