Universal Funk Orchestra’s new album is a funk-rock-rap gumbo served hot and heaping

Although pan-genre party-starters Universal Funk Orchestra have been a live presence in Orlando for years, they’re only now releasing a debut album. Yes, this brand-new eponymous album is a long time coming. And, no, they didn’t make you wait all that time for a bunch of ballads.

Universal Funk Orchestra are, by design, a motley crew with a rainbow of backgrounds that span the musical spectrum. The only obvious thing that binds them is the imperative to get funky. No surprise, then, that the music born of them is a colorful dish, a funk-rock-rap gumbo served hot and heaping.

Across the 11 tracks of this new album, UFO lays down everything from digging grooves to beefy guitars to cosmic electronics. But it’s all in service of one mission: to shake asses.

Universal Funk Orchestra now streams everywhere and is available on limited-edition purple-splatter vinyl through Bandcamp. The Orlando release event this weekend will also feature CreativAngel, E-Turn, Warm Fuzzy and DJ K1X. (8 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 30, Will’s Pub, $12-$15)

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This article appears in Nov 20-26, 2024.