System Overload

A great band updating their sound but never losing what makes them great to begin with,some of the tracks are a little to techno for me but well worth a listen. Hopefully we won't have to wait another 13 years for another record.

I've been a BIG fan of Mic Murphy and David Frank (aka The System) since I first saw their music video for the song "The Pleasure Seekers" (from the album of the same name) back in the summer of 1985. There was something special about their unique "Electro-Soul" swinging sound that spoke to me in a very personal way. Discovering Mic's soulful voice merged with David's complex keyboard mastery with its layered chord progressions, driving bass lines and one-of-a-kind solos, spurred a wonderful musical awakening for the thirteen year old that I was at the time. As I reflect back, bearing witness to the harmony of sound and innovation forged by this interracial duo during that time, was equally profound. I subsequently took a deep dive into their music by tracking down cassette tapes (YES, I said cassette tapes) of "The Pleasure Seekers" album as well as their two priors, "Sweat" (known for the hit "You're in My System") and "X-Periment" (a jewel of an album that's well worth checking out). Following The System over the years, through the stellar international success of the "Don't Disturb This Groove" album, other LP releases to follow, their unique producing outings for the likes of Angela Bofill (check out the "Let Me Be the One" album), etc., has been an absolutely joyous ride to accompany the group on. It is WONDERFUL to see and hear The System together again via the "System Overload" album. From the title track to "Fear of Flying" to "Your Love Is A Motha," it's very safe to say that Mic and David have found a way to recapture the relevance of their core sound in a new age. By their core sound, I mean a modern, synth-driven, soulful flow that seems to always exude a sense of honesty and pure joy that I have come to understand is nothing more and nothing less, than the pure honesty and joy that these two kindred creative spirits forged many years ago on the streets of New York City during the rise of a previous modern age of synth pop and hip-hop music. Through that rise, The System cultivated their own unique sound known as "Electro-Soul" and with their latest offering, "System Overload," they make it overwhelmingly clear that their classic groove, no matter how long their hiatus has been, has never been disturbed.