GRiZ Gets Funky on Latest Album ‘Future Funk Volume 1’

2 days ago 5

GRiZ surprised fans by announcing a new album just two days before its release, marking his first full-length project since returning from hiatus last year.

After an 18-month hiatus, GRiZ made a full-throttle return to the electronic music scene. Since announcing his comeback on social media in March 2025, GRiZ has released 38 songs across the Gemini EP, the Sidequest Vol. 1 mixtape, and collaborations with fellow bass artists Wooli, Gryffin, Tape B, and Levity. Now, the saxophone-playing, funk-fueled producer released Future Funk Volume 1, his first full-length album since 2023, which arrived as a pleasant surprise to fans.

The past few years have served as a period of uninhibited creative exploration for GRiZ, and Future Funk Volume 1 is the culmination of that journey. Across 10 tracks, he pushes his signature sax-driven, hip-hop-influenced, uplifting, and immersive sound into heavier, more experimental territory. The result is an album that embodies his beloved sound while also being more genre-defying and boundary-pushing than ever before.

Summarized into three words, Future Funk Volume 1 is fresh, soulful, and groovy. Each track is grounded in GRiZ’s signature bouncy basslines and jazzy melodies. The first tune, “Outlaw,” sets the album’s positive vibes from the get-go. From donning cowboy hats during back-to-backs with Zeds Dead to riding a tractor in a video promoting his flagship festival, Seven Stars, GRiZ has frequently channeled the free-spirited aesthetic of a western cowboy. He leans into it fully in “Outlaw,” with twangy instrumentation that fuels a propulsive momentum, complemented by rap verses and warm vocal harmonies woven throughout.

Listeners then witness GRiZ reuniting with fellow saxophone-playing dubstep duo, Big Gigantic, on “Rump Shaker.” Bass music is a highly collaborative genre, and some collabs fit together more naturally than others. GRiZ and Big Gigantic are one of those pairings that just make sense. Both artists have collaborated on several tracks over the years, the last one being “Open Your Mind” in 2022, and “Rump Shaker” is a welcome addition to their shared catalog. In this one, both artists seamlessly move between their two styles, resulting in a fun, feel-good track that feels fluid and cohesive.

That same intuitive synergy is evident in his collaborations with ProbCause. The two artists’ creative partnership goes way back, with ProbCause’s hip-hop vocals and rap lyricism fitting naturally with GRiZ’s production style across several eras. ProbCause appears on three songs in Future Funk Volume 1, with “Rainbow Machine” and “When I’m Hot” with Effin acting as standout moments on the album. “Rainbow Machine” is filled with upbeat, uplifting energy, built on bright melodies and a lighthearted vocal cadence that keeps the track easygoing and infectious from start to finish.

“When I’m Hot” sees GRiZ exploring heavier soundscapes on par with modern dubstep. While my main criticism of that type of music is that it’s too formulaic, his willingness and ability to experiment with new music here and there, without entirely departing from the sound that makes him so special, is respectable. “When I’m Hot” feels modern and different, but still has recognizable elements of GRiZ sprinkled in like saxophone riffs, wobbly sound bursts, and intricate accents.

“BBFL” and “Back to Me” are two of the album’s strongest highlights, where GRiZ’s highly detailed sound design is vividly displayed. “BBFL” encourages dancing, driven by dynamic production and strong rhythmic flow that keeps the energy in constant motion. “Back to Me,” on the other hand, closes the album on a zen, laid-back note akin to his more relaxed and melodic Chasing the Golden Hour side project.

GRiZ’s music is sunshine personified, and Future Funk Volume 1 was the perfect album to blast in my AirPods and listen to all the way through as I walked around my city on a cloudless, 90-degree day. Though the wait between albums was long, it was worth it, as he delivered a full-length body of work that feels forward-thinking and expansive while staying true to his unique style.

Put on your tie-dye and bucket hats and listen to Future Funk Volume 1 on your favorite streaming platform.