funky house sceptics, let me draw your attention to this

There are lot of upskirt shots in that Roll Deep video...

geeneus, ms dynamite, katy b, banger.

Yeah "Lights On" is great! Though I think primarily for Katy B's chorus.

Also loving that Funk Butcher tune "Pull Me Close" that Marcus has been playing - the beat is nuts, but more just in terms of its mastery than in any kind of ostentatious complexity or edginess. Though the song raises an issue for me w/r/t where the tipping point is in funky's relationship with broken beat etc - like, at what point do tunes begin to resemble something like Bugz in the Attic so much that it loses that funky vibe? "Pull Me Close" is effortlessly great, but I go back and forth on Swindle's "No More" (perhaps because the vocals sound so much like Amy Winehouse that the resemblance becomes oppressive).

BTW re Shola Ama - girl did full-blown R&B albums and everything, her fortunes were only tied to garage insofar as her R&B career never really took off.

i think it's just contextual innit. 'no more' on its own is most certainly borderline iffy but i don't recall it ever rankling in situ, and not on a marcus set at least. (has he ever in his life dropped a bollock as heinous as whatever that mosca tune was at 40mins on the funkbutcher-hosted 28th april set btw).

this sort of thing is pretty much why it's practically impossible to really have the sort of top-down funky ombudsmanship mistydubs is lobbying for - shorn of the red herring of its basic structure it's simultaneously everything and nothing almost as its own strand of music. (hence why i rep hard for the wildbunch streetsoul analogy, even if it is overdetermined somewhat.)

anyhow 'pull me close' is excellent, yeah. didn't know it was by fb so thnx!

actually 'no more' kind of has a whiff of 80s pop cheese that i think lends itself to funky a little, and away from broken beat - but what you say can apply just as easily to his 'it's ok' for instance. maybe?

re 'lights on', yeah the chorus is fab but i also feel dynamite really found the right lane on that one, less boorish and more of a tanya stephensish melodi-sneer; as a tune i might argue it's the first of its kind to marry so well the freestyle openness of the chorus with the tight ragga winding of its verses. (contrary to popular opinion i never actually had anything against the ladyraggachat funky other than its ott reception steamrollering the idea that there wasnt already plenty enough ragga already implicit in surrounding instrumental stuff - 'lights on' kind of holds your hand through that point imo.)

I am also increasingly not opposed to female Dancehall toasters on Funky tunes. I actually played a set full of them last Weds.

Still hugely, hugely leery of Funky becoming just an up tempo London centric version of Dancehall though.

I've been coming at this all from the perspective of a Broken Beat obsessive and embittered ex Grime fan. Perhaps I need to get over that.

BTW, Geeneus' newer tunes absolutely bang on a decent system, playing them out was my only way of finding that out.

i think it's just contextual innit. 'no more' on its own is most certainly borderline iffy but i don't recall it ever rankling in situ, and not on a marcus set at least. (has he ever in his life dropped a bollock as heinous as whatever that mosca tune was at 40mins on the funkbutcher-hosted 28th april set btw).

Actually I like "No More" quite a bit, it's more the other tunes on the EP that then make me retroactively start to doubt "No More" too.

That Mosca track was really bad, yeah.

re 'lights on', yeah the chorus is fab but i also feel dynamite really found the right lane on that one, less boorish and more of a tanya stephensish melodi-sneer; as a tune i might argue it's the first of its kind to marry so well the freestyle openness of the chorus with the tight ragga winding of its verses. (contrary to popular opinion i never actually had anything against the ladyraggachat funky other than its ott reception steamrollering the idea that there wasnt already plenty enough ragga already implicit in surrounding instrumental stuff - 'lights on' kind of holds your hand through that point imo.)

Agree with this. I love female dancehall funky as a general rule but I think it's probably barking up the wrong tree to try to carve it out as some kind of separate and distinct "thing" (we never did this w/r/t 2-step circa 2001 which had a not-dissimilar balance of ladyraggachat vs r&b vocals vs instrumentals vs MCs) - but then I have a kneejerk suspicion of any attempts to promote scenes-within-the-scene when it comes to UK funky.

The issue being that I think talking about funky-as-pop, funky-as-R&B, funky-as-dancehall, funky-as-grime etc inevitably obscures the fact that so much of the really amazing stuff defies that kind of characterisation, and it's halfway the point of uk funky to regularly throw up such defiance - which of the prior categories would "Touch Her In The Morning" fall into, for example?

ooh, talking of raggafunky -

http://soundcloud.com/aswad/aswad-city-lock-roska-remix-radio-edit

why have i only heard footloose play this (once)? why is the shitty breakage remix the popular one? as always i blame mistajam.

