Eyebrow-raising name? Check. Ridiculously catchy tune? Check. Hilarious yet masterfully-executed music video infused with both mockery and reverence for the glory days of Motown? Check. Yup, it sounds like Duck Sauce, the latest DJ/Producer act on scene, has all the necessary ingredients to move our feet, wow the hipsters and win the accolades of music critics around the world. The men behind the quacky entity are A-Trak and Armand Van Helden. A-Trak is known for his work with Kid Sister and Kanye West, while Van Helden is a don of the house music world. With their powers combined...they are Duck Sauce.
Duck Sauce's first single "aNYway" is a remix of Final Edition's 1979 disco funk jam "I Can Do It." You probably never heard of the band or the song, which works to Duck Sauce's advantage, removing the burden of living up to people's pre-conceived notions of how the song should sound. The remix plucks out the juiciest bits of the song, the pre-hook and the hook, and layers them on top of a disco house beat and retro soul vocals. Shaft would approve.
The music video is also a genius beast of all its own. Duck Sauce doesn't actually appear in the video themselves, they instead hire four black actors to imitate the Jackson 5, James Brown, the O'Jays and mix it with a little bit of the self-deprecating humor of Eddie Murphy's Sexual Chocolate. In fact, it's sort of the cousin to Snoop's own brilliant take on '70s funk, "Sensual Seduction." The dance routine is both impressive and entertaining. Fellas, is this our 'Single Ladies'? Get the YouTubes ready.
Watch the video for Duck Sauce's "aNYway" below.
