Rodney Hunter is dead-on when he says that he's been "around the block" more than once. His musical career spans 20 years starting off as an underage bassist of the Austrian band "Mordbuben AG", later on becoming a member of the legendary "Moreaus" along side Peter Kruder, DJ DSL and Sugar B, leading him to launching his own label and production company Uptight with Werner Geier, storming the Billboard Charts, receiving a Grammy nomination with Uptight Productions, delivering remixes for Omar, Gravediggaz, Doug E. Fresh, Freakpower, Cornershop, Shantel, Martine Girault etc, hit supplier for the HipHop formation Aphrodelics and reputable others... Yes, Rodney Hunter, skilled bass and drum player, has come a long way.
In 2004 his well received and critically acclaimed solo debut album "Hunter Files", was released on K&D's G-Stone Recordings. More than three years later the Hithunter returns with this well worth the wait follow up, smoothly circumnavigating the burden that usually comes along with making the "second album".
Like no other musician Rodney Hunter determines and consequently declines the catch phrases of the Quincy Jonesish Groove-grammar.
He builds his "Hunterville" - a modern funk metropolis- in star architect manner, knowing about today's requirements only too well. Its foundations and unshakeable truths based upon the heritage that artists such us Herbie Hancock, Chic, Average White Band, Kool & The Gang or the before mentioned Quincy Jones have left behind.
Kruder and Dorfmeister, Rainer Trüby, the Stereo MCs, they all have been falling back on his productions for years now simply because his musical output easily fits in any DJ set around the world. Although his productions are state of the art Rodney Hunter never forgets his roots, unifying different genres from funk to electro, downtempo to house, dub to hip hop to his very own "Hunter sound".
"Timeless, modern Funk and Soul" is Hunter's favourite description for his sound, and we can easily let this statement stand for itself. "
More than ever this formula applies to "Hunterville". Tastefully adding some RŽnŽB along the way is certainly no handicap either.
It's up to the listener to call them "tracks" or "songs", that this music works simply can not be denied.
Last but not least, excessive and meticulous mixing sessions with Peter Kruder and with Michael Jackson peering from his "Thriller" album cover always keeping an eye on things, have created an album that fulfills all demands of today's definition of funk.
In other words: between "Billie Jean" and the latest Techno smash outta Germany only one will keep his sure place no matter if this showdown will happen on an iPod or in the club.
Without a doubt Hunter determined, he continues to follow his own path. He might not be wearing diamond socks but this can only be due to the fact that we're talking about understatement here, a gentleman's only luxury in this world.
