DJ Frankly Sick - FUNKY ARTICLE / FRESH MIX
Posted: Tue May 12, 2009 6:27 pm
Yo guys, firstly here's my new mix. Most styles of Funky covered, all ABSOLUTE tunes. Please download and give me feedback on this thread.
Here's the tracklist:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jwwwi3
(Intro) Jonny Blaze & Mike Mumbles - Just Don't Give A Fuck
Oh Snap! - Everyone's a DJ (DJ Mujava Remix)
Kid Cudi - Day & Nite (Greenmoney Remix)
Gracious "Napa Man" K - Migraine Skank
Lloyd - Girls Around The World (Ill Blu Remix)
DVA ft. Badness - Back Way
Altered Natives - Rass Out
Marlon D - Jesus Creates Sound
N.B. Funky - Riddim Box
Fanatix - Hi Grade
T2 - Secrets (T2 Funky Mix)
Uncle Bakongo - Bobo
Dubplate Wonder - Bashment Funk
Cooly G - Dis Boy Pt. 4
Blade - Tribal Master Minds
Kode 9 - 2 Far Gone
Underground Unit ft. Dafro - Shoulder Low
Apple - Messed
Ill Blu - Rider
Perempay & Dee - Buss It
Davinche ft. Doctor - Gotta Man
Sticky - Jumeirah Riddim
Apple - Chantes
Fr3e - Tribal Skank
Donae'o - Party Hard
S.Chu ft. Xara - You Got Me
Crazy Cousinz ft. Jazmine Sullivan - Need U Bad
Witney - What A Shame (1QY & F@Z Funky Mix)
Little Fritter - Headspin (Deepchild Remix)
Kode 9 - Black Sun
Ill Blu - Say Yes
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jwwwi3
WHHEEEEELLL!!!!
Secondly, I'm working on an article about Funky for (possibly) a student magazine.... not entirely 100% on some of the facts so if you want to make any factual corrections please let me know:
“Funky” isn’t my favourite adjective. In fact, it’s one of those words most people avoid using for fear of sounding like their Dad. And up until very recently “Funky House”, as a genre, with its syrupy diva vocals and over-glossy production, has been one largely avoided by any self-respecting soundman; a ghost strain of 70s disco persisting anachronistically amidst much darker, more macho forms of underground UK dance music. However unlikely it seems, though, “Funky”, or UK House, as some prefer to call it, is the most exciting progression in British urban music since Horsepower and El-B’s marriage of darker vibes and heavier bass to the traditionally sexy 2-step shuffle of UK Garage gave birth to Dubstep back in ’04.
What made Garage so compelling, popular and floor-ready was the fine balance of male and female elements within the sound palate. The 2-step beat was slinky and sexy, the vocals could be sugary, but these were kept in check by the chest-boxing pressure of the low-end and the tough snares, rimshots and woodblocks that comprised the punchy, sometimes aggressive Garage sound. Just like Drum’n’Bass before it, the demise of Garage stemmed from a gradual monopoly of the sound by Garage’s more masculine elements, notably the macho swagger of MC tracks, forming Grime. Grime, of course, for all its good points, isn’t as rave-friendly or danceable as its predecessor, and virtually disappeared in clubs around the same time that Dubstep started to gain real momentum. But that novelty has worn off: it is 2009 and we are confronted by a vast slew of producers jumping on the Dubstep bandwagon, producers with no real understanding of the music’s more subtle roots; we find ourselves stuck in a rut, having to half-step skank, screwface style, to slowed-down Drum’n’Bass devoid of any emotion beyond some sort of farcical aggression.
But it is to this development that we can attribute a portion of Funky’s rising popularity – disillusioned ex-Grime producers with nowhere to go (but Ayia Napa, perhaps) have suddenly gone 4/4 and started championing their own permutation of House music, a style that is as much indebted to US House and Broken-Beat legends such as Kenny Dope, DJ Gregory and Karizma as it is to Grime and Garage (example: DJs such as Dubplate Wonder spinning Dope’s classic Sown Bwoy and Gracious K jumping on Don’t Panic for the Migraine Skank riddim). The resulting sound could herald a welcome return to the atmosphere of the Garage heyday – the perfect combination of a hard, belligerent production style that can’t be shrugged off after years of producing Grime instrumentals, offset by a sensibility for the class and soulfulness of House music. This is, essentially, a perfect combination for the dancefloor, and one much more exciting than Wiley and Dizzee’s uninspired attempts to slap Grime 16 bars on electro tracks.
