Kinnego Flux were an electronic funk duo from Northern Ireland.

CD-R bootlegs of their lost classic Satsuma first surfaced in 2008, and was used by many DJs in sets at the now defunct Menagerie Bar. Its addictive hooks and slippery, supple grooves left a lasting impression on those lucky enough to nab a copy.

One of these relics was uncovered in a box of antiques during a recent house move, when Andy (Rudimentary) took it for a spin. 15 years later it remains as fresh and vital-sounding as ever, and he wondered why it was still collecting dust.

Flux recorded music and performed between 2002 and 2012, although have continued to collaborate together under different guises and forms. Brian Greene and David Baxter (aka Kab Driver) first became acquainted as students at Banbridge Tech, quickly bonding over a shared love of James Brown, IDM and Buckfast. After a fruitful spell in Derry, spent studying music and honing their chops as interns at Blast Furnace recording studio, the duo relocated to Belfast where they began recording and performing as Kinnego Flux.

In 2009 they released ‘A Familiar Sound’ a collaboration with long-time friend and collaborator Boxcutter, on his freshly-minted Kinnego Records imprint. It was around this time that most of Satsuma was recorded, in a shared house on South Belfast’s Ormeau Road. As Brian recalls, “ We were listening to lots of Sly, Parliament, James Brown... trying to incorporate funk with electronic elements, with lots of interplay between melodic parts. It was mostly recorded with a basic drum mic set and a cheap condenser mic for vocals and horns.”

Greene’s vocals and Baxter’s bass are signature elements that shine throughout the album. Greene is also an adept drummer and multi-instrumentalist. Baxter, a nifty programmer and keys player who can chop a break with the best of ‘em (having previously produced breakcore and IDM as Filaria). With such an arsenal of skills at their disposal, it’s little wonder that Satsuma’s liquid grooves move with an easy, irresistible flow. 

‘Loud as you come’ opens as an ominous, 70s cop show stakeout, before tumbling into a constellation of hooks orbiting a stomping, ramshackle groove. ‘Unravel’ - co-produced with frequent collaborator Defcon - blends woozy hiphop with sinewy, headnod funk. The title track somehow distills a silky smooth vibe from the kitchen sink approach, layering synth squiggles, field recordings, horns, clarinet, and wordless vocals over an effortlessly funky James Jamerson-eque bassline. ‘Dansak’ is a swaggering tribute to the king of curries, featuring some of the gnarliest kazoo hooks ever committed to tape. Lolloping breaks, acid-fried bleeps and drunken horns co-mingle, like so much spice in the slow cooker. It’s a fragrant and heady stew. On closer ‘Pebbles’ Greene’s simmering, double-tracked vocal transmits cryptic messages over a thundering groove. Melodies scatter across reversed synths and warped textures, like stones skipping on some lysergic lake. 

Satsuma has aged like a fine tonic wine. From back then to now, or whenever - it still sounds like the future.