Cavern
By Liquid Liquid
“Can a group of late 70s punk-rockers from New York create a timeless funk banger? ”
It may seem rather unlikely, but yes, they can… and their name is Liquid Liquid!
"Cavern" is an experimental Avant-Funk track that appeared on Liquid Liquid's "Optimo" EP released in 1983 on Ed Bahlman's small record label 99 records.
"Cavern" can be easily called a "crossover" track. A track that connects the dots between the Big Apple's Punk-Rock scene with the Hip-Hop scene. It's a perfect blend of African rhythms, Funk grooves, and Punk's do-it-yourself aesthetic.
Liquid Liquid is a band composed of vocalist Salvatore Principato, Guitarist and keyboard player Dennis Young, bass player Richard McGuire, and drummer-percussionist Scott Hartley.
Before playing as "Liquid Liquid," they formed the "Liquid Idiot" band in the late 70s playing experimental Rock music.
Since the beginning of its career, Liquid Liquid as a collective fully embraced the Punk-Rock attitude, with the idea that everybody could express themselves through music. Anybody could pick up an instrument and start playing, join a band and have fun making music together.
“That was basically the concept that originated Liquid Liquid. Make music for the joy of it, no matter the skills. Always try to experiment and forget all the preconceptions about music. ”
Liquid Liquid was influenced by Punk Rock and the No-Wave art scene and Dub, Reggae, Funk, Afrobeat, and Hip-Hop later on. They soon became the missing link between two of New York's emerging music scenes: Punk-Rock and Hip-Hop.
For the first time, the band heard Hip-Hop on Kurtis blow's vinyl debut masterpiece "The breaks," released in 1980, and Sugarhill record's first hip-hop singles like "Superrappin' part.2" from Grandmaster Flash & The Furious five.
They even organized an event in the early 80s called "Uptown meets Downtown," performing with Hip-Hop acts like The Treacherous Three. It was one of the first times that Hip-Hop and Rock scenes got together.
After releasing some singles and EPs in 1981, they published their "Optimo" EP in 1983. Printed in small amounts, it includes "Cavern." The track influenced the Hip-Hop scene and became a classic B-Boy anthem.
"Cavern" features a very minimalistic yet groovy Funk-Rock sound. A catchy bass line, Funk drums, tribal percussions, and the experimental percussive dubbed-out vocals of Salvatore Principato who used his voice as an instrument, making the track sound unique and original.
“This song is so good and unique that it does not fit in any category and belongs to a category of itself. It’s a mix of different influences and styles that perfectly work together.”
Liquid Liquid songs were created in the studio, sometimes after long jam sessions. The band played and played until they came together on something. Find a groove, expand it, and then make a final arrangement.
Parts of the song were interpolated on one of the early Hip-Hop hits released on Sugarhill records. It was part of the classic "White Lines," a song by Grandmaster & Melle Mel that reached no.7 on the Uk single chart.
Ed Bahlman, the owner of 99 records where "Cavern" got released, then sued Sylvia Robinson, head of Sugarhill Records, for using parts of "Cavern" on "White Lines." Ed eventually won the case, but Sugarhill Records failed to pay the ordered $600,000 and became bankrupt.
Bahlman then had to pay all the legal costs and decided to close 99 records.
Liquid Liquid disbanded after releasing a new single called "Dig We Must" as a trio. The bass player Richard McGuire left to pursue an art career. They reformed in 2003 after record label Mo'Wax released all of the band's discography some years before.
Liquid Liquid's music still sounds incredibly fresh. The band also massively influenced new Dance-Punk acts like !!!, The Rapture, Tussle, LCD Soundsystem, and many more.
"Cavern" is a super cool instrumental track with a catchy bassline and infectious funky rhythms. It is one of my favorite instrumentals. An original piece of music that belongs to no specific genre.
I love every part of this amazing song: the catchy, phat bassline, the experimental vocals, and the tribal drums. Every time I hear it, it gives me an overwhelming urge to move my legs and dance my ass off!