So what does it sound like? The beat is essentially a soca-fied 4/4 kick with a slight garage shuffle and Kuduro-style syncopation. It is tribal, primal and complex. The polyrhythms that result from two tracks playing together are mind-bending, and as such, the mixing possibilities for DJs are endless. On top of the beat there might be vocals – ranging from a tribal yelp to a full blown vox such as the Crazy Cousinz’ sublime Do You Mind.
Even more thrilling is that this “UK Funky” movement brings more than just music to the table; it could help usher in a comeback for serious dancers. “Bruk” and Broken-Beat afficianados are getting excited at the dancing prospects of the Funky rhythm. Historically, in the USA, professional dancers would crowd House nights and show off their footwork with specific dancing styles and moves, but today the tradition is all but lost, especially in the UK. But we are on the brink of change: The “Funky” style has already spawned countless “skanks”, including the radio hit “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, Fr3e’s “Tribal Skank” and the aforementioned Gracious “Napa Man” K’s “Migraine Skank”, in which the MCs call out the dance moves for the crowd to join in. This might sound like a gimmick until you actually go to, say, Pure, in Bedford, where you will genuinely see people lining up on the dancefloor to buss the Migraine Skank. Essentially, this demonstrates that people going to clubs that aren’t self-confessedly “underground” are going primarily for the music, which can’t be a bad thing, can it?
There are dissenters, though; Marcus Nasty, the founder of notorious Grime crew N.A.S.T.Y., is now the Funky scene’s biggest and most respected DJ. In an interview conducted by funky outfit Mini Kingz, he states: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes… they came to the dance with something original. But don’t copy that. That’s not funky.” and writes off other MC or “skank” tracks as “slowed-down Grime”. And he’s not the only one; Bedford producer Lil Silva, whose tunes, although instrumental, are probably the hardest, fastest and most akin to jump-up Grime, recently vented his frustrations on Ras Kwame’s 1xtra show, bemoaning the runaway success of his hit “Seasons”, a track which countless MCs have since jumped on, without prior permission. Perhaps the most divisive remix of “Seasons” was Grime MC Ghetts’ Came to the Game vocal, controversial because its lyrical content was standard Grime fare - all beef and ego, delivered with a vicious flow and giving no encouragement to buss anything other than gats. As Marcus would say, that’s not funky. But with skanks such as the Bycep Curl (“I wanna see your bicep curl, go to the bar and nice that girl”) and the nursery Grime of Ring-a-Roses, some believe that the MC element should be discarded altogether.
The Funky scene is, as I write this, poised to realize its huge potential in both the mainstream and the underground markets. In the mainstream, K.I.G’s “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” has already found success, and both Donaeo and Crazy Cousinz, with “Party Hard” and “Do You Mind” respectively, could do the same with the right exposure. In the underground, the funky sound has been embraced by forward thinking DJs such as Kode9, Martyn and Brackles, who I have heard play Apple, D-Malice and Roska tunes respectively. Kode9 not only plays out funky tunes but produces his own, releasing them on his groundbreaking Hyperdub label, home to Burial. Underground club-nights such as U Dun Know and Night Slugs will help push funky even further in this direction. It could go big.
It could also go wrong: how will the movement cope with suffering such large divisions so early on in its development? UK House, as we know it, is barely a year old, but already it has split off into two distinct sub-genres; a first in the history of UK dance music. How this will impact on Funky’s trajectory remains to be seen. All we can do is hope that the MCs don’t kill it before it really takes off – at this early stage, it would go down quicker than Garage did so many years earlier.
If you want to hear Funky in Cambridge, there is a regular night called Rotator at Fez on a Thursday. Also look out for any nights at the Junction. And of course, if you catch myself behind the ones and twos, make sure you’ve mastered your Tribal Skank.
Constructive criticism appreciated on both counts!!