ZOMG funkystepz 'rude girl'!!!

http://www.zshare.net/audio/76263336166cdaf7/

http://i44.photobucket.com/albums/f14/snouts/catshockedomggif.gif

Ha ha, love the funkystepz compulsion to make weirdo part twos to all their records, dudes have way too much time on their hands.

were i forced to take a guess at which of them are generally responsible for that trend, based on names alone i would surely go for rené & stimpy.

http://funkystepz.blogspot.com/2008/12/bassline-music-it-will-never-be-popular.html

haha did you ever see this btw? i mean it is from 2008, but still.

i spose judging by that, dj naughty, 'windrush', and countless cutesy vocal cuts it seems fair to say i seem to like my funky cocktail with an umbrella in it.

strange that sticky's only contribution so far in this heady climate has been bombastic old jumeriah.

Actually I get the impression that renay is more on their housey side (hence the anti-bassline rant)? I know pretty much nothing about their breakdown of responsibilities though... Like, there's that really fabulous deep tune that Marcus has been playing constantly recently - with the whistles and the two piano notes and the dub chords floating over the top. I can see this being the same producer as "Trinity Hill" but it would seem very strange if it's the same producer as "Rude Boy"/"Rude GIrl". Although actually on the May 5 show it suddenly has this awesome quivering synth chord in the second half (presumably yet another gratuitous but brilliant part 2) so who knows.

Speaking of umbrellas I am sure you will love whatever track 16 of Champion's "8 Round Knock-Out" mix is, but I have no idea what it is. Will have to upload it for you.

no worries, got it. the one that's a little like a ukg refix of the riff in the el-b song? i do like it but the sharp garage edges kinda pop the funky bubble i think.

oh did you mean 18 perhaps? but then that's a familiar funkystepz one you'd probably know the name of.

hey btw do you know who done track 6, aka the 'say yes' song i will never understand why isnt bigger than the turgid same-named ill blu one.

if hard house banton should ever release 'colonel' it oughta be a 12 with a locked groove cos i think i could sit through that an inhumanly long time.

funkystepz fanfic doesn't seem to be drawing the punters in - maybe it's time we seized the means of production

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4615049299_7a5511d843.jpg

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

the one that's a little like a ukg refix of the riff in the el-b song? i do like it but the sharp garage edges kinda pop the funky bubble i think.

Yeah it does have sharp garage edges - maybe I'm just so much of a 2-step-nostalgist that that appeals to me anyway.

hey btw do you know who done track 6, aka the 'say yes' song i will never understand why isnt bigger than the turgid same-named ill blu one.

Yes! You mean the Mike Delinquent Project track (also called "Say Yes", indeed). It's brilliant! One of my favourite poppy funky tracks of the year.

The Ill Blu "Say Yes" is one of their weaker tracks I think. I'm starting to think they're much better at remixes than new tracks when it comes to vocal tunes - Cheryl Cole/Craig David/Sabrina Washington is a run of pure fire.

BTW your most recent post won't load at work so I currently have no idea what you're excited about.

Maxin Funkystepz has been pimping specialised dubs of "For You" on facebook, and I was half-tempted to order one saying "Skykicking, this special's For You..." - but then it occurred to me that I couldn't really leak it without getting caught.

He's excited about the Lil Silva release on Night Slugs at the end of the month. It looks good! Lots of nice tracks...

i love ill blu's "say yes" - it's not new though, it's a cover of

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PCCGIXME164

are you sure re: cheryl cole, tim? haven't heard it but surely not even ill blu could transform the original sufficiently, there's so little to work with. i'm developing a really strong antipathy towards cheryl cole though.

Ha ha the fact that their other big remixes are for Sabrina Washington's "OMG" and Craig David's "One More Lie" should tell you they have a knock with the old British sow's ear R&B thing.

The remix is great, very plasticky and squirmy:

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

i just bought a lil silva 12 on night slugs the other day. looks like i wasted my money as i think my one was only a 2 tracker. fuckers.

dunno why you guys keep blanking the ill blu roll deep remix, it's mindblowing. i might also argue it's one of the very few occasions with them where the original vocals don't seem a little superfluous to the domineering virtuoso production - not that i don't enjoy the others nevertheless.

also v glad to see mike delinquent's fully on dis ting. 'dancehall' is great too and he's always had a pretty varied and generous pop ear since mid-00s ukg times - 'my destiny' still bangs to this day (as he seems keen to remind everyone lately.)

btw excitement weren't quite the main thrust of the silva vs slugs gag but yeah, i like what i've heard, it should be good.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zMBP5gskJew

him and everyone else in the scene still look like my little ponies compared to this though. 'AAAARD.

