Macanto – Smart People (2022)
Through their single ‘Smart People’, Macanto is looking at people who always know better. Using lyrics and music that describes two different people who share this trait, they bring a burst of fun to a critical assessment. Packed with funky tones, the single brings the sway of swing and acid jazz to some wonderful hip-hop moments forming a perfect fusion of genres and styles.
To bring this fusion to life, the band has enlisted the help of RnB singer Derran Day, tenor saxophonist Patricio Böttcher and German rapper Daster. With their help, they bring a new sense of musical experimentation to the band’s sound. With each member of the band bringing something new to the table, Macanto always has a flair of the unusual that makes them a pleasure to listen to.
‘Smart People’ hits you with its funky tone from the first note. There is a funky push to the piano line that meets the saxophone for a smooth slide. The music grips your muscles and has you bopping around to the funky jazz tone. Each instrument has the chance to shine while adding to the melody as a whole. The run of the piano puts a smile on your face while the bass and piano have you tapping away to the rhythm. There is no way to listen to this melody and not feel the urge to move around while forgetting everything else in the world and simply soak up the vibes. There is a touch of big band woven into the funky jazz that gets a modern hip-hop tone later when the rap vocals come in.
As you are swaying and tapping to the melody, the vocals are a decadent jazzy flow against your senses. Day’s RnB slide is rich and undulates against the music using it to propel his catchy delivery. While his voice is all smooth RnB, there is a retro-soul and jazz vibe at times that is accentuated by the jazzy melodics. The groovy tone of his performance flows into Daster’s German rap section which brings a whole new feeling to the track. While the music gets a modern flash, there is still that underlying jazzy groove that brings everything to a new level. It is a masterful arrangement that brings these very different musical styles together so wonderfully.
Macanto hits you with a masterful combination of jazz, soul, RnB and hip-hop in the toe-tapping and infectious ‘Smart People’ featuring Derran Day, Patricio Böttcher and Daster. The music hooks you from the first second and you never want it to stop. The melodic movement bolsters the vocals that slide from smooth RnB to funky rap.
Find out more about Macanto on their website, Facebook and Spotify.
