Patawawa bring the funk to provincial England on “Patagonia”

Believe it or not Matlock has a rich musical history covering a breadth of styles and genres. The birthplace of such luminaries as 1998 Mercury Prize winners Gomez and former Blue Peter presenter stroke DJ Simon Groom, the town has cemented itself as a bastion of cutting-edge artistry. Can this abundance of talent be attributed some ancient magic in the hillside thermal spring? Or perhaps a close proximity to the Greater Manchester conurbation? Who knows.

Patawawa are the latest act to burst forth from Matlock, receiving widespread praise for their DIY disco numbers that seem more at home in trendy Parisian discotheques than Derbyshire’s limestone constructs. Fittingly, they have penned a deal with French imprint Splinter and teamed up with producer Ted Cazey and digital artist Regards Coupables on a number of projects including an upcoming video from their debut EP Bedroom.

Reminiscent of Greco Roman vagrant Roosevelt and keyboard pioneer George Duke, the group’s new single “Patagonia” sits quite comfortably between to Teena Marie’s “I Need Your Lovin” and Cashflow’s “Mine All Mine” on the funk-o-meter, employing an array of ‘80s sounds to create a certified Brooklyn jive. On top of that Patawawa continue to endear themselves by avoiding pretentious saxophone solos. What a treat.

Sam Wilmot from the band said "I have to say that Patagonia is my favourite song we have done so far, it's a track that we're all really proud of and its been so much fun playing it live over the past couple of months and seeing people's reactions to it. The song actually comes from a place of going out too much and trying to deal with the anxiety that comes with living that life. Which I guess sounds quite dark, but actually I think it has a great, uplifting groove and hopefully will help people get through the next few cold, wet winter months!"

"Patagonia" is out 5 January via Splinter.