FNKY sounds like the new aerobics beat ala ZUMBA...

so if you take away the galloping latin beat is it still funky ? Anyone got/doing tunes that don't have THAT beat ?

dunno why you guys keep blanking the ill blu roll deep remix, it's mindblowing. i might also argue it's one of the very few occasions with them where the original vocals don't seem a little superfluous to the domineering virtuoso production - not that i don't enjoy the others nevertheless.

This is awesome also but (a) I need a better quality version, and (b) it falls a little outside my point re R&B/Pop remixes.

i've only heard the ill blu roll deep remix on youtube, shitty quality admittedly but i wasn't inspired to seek out a good version. the original is appalling.

did we mention swindle's who said funk ep?! we really should - pretty tip-top r&b funky business w/vocals from miss fire, natalie may etc.

also, it can't be understated just how incredible princess nyah's "pon de floor" remix is - between that and her "pass out" freestyle (I'LL MAKE U PASS OUT - U SEE THE HEELS AND THE LEGS BUT NO ARSE OUT), i pretty much want her to take on every beat going right now.

This mix cd is massive! Been following this guys mix cd series for over a year now! Check it out...

T-GULLY PRESENTS: UK FUNKY, DUB HOUSE & MUTATION'S VOLUME 1 (LATE MAY 2010)

http://www.sendspace.com/file/akh879

TRACKLIST

1. Busy Signal vs Altered Natives - Rass Out De Style Deh
2. Apple - The african man said GO!
3. DJ GREGORY/GREGOR SALTO feat DAMA PANCHA/DJ MANKILA - Vem Rebola (Oh mix)
4. Aswad - City Lock (Roska Remix)
5. Sx - Woooo (Funky House Remix)
6. SHANIQUE - TAKE IT LOW
7. Greyman - XZero
8. Redlight feat. Roses Gabor - Stupid
9. Martyn - Hear Me (Zomby Mix)
10. Warrior One - King Riddim feat. Lady Chann
11. LR Groove - Just Believe
12. Fugative - Crush (Scratcha Dva Remix)
13. Greyman - World Famous (T GULLY Dub)
14. Gramophonedzie - Why Dont You (greenmoneys gramopho***ied remix)
15. Lil Silva - Against Yaself
16. FRENCH FRIES - Senta
17. Geeneus - Goodlife (Refix) (Feat. Katy B)
18. Loko - Scarlet House
19. Pinch feat. Yolanda - Get Up (RSD Mix)
20. Hackman - Always (Brackles Remix)
21. GIRL UNIT - IRL
22. Nycole Valentina - Flatline (Dumplin Mix)
23. Ryan Rich - Funkin like it
24. Spooky vs. Vybz Kartel - Punanny Buddy
25. Apple - Stop biteing me
26. MCLEAN - FINALLY IN LOVE(Champion Remix)
27. MELE - Bombay
28. Roll Deep Ft Jodie Connor - Good Times (Ill Blu Remix)
29. Naughty Raver Feat Kaysee - Show Me
30. Marcus Nasty & BassBoy - Shitta
31. Don Haffer - Phone Home
32. Aggro Santos Feat. Kimberly Wyatt - Candy (Crazy Cousinz Funky Mix)

Download from http://www.clubsignal.com/mix7.php

Tracklist

01. Geeneus ft. Katy B – Good Life
02. Roll Deep – Good Times (Ill Blu Remix)
03. Majestic MC – In The V.I.P.
04. Majestic MC ft. Skepta & B-Live – In The V.I.P. (BBK Remix)
05. Princess Nyah – Pon De Floor (The Remix)
06. Rapid – Go Rapid
07. Lil' Silva – No Hooks
08. J-Labelz ft. Naughty Natz – Touch Me
09. Chuck Dem Gee ft. Roch'L Royale – Round & Round
10. Princess Nyah – Butterflies
11. Roska ft. Nikki – Energy
12. Shakka – We'yoo
13. Chocolate Doll – Into The Blue
14. S-Tee ft. Tasha – Touch On Me (FunkyStepz Remix)
15. Champion – Lighter
16. Redlight ft. Roses Gabor – Stupid
17. DJ Eastwood – U Ain't Ready
18. Princess Nyah ft. Griminal & Ghetts – Hooligans (Remix)
19. Ill Blu – Overdose
20. Wiley ft. Jodie Connor & J2K – Electric Boogaloo (Find A Way)
21. El-B ft. Natasha – I Feel
22. Jodie Aysha – Pozer (Zer Zer Zer) (Todz & Beatz UK Funky Mix)
23. Nycole Valentina – Flatline (Dumplin' Mix)
24. Addictive – Bad Girl (Champion Remix)
25. DJ Seany B ft. Tonia – Tell Me Would Ya
26. Princess Nyah – So Good
27. The Fives ft. Vanya Taylor – It's What You Do
28. Lemar ft. Scratchy & Breeze – Coming Home (Roll Deep Remix)
29. SMI ft. Nivine – In My Soul
30. Screama ft. Farah – I Can't
31. Target & Danny Weed ft. Shola Ama, J2K & Wiley – Trouble
32. Marvell – Marvell Music

Using "Natty" as some kind of example in against my argument makes no sense to me, it's a great groove but obviously would be pretty much impossible to sing over.

