F-F-F-F-F-Funkystepz

Just my opinion, and I love Ill Blu, but if that last XLR8R mix is indicative of their recent work, then Funkystepz are far and away the better producers atm. Funkystepz's sound continues to get more nuanced, detailed, and complex, but as it does, instead of becoming more cluttered or awkward, it's even more full of raw energy and banging rhythms. Their recent guest mix on Shox's Rinse show is also great, everyone should check that out.

Yes I'd say Ill Blu's sound peaked in late 2010 (though I liked the XLR8R mix) whereas Funkystepz appear to be still peaking.

One of the issues being that Ill Blu are much more within the orbit of that more masculinist post-dubstep-and-dutch-house kinda vibe characterised by Marco Del Horno / Shox (ironically given the above) / the kind-of-funky-Marcus-now-plays*, both sonically and socially and in terms of their own listening habits (e.g. the sorts of tunes they post to youtube) which is pulling them away from that galloping rrrrushiness they had previously perfected.

OTOH I'm not sure where you'd really take that sound after e.g. the "Green Light" remix on the one hand and "Monsta" on the other so I don't really think of Ill Blu as having fallen off (except in the lack-of-releases sense) so much as necessarily having reached the end of a chapter.

* Pantha / X5 Dubs / Kry Wolf et. al. I should probably address my mixed feelings re this stuff at some point.

Whereas I think the Funkystepz aesthetic was much hazier and more ill-defined for a long time and has really only snapped into focus in early 2011, as much as I adore many of their tunes from prior to that time (indeed since their very first widely-played tune).

Yeah, I noticed the last time I listened to Ill Blu's radio show that they were playing mostly "wobbly Funky" or whatever you call it, Their XLR8R mix had a lot of that same overly aggressive, glum, dour vibe. Funkystepz's recent work, otoh, while being plenty heavy, has a much more fun, colorful vibe to it. Ill Blu are obviously very talented producers though, so hopefully they can apply their talent in a new, more fruitful, and most of all, more fun direction.

It's worth noting though that Ill Blu's own recent productions (as per the XLR8R mix) are basically "wobbly funky" at its very best. Basically Ill Blu >> Pantha >> everyone else.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PDaDc5WmQ

I'm not really feeling the Amira from Eastenders remix, Funkystepz contribution is great but it would be much better without the watery diffident vocal.

Kind of agree about Ill Blu's more recent direction but at their best (most of that Mistajam mix from last year) they're only 'dark' in cartoonish shoot-em-up way.

Yeah that's what saves them - and the Mistajam mix is amazing front to back.

Hope that new Funkystepz instrumental EP has 4 tracks on it, like the Royal Rumble EP, they have so many good tunes they could release. I'm going to give the Ill Blu XLR8R mix another chance- I absolutely love their Mistajam mix, I may have let my antipathy of the whole Redlight/Pantha wobbly Funky and lack of lighter vocal tracks in their radio sets prejudice my view. OTOH, maybe Funkystepz (and Champion as well) are simply better at making heavy instrumental bangers at this point?

I'm definitely more excited about Champion than Ill Blu at this point.

http://soundcloud.com/scrufizzer/back-on-my-ball

that's more like it, just throw stuff at him

Funkystepz with a preview of their next four-track instrumental EP of ultra bangers, the Dirty Fluxx EP:
http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/funkystepz-dirty-fluxx-ep#
Maybe not a track on there quite as devastating as Royal Rumble, but all those sound incredible, Belter lives up to its name.

If you haven't already, everyone should get their new EP. It's really amazing how their sound has progressed from their early Funky House tracks into this intricate, space-age sci-fi, dirty dutch meets grime/Funky business. I don't know what genre they fit into, honestly.

http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/2-chainz-birthday-song-feat

are we just not gonna talk about this then

so insanely relentless it's borderline frightening, like not only is it actually trying to chase you down but it's gaining on youuuu

http://i.imgur.com/AFKxq.gif

OMG

already listened to this ten times today. Thanks for the heads up rtc

This is amazing.

