Tell me how to funk

nobody@vox.com(Burl Veneer) — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 22:14:14 -0800

Protest music can come from the unlikeliest places. German DJ and recording artist Malente came up with the supremely catchy "Open Secret" last year, which turns out to be quite a relevant protest song as well. The lyrics are clever, offering ironic support for government's lust for ever-increasing search and surveillance powers (all for our "security," of course) and culminating in the chorus of

All the things I do, the things I say
Are an open secret, that's okay
Tell me how to funk, and I'll obey
'Cause I'm an open secret anyway

That's right, if you've got nothing to hide you've got nothing to worry about. That's the theory. It's refreshing to find incisive political commentary in a music genre (electronic breaks) littered with lyrics like "Breakbeat suckers, we're the real motherfuckers" (Cirrus) and the like. So "big ups" to Malente, or whatever we're supposed to give people these days to show appreciation. (Kudos? Props? Two snaps up in a circle? High-five? Chest thump? "Yee-ha!"? Any ideas?) (Not that I don't like Cirrus, in spite of the idiotic lyrics. That's guilty pleasure #422 or thereabouts.)

Malente on MySpace

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Tell me how to funk