Much like with basses, where every year brings a new crop of Fender clones to market, the crowded world of boutique effect pedals is as much about mimicry as it is originality. Within each effect category, a substantial number of entrants use essentially the same circuits and achieve the same sounds with perhaps a few superficial tweaks to make the pedal seem more distinctive than it really is. By contrast, the Seamoon Funk Machine is like no other envelope filter out there. A refresh of a legendary filter originally designed in the ’70s by my former colleague (and music journalism and electronics legend) Craig Anderton, the new Funk Machine owes its existence to New York session ace Neil Jason. Jason — whose extensive credits include Paul McCartney, Billy Joel, Cyndi Lauper, Mick Jagger, Plastic Ono Band, Roxy Music, the Brecker Brothers, and Brian Ferry — had long been interested in reviving his favorite envelope filter, finally finding a willing partner in pedal designer Ben F