Genre-fluid Syracuse trio Sophistafunk is back with a feel-good anthem of love, “Electric Blue”. The second single of the year from the festival-favorite jam-hop threesome arrives alongside an engrossing new music video premiering today on Live For Live Music.
Fresh off a stint serving as the house band for Guy Fieri‘s Guy’s Ultimate Game Night on Food Network, Sophistafunk carries that momentum into its latest release. Introduced with smooth R&B saxophone by Tommy Weeks (Funky Dawgz Brass Band), “Electric Blue” is a melting pot of synthy bounce, hip-hop swagger, and clapping cymbals. Leading the charge is MC Jack Brown, whose flow prompts head nods and soft chuckles with lines like “Even if I couldn’t rhyme I’d be a haiku / And yeah I got a high IQ /But if you’re feeling eager I’m like Seger with the ‘Night Moves’.” Brown gets some help on the chorus from drummer Emanuel Washington who puts his gospel-trained pipes to work on the hook.
The Agmt Studios-directed music video for “Electric Blue” stars Ghula Mortisse and Chrissy Bunz, a real-life couple who got married last month at the Finger Lakes GrassRoots Festival where Sophistafunk played. The couple’s attraction is as real as keyboardist Adam Gold‘s infatuation with his Moog Rogue synth, which is nearly as prominent in the video as Mortisse and Bunz. Brown saw the Ithaca couple perform in a local burlesque show and recruited them for the video, which features an original dance routine filmed at Syracuse’s famed Landmark Theatre.
“I really wanted both of them in the video because then we’re going to have some real interplay, and some real authentic love that you can’t fake, you can’t manufacture,” Brown told Live For Live Music. “That to me was the eureka moment of [making the video].”
The past few years have seen a steady stream of Sophistafunk singles, beginning with 2022’s “Other Side“, continuing with 2023’s “Nevastop“, this year’s “Recognize“, and now “Electric Blue”. As Brown explained, many of the band’s songs born during the pandemic had much more pointed calls to action. For this song, however, Sophistafunk opted to sidestep divisiveness for an inclusive message, with Brown observing, “There’s nothing more revolutionary than love.”
Sonically, the song combines the many sides of Sophistafunk. The saxophone contribution from frequent live collaborator Weeks points to the band’s jam prowess, while Brown’s bars and Washington’s beats highlight the group’s hip-hop heritage. That meld was reflected in the control booth as the band brought in producer Jocko Randall (Turkuaz)—who has produced Sophistafunk’s last three albums—to work jointly with J. Glaze (Wu-Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest).
“It really is a mixture of what we are and what we love,” Brown said of the track. “It has that sparkle to it, but it’s still us.”
Check out the music video of Sophistafunk’s new single “Electric Blue”. The band has a string of shows next month in Michigan and New York, including a hometown show at Oil City Music & Arts Festival in Syracuse on September 14th. Find tickets and a full list of tour dates on the group’s website, and stay tuned for announcements of more “Sophistafunk & Friends” shows featuring famous local musicians in cities across the country.
Sophistafunk — “Electric Blue” [Official Video]