Keep it funky
Here's the tracklist:
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jwwwi3
(Intro) Jonny Blaze & Mike Mumbles - Just Don't Give A Fuck
Oh Snap! - Everyone's a DJ (DJ Mujava Remix)
Kid Cudi - Day & Nite (Greenmoney Remix)
Gracious "Napa Man" K - Migraine Skank
Lloyd - Girls Around The World (Ill Blu Remix)
DVA ft. Badness - Back Way
Altered Natives - Rass Out
Marlon D - Jesus Creates Sound
N.B. Funky - Riddim Box
Fanatix - Hi Grade
T2 - Secrets (T2 Funky Mix)
Uncle Bakongo - Bobo
Dubplate Wonder - Bashment Funk
Cooly G - Dis Boy Pt. 4
Blade - Tribal Master Minds
Kode 9 - 2 Far Gone
Underground Unit ft. Dafro - Shoulder Low
Apple - Messed
Ill Blu - Rider
Perempay & Dee - Buss It
Davinche ft. Doctor - Gotta Man
Sticky - Jumeirah Riddim
Apple - Chantes
Fr3e - Tribal Skank
Donae'o - Party Hard
S.Chu ft. Xara - You Got Me
Crazy Cousinz ft. Jazmine Sullivan - Need U Bad
Witney - What A Shame (1QY & F@Z Funky Mix)
Little Fritter - Headspin (Deepchild Remix)
Kode 9 - Black Sun
Ill Blu - Say Yes
http://www.sendspace.com/file/jwwwi3
WHHEEEEELLL!!!!
Secondly, I'm working on an article about Funky for (possibly) a student magazine.... not entirely 100% on some of the facts so if you want to make any factual corrections please let me know:
“Funky” isn’t my favourite adjective. In fact, it’s one of those words most people avoid using for fear of sounding like their Dad. And up until very recently “Funky House”, as a genre, with its syrupy diva vocals and over-glossy production, has been one largely avoided by any self-respecting soundman; a ghost strain of 70s disco persisting anachronistically amidst much darker, more macho forms of underground UK dance music. However unlikely it seems, though, “Funky”, or UK House, as some prefer to call it, is the most exciting progression in British urban music since Horsepower and El-B’s marriage of darker vibes and heavier bass to the traditionally sexy 2-step shuffle of UK Garage gave birth to Dubstep back in ’04.
What made Garage so compelling, popular and floor-ready was the fine balance of male and female elements within the sound palate. The 2-step beat was slinky and sexy, the vocals could be sugary, but these were kept in check by the chest-boxing pressure of the low-end and the tough snares, rimshots and woodblocks that comprised the punchy, sometimes aggressive Garage sound. Just like Drum’n’Bass before it, the demise of Garage stemmed from a gradual monopoly of the sound by Garage’s more masculine elements, notably the macho swagger of MC tracks, forming Grime. Grime, of course, for all its good points, isn’t as rave-friendly or danceable as its predecessor, and virtually disappeared in clubs around the same time that Dubstep started to gain real momentum. But that novelty has worn off: it is 2009 and we are confronted by a vast slew of producers jumping on the Dubstep bandwagon, producers with no real understanding of the music’s more subtle roots; we find ourselves stuck in a rut, having to half-step skank, screwface style, to slowed-down Drum’n’Bass devoid of any emotion beyond some sort of farcical aggression.
But it is to this development that we can attribute a portion of Funky’s rising popularity – disillusioned ex-Grime producers with nowhere to go (but Ayia Napa, perhaps) have suddenly gone 4/4 and started championing their own permutation of House music, a style that is as much indebted to US House and Broken-Beat legends such as Kenny Dope, DJ Gregory and Karizma as it is to Grime and Garage (example: DJs such as Dubplate Wonder spinning Dope’s classic Sown Bwoy and Gracious K jumping on Don’t Panic for the Migraine Skank riddim). The resulting sound could herald a welcome return to the atmosphere of the Garage heyday – the perfect combination of a hard, belligerent production style that can’t be shrugged off after years of producing Grime instrumentals, offset by a sensibility for the class and soulfulness of House music. This is, essentially, a perfect combination for the dancefloor, and one much more exciting than Wiley and Dizzee’s uninspired attempts to slap Grime 16 bars on electro tracks.
