gena: the pleasure is yours
Francisco Espregueira
(Liv).e & Karriem Riggins link up on The Pleasure Is Yours via LEX Records, and the result feels like a late-night jam that was always meant to happen. Performing together as GENA (acronym for God Energy, Naturally Amazing), the Dallas-born shapeshifter Liv.e and Detroit rhythm architect Karriem Riggins trade energy in a way that feels instinctive. Riggins, whose drums have powered sessions for Common, Erykah Badu, Madlib and The Roots, brings that loose, human swing that just tastes different. Liv.e floats over it all, her voice grainy and elastic, bending between jazz phrasing and experimental R&B in the same breath.
There’s warmth in the low end. Dust in the snares. Space between the notes. The Pleasure Is Yours pulls from soul, hip-hop and spiritual jazz without sounding nostalgic. It breathes. You can hear echoes of Sun Ra’s cosmic drift and the intimacy of neo-soul’s golden era, yet the record stays firmly in the present. LEX Records gives it the right frame, letting the duo’s analog textures and off-kilter grooves speak freely. As many of (Liv).e records, this one feels playful and innovative. She’s a creative cat and we became fans over the years. The Pleasure Is Yours is a groovy conversation in rhythm and feeling. And it lingers long after the last cymbal fades. Available in vinyl, CD and Cassette.