Incredible, aren't they? The new Missy Elliot and Kanye West remixes are great, too, as is this one, just put up yesterday: http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/those-that-know-arise.

This guest mix of theirs on Da Movelt Nasty show is worth repeated listens, it starts an hour and twelve minutes in: http://soundcloud.com/moveltraxx/da-movelt-nasty-show-nasty-9. There's loads of new Funkystepz instrumentals and hip hop remixes, including two neck-breaking Fresh Prince/DJ Jazzy Jeff remixes. It ends with a brand new vocal track, 'Bring me Back'.

that 2 chainz remix O_O

OH MY FUCKING GOD THIS MIIIIIIIIIX

i think i may have just pulled faces i have never pulled before

everyone stop whatever you're doing right now and listen to this shit

cat in a tree, let it burn, it'll understand

i'm just cracking up sitting here listening to this "birthday song" remix

blinding mix again. I think Maxsins a wicked DJ actually.

Can't believe I still haven't got round to getting the Dirty Flux ep yet, what have I been doing?

http://www13.zippyshare.com/v/20813848/file.html

mix just on its tod for keeps

these fresh prince refixes are just... is it too soon for space battle jackin

this mix kills, ty rtc

THIS MIX.

I will never be the same.

The transition into the "We Found Love" remix is just O_O

xp hah by the end of last night i had p much concluded that funkystepz had solved the whole music question and the world's populace should retire en masse to appreciate fine porcelains or something instead

come the morning i awoke with the usual morbid zombie appetite unfortunately

transition out of 'we found love' is just as bonkers in truth

like what manner of robotech laser clown car music even is that riddim seriously

O_O
This mix is too much.

Whatever tune it is that comes in around 12:30 just blew my tiny little mind.

Haha okay now I get the Rihanna thing.

New Funkystepz 'vice versa' at around 50:30 in this show
http://www.mixcloud.com/ShyOneBeats/shy-one_nasty-fm_dva-music-show_161112_podcast/

http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/funkystepz-backlog-ep

A new nine-track EP is imminent, great news.

a funkystepz track called "fizzy" doesn't even seem fair

'jumanji' is the least fair one imo

ah 'xtc', how could i have forgotten your utter magnificence

Even just in memory I can immediately summon the utter magnificence of "XTC" to mind.

OTOH how dare they release a "Backlog" EP and leave off "Lovers".

Despite bingeing heavily in Funkystepz instrumental bangers a while back they always feel like they're missing something on their own. Because you hear them piled on top of one another so regularly I've come to view the individual EP tracks as components of some ridiculous mecha-banger that can be slotted together in a load of different ways. Their EPs are more consistently great then pretty much anyone else's at the moment and still they suffer in comparison to their mixes.

yes that is true, and I think it prevents a lot of people from recognising their greatest material, which was always designed to be listened to in the mix

http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/rude-kid-get-busy-funkystepz-1

i am compelled to stan for this again, being as it is the anomalous godhead that can stand majestically on its own two feet

best rmx of '12 in truth imo

be sure to save that soundcloud btw as a bowdlerised version was only ever eventually officially released :(

as ever with garage remixes you fight back the temptation to post the original load of shit just to fully make clear the magnitude of alchemy wrought

but seriously - what. a. ting.

It just made my day to see "XTC" is getting a release. I doubt "Lovers" will ever see the light of day, though, Tim, unless they include it in their annual Christmas giveaway, it just sounds so much different than what they put out over the last year and a half. On the bright side, that new vocal track "Bring Me Back" of theirs sounds sick!

yeah, difficult to make a big deal of it at the time at the end of that breathtaking mix but 'bring me back' sounded fucking fantastic

Oh I'm sure yr right Astrochimp, in some ways if it actually came to light now it would tarnish the holy grail status it has earned in my head.