Famous last words...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_mYcpDO6s1Q

In other news, having now heard the "Good Times" remix in high definition I can cosign its massiveness.

tbf the chords (sampled from where, anyone? - nggh this will bug me for days) on that 'natty' mix are doing alot in the vocal's favour.

tim i'm not sure if i understood what you meant when you said the 'good times' mix fell outside your point above? afaict i don't think it does.

marcus-wise this has been another successful week in the "what beatific wonderment will rankin come out with when he hears the screama & farah tune as if for the first time every time" stakes.

really really love the dummy-sell in the aramac 'hurt inside' tune played at 27 mins where you're expect a sledgehammer drop and get sweet 2step canderel instead. also who is "khaneo" with that twilit number at 95 mins?

http://soundcloud.com/djnaughtymusic/mas-que-nada-performed-by-dj-naughty

naughty here not really helping himself with general conceptions of him being a strange fellow.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jEl8uCzVCo

lol OF COURSE this ended up being produced by a bassline guy!!

What is it about these dudes that they love soulful uk funky more than anyone else does. Only with obnoxious banging drums that makes them marcus-friendly.

Did we ever talk about that Screama track with the goblin squiggles and the vocal "when you hold me tight..."

tim i'm not sure if i understood what you meant when you said the 'good times' mix fell outside your point above? afaict i don't think it does.

Only insofar as the original is pop-rap rather than R&B or straight pop. It's closer to the 321 remix than anything else, flashy and glamorous and more about a succession of great hooks than crafting (or maintaining) a cohesive song. What has surprised me a little with the other R&B/pop remixes this year is how well they've hung together as songs (and often they weren't great songs to begin with) - which I wouldn't have expected given how OTT they are. Whereas Ill Blu's own vocal tracks can hold together as songs only because they generally sound much more subdued than the remixes do.

Judging by this it looks like Nigeria funky might soon be a thing.

ok i briefly touched on this swindle ep upthread but i'm definitely loving it - LOVE the piano and the gobbling bassline that echoes it on "no more", really emphasising the "funky" of funky house, and the horns are just delightful. something a bit basement jaxxy about it, no? and nadia suliman rides it really well. "part time lover" with miss fire also great.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VloyUR4HxoY

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mrLGecnz3aY

talking of miss fire, she gave away this track on twitter the other day - i love her fluttery layered vocals. it sounds like it should be about a summer crush ("what is happening to mee-e-e?") but it's about writer's block, lol http://www.sendspace.com/file/2szpdf

that nigerian funky tune is pretty ace! (there is def a bit of ldn involved in that though, donaeo's in the video for the original.) yr more classicist african house is meant to be doing a lot right now incidentally - dj sef has been compiling mixes but i havent gotten around to checking them out yet.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pWXf2oqHo6w

d-malice and i think dubplate wonder and them lot have been playing this one a fair bit of late, i like it

lex some of the swindle stuff was also briefly touched on a week and a half ago, check it out if ur not too busy

That DJ Sef site looks like a fantastic resource RTC. Think there may be a lot of potential overlap between some strains of African house and funky - the Ayobaness comp from South Africa seems to have a load of overlap with it, sonically, especially things like the Redlight tune upthread.

unngghhhh i STILL haven't caught up w/reading everything that happened in the week my laptop broke

ah yeah tim says nadia suliman sounds too much like amy winehouse - i don't hear it myself but it does make me think la winehouse would be a superb funky vocalist, at least going by the excellent bugz in the attic remix of "in my bed" from years ago

Did we ever talk about that Screama track with the goblin squiggles and the vocal "when you hold me tight..."

― Tim F, Wednesday, 26 May 2010 13:32 (Yesterday) Bookmark

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QJJOse5Y4VA

haha omg seriously did we never do this? was the first ever screama one iirc and probably still remains his best - STUPENDOUS TUNE. it's a bit like cooly g but feminine.

btw matt if i see u posting on the fucking wonky guido thread again before at least checking out at least one of those sef comps for us i will do a wiley and throw a rock at your nan

talking of african house, have people been talking about the amazing ayobaness! south african comp anywhere on ilx? here would do as well as anywhere, i guess. this is my fav track on it

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

btw matt if i see u posting on the fucking wonky guido thread again before at least checking out at least one of those sef comps for us i will do a wiley and throw a rock at your nan

Actually my nan's dead so I WIN.