John Morrison’s Philly Top 5: Instant Funk

November is my birthday month, and like lots of folks, I usually take this time to reflect on getting older, my work, and my relationships. Admittedly, I struggle with separating my personal and professional time. My listening habits, tastes, and self-image have all become a bit jumbled as well — music has basically been the thing I’ve cared about most since I was a kid, and now it’s my job. This dynamic has naturally changed how I experience music, and as I get older, the lines between listening for pleasure and for my profession have blurred considerably. In an effort to reconnect with the “unprofessional” and purely pleasurable side of music, I’ve made it a habit of waking up early (between 5-7 am), hanging out in my record room, and slowly sorting and organizing my collection. There, in the quiet, I’ve been rebuilding another part of my listening habits, divorced from the pressures of work, deadlines, and social media. It’s been a nice habit that I can see myself continuing indefinitely. Some of the gems that show up in this column have been unearthed during these early morning sessions; others have come from friends, associates, and members of Philly’s big, beautiful musical family. Here are 5 things that I came across in the past month that were well worth spending some intentional time with.

MIWA at Crane Arts Ice Box (11/06/2025)

On November 6th at Crane Arts/Ice Box, a sister duo of artists named Talie and Lunise Cerin premiered a new multi-media exhibition called “MIWA” (the Haitian-Creole word for “mirror”). Based around Lunise’s gorgeous documentary shot in Haiti over the course of a year, MIWA depicts a variety of traditional ceremonies on the island, then follows 5 Haitian women in Philadelphia as they practice these traditions here in the United States. The show at Ice Box allowed attendees to walk through multiple rooms containing screens displaying clips from the documentary as well as sculptures and photos. Everyone then gathered in the back room where Taile led an 8-piece ensemble through an arrestingly beautiful set of songs that fused soul, folk, and traditional Haitian music. Overall, it was a powerful, multi-sensory experience and a perfect way to spend a nice Fall Thursday evening.

Instant Funk — “Philly Jump” 

Trenton, New Jersey-born funk/R&B band Instant Funk were mainstays in Philly’s music scene in the 1970s and early 80s. I recently came across their single “Philly Jump,” which came out on TSOP in 1976. As a fan of anything that blurs the lines between soul and psychedelia, this one immediately caught my attention. It’s a bouncy, uptempo soul cut with a trippy, guitar and effects-heavy intro. The B-Side “Funky Africa” is a killer too, with its Earth, Wind & Fire-style vocal arrangement, brass, and wailing, fuzzy guitars.

Zilla Rocca — Grand Closing (feat. Milc) 

Immediately following up this year’s fantastic Easy Money mixtape, Zilla Rocca is back with “Grand Closing.” This is the latest single from his forthcoming solo LP FAST EDDIE, which drops on Black Friday. Over an uplifting, organ-led beat, Zilla Rocca and guest MC Milc trade slick bars and talk shit on a high level. It’s fun, impressive, and hard as nails. I can’t wait to check FAST EDDIE when it drops.

Matthew Law – MATT!

Philly-born DJ and producer Matthew Law has been crushing dancefloors around the world for many years. His latest release, the MATT! EP proves that his skills in the DJ booth definitely translate to the studio. The EP combines the pounding rhythms of Baltimore Club, House, and Miami Bass with some really lovely chords. The tracks “Practice,” “Shake,” and “MATT!” are high-quality selections of soulful dance music: Perfect for heads who want new music that exists in the same lush musical family tree as dance music greats like Larry Heard, Pépé Bradock, and Boo Williams.

Laraaji – “All of a Sudden” live on Celestrana

Thinking of aging and the passage of time, I always come back to this song and performance from Philly legend, Laraaji. “All of a Sudden” is a powerful meditation on the beautiful impermanence that lies at the center of all life. Armed with just his voice and a small synthesizer, Laraaji walks us through both the great and small changes of life, from the smell of a flower to the death and resurrection of the body. It’s a massive song whose subject matter could enrich the hearts and minds of all thinking and feeling beings.