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A TAV Curator’s Pick.

“Mayer Hawthorne (Aquarius) and Jake One (Taurus) – they are descendants of the one- word moniker family of funk, where you will find groups such as Chic, Shalamar, Plush & Zapp.

The collaboration as Tuxedo began with an exchange of mixtapes back in 2006. The fruits of a long-standing kinship were three tracks that mysteriously showed up on Internet doorsteps nearly two years ago. In between personal projects, these three tracks became a full album’s worth of Tuxedo. The album was mixed by original disco don dada John Morales at his home studio in South Plainfield, New Jersey. “I flew out there,” Mayer says. “He made me spaghetti and everything.”

The duo is excited to release the upcoming album on Stones Throw Records, which also marks Mayer's return to the label since his debut release of A Strange Arrangement in 2009.” - Stones Throw Records

“Tuxedo has gone on record saying that the disco funk of the '80s is their only role model for the music they've created here. You can feel the imprint of greats like The Whispers, Bernard Wright and Steve Arrington throughout Tuxedo, but, in combination with sounds made famous by hip-hop legends DJ Quik and Battlecat, Jake and Hawthorne have mastered a new "old" sound. The effect that Nate Dogg has on this project can't be overstated. "Number One" is the ultimate ode to Nate and Dogg Pound's "Ain't No Fun."

This album is a house party of sorts, with "Two Wrongs" serving as the ever-necessary red light special. Mayer Hawthorne and Jake One aren't aiming to move mountains on Tuxedo, but you can guarantee that they'll move your feet. Be sure to wipe up the S-Curl activator before you go home.” - NPR

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