Music

Miles Bonny is the Innate Sounds Crew's Alpha male

By Jason Harper 

“Recipe” by the Innate Sounds Crew (vocals by Smoov Confusion, produced by Beatbroker), from Alpha (Innate Sounds):

Bubbly beats. Synth washes. West Coast cool jazz. East Coast lyrical sensibilities. Android-wet-dream soundtracks. Crooning. Rapping.

With the exception of one catchy party cut and two from the street level, the homogenously smooth new compilation CD from the Innate Sounds Crew, Alpha, put me in the mood for punk rock.

It turns out, I'm a case for Miles Bonny to work on.

"I can imagine that, but that's just not who we are as people," says Crew founder Bonny when I suggest they get more attitude — more "middle finger," as I put it. "We're not as reactive as we are proactive. Why sit around and complain when you can do something that'll change things? I don't listen to a lot of music that goes, Na-na-na, you're stupid. That's just a waste of time. That's the reason why I don't like a lot of artists. Maybe if we were trying to impress 13-year-olds."

Good point — here's my MP3-enhanced review of Alpha.

Miles is all about the positive these days. The storied local DJ, hip-hop producer, jazz trumpeter and soul singer who has released solo material overseas has a new day job: as a case manager for troubled teens in Wyandotte County.

"I don't know to what degree I've changed since I started my new day job, but all I do all day is deal with problems. That's my job," Bonny says. "I'm used to conflict. I'm used to clarifying conflict. I'm used to improvement."

OK, maybe I need a little self-help. For that, I'll just put on "Recipe" and hit repeat. Thanks, doc.