Melding fusion, funk, Euro-pop, prog, and the ethereal, bassist Kinga Glyk’s first album in four years features peppy grooves, high-level bass playing, and keyboard sounds that stir the imagination. Dreamy synths integrate with bass etudes, airborne harmonics, sweeping pastoral movements – and funkalicious slapping.

Produced by Michael League (of Snarky Puppy) and backed by a killer squad of brainy musicians, Real Life is a meditation with serious bass playing. For mature aficionados, it harkens to the ’70s electronic experiments of Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, Billy Preston, and Joe Zawinul. Still, there’s plenty of phenomenal bass playing, like on “The Friend You Call,” “Not Real,” and “Funny Bunny.” Dig the aerophone solos by Casey Benjamin.

Perhaps too synth-heavy for some, Real Life uses technology to elicit moods that heighten the aural experience. Heavy on the humanity, ditties like “Sadness Doesn’t Last Forever,” “That Right There,” and “Opinions” put the kibosh on the opinion that electronics lack feel.

Glyk is a gifted, nimble player with stories to tell, and she forgoes the urge to record songs that showcase bass chops for their own sake. Instead, she’s a visionary who also happens to play killer bass.

This article originally appeared in VG’s January 2024 issue. All copyrights are by the author and Vintage Guitar magazine. Unauthorized replication or use is strictly prohibited.