So what does it sound like? The beat is essentially a soca-fied 4/4 kick with a slight garage shuffle and Kuduro-style syncopation. It is tribal, primal and complex. The polyrhythms that result from two tracks playing together are mind-bending, and as such, the mixing possibilities for DJs are endless. On top of the beat there might be vocals – ranging from a tribal yelp to a full blown vox such as the Crazy Cousinz’ sublime Do You Mind.
Even more thrilling is that this “UK Funky” movement brings more than just music to the table; it could help usher in a comeback for serious dancers. “Bruk” and Broken-Beat afficianados are getting excited at the dancing prospects of the Funky rhythm. Historically, in the USA, professional dancers would crowd House nights and show off their footwork with specific dancing styles and moves, but today the tradition is all but lost, especially in the UK. But we are on the brink of change: The “Funky” style has already spawned countless “skanks”, including the radio hit “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes”, Fr3e’s “Tribal Skank” and the aforementioned Gracious “Napa Man” K’s “Migraine Skank”, in which the MCs call out the dance moves for the crowd to join in. This might sound like a gimmick until you actually go to, say, Pure, in Bedford, where you will genuinely see people lining up on the dancefloor to buss the Migraine Skank. Essentially, this demonstrates that people going to clubs that aren’t self-confessedly “underground” are going primarily for the music, which can’t be a bad thing, can it?
There are dissenters, though; Marcus Nasty, the founder of notorious Grime crew N.A.S.T.Y., is now the Funky scene’s biggest and most respected DJ. In an interview conducted by funky outfit Mini Kingz, he states: “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes… they came to the dance with something original. But don’t copy that. That’s not funky.” and writes off other MC or “skank” tracks as “slowed-down Grime”. And he’s not the only one; Bedford producer Lil Silva, whose tunes, although instrumental, are probably the hardest, fastest and most akin to jump-up Grime, recently vented his frustrations on Ras Kwame’s 1xtra show, bemoaning the runaway success of his hit “Seasons”, a track which countless MCs have since jumped on, without prior permission. Perhaps the most divisive remix of “Seasons” was Grime MC Ghetts’ Came to the Game vocal, controversial because its lyrical content was standard Grime fare - all beef and ego, delivered with a vicious flow and giving no encouragement to buss anything other than gats. As Marcus would say, that’s not funky. But with skanks such as the Bycep Curl (“I wanna see your bicep curl, go to the bar and nice that girl”) and the nursery Grime of Ring-a-Roses, some believe that the MC element should be discarded altogether.
The Funky scene is, as I write this, poised to realize its huge potential in both the mainstream and the underground markets. In the mainstream, K.I.G’s “Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes” has already found success, and both Donaeo and Crazy Cousinz, with “Party Hard” and “Do You Mind” respectively, could do the same with the right exposure. In the underground, the funky sound has been embraced by forward thinking DJs such as Kode9, Martyn and Brackles, who I have heard play Apple, D-Malice and Roska tunes respectively. Kode9 not only plays out funky tunes but produces his own, releasing them on his groundbreaking Hyperdub label, home to Burial. Underground club-nights such as U Dun Know and Night Slugs will help push funky even further in this direction. It could go big.
It could also go wrong: how will the movement cope with suffering such large divisions so early on in its development? UK House, as we know it, is barely a year old, but already it has split off into two distinct sub-genres; a first in the history of UK dance music. How this will impact on Funky’s trajectory remains to be seen. All we can do is hope that the MCs don’t kill it before it really takes off – at this early stage, it would go down quicker than Garage did so many years earlier.
If you want to hear Funky in Cambridge, there is a regular night called Rotator at Fez on a Thursday. Also look out for any nights at the Junction. And of course, if you catch myself behind the ones and twos, make sure you’ve mastered your Tribal Skank.
Constructive criticism appreciated on both counts!!
Keep it funky
) was that they constitute the "soundmen" that I'm talking about, they are a target audience for this new Funky House, whereas they are not a target audience for non-UK Funky House (the sort that traces its lineage back 20 years, like you say)