Funky/London/UK House
by playing the same tracks i mean of course funky djs will have records which other funky djs own but usually the set list is all over the place.
there are records like the much mentioned 'pon di floor' a diplo record thats spawned a kinda funky subgenre, and records created by god knows who that are as big a part of funky as original compositions if you like, things are mutated and rerubbed, big house anthems etc, to fit the speed and needs of funky all the time.
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Sure, but are you thereby saying there's no difference between basically every funky DJ playing Dennis Ferrer's "Hey Hey" and a whole bunch of DJs who make their name playing a mix of different genres playing Moska's "Nike"?
I mean, I'm not sure how profitable it is to go into this conversation again, but the very fact that funky is already so diverse, already so porous, makes me think that collapsing genre distinctions even further so as to include stuff that funky DJs don't even play is kinda gratuitous.
At some point it's basically saying that UK funky has simply no borders, which I think any actual funky DJ would disagree with - they may not adopt Marcus's "UK productions only" rule but their sets still exhibit a coherent stylistic expression that is very distinct from, say, a Bok Bok set, or a One Man set, or a Ben UFO set - to name three producers responsible for some of my favourite non-funky DJ sets of last year.
I mean, I'm not sure how profitable it is to go into this conversation again, but the very fact that funky is already so diverse, already so porous, makes me think that collapsing genre distinctions even further so as to include stuff that funky DJs don't even play is kinda gratuitous.
At some point it's basically saying that UK funky has simply no borders, which I think any actual funky DJ would disagree with - they may not adopt Marcus's "UK productions only" rule but their sets still exhibit a coherent stylistic expression that is very distinct from, say, a Bok Bok set, or a One Man set, or a Ben UFO set - to name three producers responsible for some of my favourite non-funky DJ sets of last year.
This post I wrote a few months ago on "Wad", "Natty" and "Badman Riddim" might clarify my position on this mms:
http://getphysical.blogspot.com/2009/09/pearson-sound-wad-soule-power-natty-dub.html
I'm pretty open to "outsider" tracks (including from dubstep producers) becoming big on the scene and thus becoming insider track. But I think the fact of them actually having traction within the scene remains relevant.
UK Funky as a style is a lot about context, about how different stylistic impulses and sonic approaches (sweet r&b tunes, housey throwbacks, skank tracks, ruff instrumentals) are thrown together and vibe off one another. But there has to be a narrative thread running through the tracks that renders them part of a single genre. In fact this is a big part of the appeal: the amazement that all of these impulses could sit next to one another and yet still sound of a piece.
The way I see it, UK funky's expression of eclecticism isn't about saying "is this funky? does this belong here?" and more about saying "this is definitely funky! It totally belongs here! But, quite shockingly, so is this totally different tune!"
None of which changes the fact that, say, Ben's Fabric Takeover mix was one of my favourite DJ sets of last year. But I don't need to call it a funky mix to make it so.
http://getphysical.blogspot.com/2009/09/pearson-sound-wad-soule-power-natty-dub.html
I'm pretty open to "outsider" tracks (including from dubstep producers) becoming big on the scene and thus becoming insider track. But I think the fact of them actually having traction within the scene remains relevant.
UK Funky as a style is a lot about context, about how different stylistic impulses and sonic approaches (sweet r&b tunes, housey throwbacks, skank tracks, ruff instrumentals) are thrown together and vibe off one another. But there has to be a narrative thread running through the tracks that renders them part of a single genre. In fact this is a big part of the appeal: the amazement that all of these impulses could sit next to one another and yet still sound of a piece.
The way I see it, UK funky's expression of eclecticism isn't about saying "is this funky? does this belong here?" and more about saying "this is definitely funky! It totally belongs here! But, quite shockingly, so is this totally different tune!"
None of which changes the fact that, say, Ben's Fabric Takeover mix was one of my favourite DJ sets of last year. But I don't need to call it a funky mix to make it so.
jimitheexploder
Well-known member
I probibly started the drowned in sound funky thread hahah It pretty much fizzled out though and decended into just talking about dubstep peeps again as not many people where that fussed. I managed to link your blog on it though
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there's a link to download a free 320 of this on the video's youtube page in the description
there's a link to download a free 320 of this on the video's youtube page in the description
Brett Maverick is/was a bassline producer
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he also does dubstep equally as well
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he also does dubstep equally as well
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Ha Jimi I think I must have last checked it before you linked me - thanks for that though. And it's not like the board is entirely devoid of people who appear to get funky - just mostly!
I guess I'm just caught in a double bind of wanting to engage in music crit-style conversations about this stuff without wanting to adopt the music-crit values that almost inevitably go with that, the almost reflexive privileging of producers who can prosper from the auteur-fetishisation treatment - or as one ILX poster succinctly summed it up, "Wake me up when UK Funky gets to its El-B/Horsepower Productions stage..." It shocks me of course that so many otherwise sensible listeners don't find funky as it is now self-evidently life-changing, but only because it feels that way to me - "objectively" i recognise that the majority of the scene, and in particular the stuff I love most, is even less amenable to music-critic-legitimacy than 2-step garage was.
If one doesn't want music crit style conversations then there are of course heaps of message boards of people posting tracks or mixes and recipients responding "safe for this!".
I guess I'm just caught in a double bind of wanting to engage in music crit-style conversations about this stuff without wanting to adopt the music-crit values that almost inevitably go with that, the almost reflexive privileging of producers who can prosper from the auteur-fetishisation treatment - or as one ILX poster succinctly summed it up, "Wake me up when UK Funky gets to its El-B/Horsepower Productions stage..." It shocks me of course that so many otherwise sensible listeners don't find funky as it is now self-evidently life-changing, but only because it feels that way to me - "objectively" i recognise that the majority of the scene, and in particular the stuff I love most, is even less amenable to music-critic-legitimacy than 2-step garage was.
If one doesn't want music crit style conversations then there are of course heaps of message boards of people posting tracks or mixes and recipients responding "safe for this!".
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
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oh, i am definitely feeling this. not overly sure about that dj naughty track- may well grow on me.
downloading the whole mix now...
oh, i am definitely feeling this. not overly sure about that dj naughty track- may well grow on me.
downloading the whole mix now...
Full track:
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Everyone loves this, absolutely deserves to be huge. Kevin Saunderson-style synth stabs crossed with Kelly Price's rnb lyrics, winning combination.
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Everyone loves this, absolutely deserves to be huge. Kevin Saunderson-style synth stabs crossed with Kelly Price's rnb lyrics, winning combination.
baboon2004
Darned cockwombles.
amazing, thanks. deserves to be massive indeed.
does anyone know if there's a full-length version of greyman's mix of lions & tigers & bears anywhere. Two minutes is just too short!
does anyone know if there's a full-length version of greyman's mix of lions & tigers & bears anywhere. Two minutes is just too short!
Yeah, he also was the first DJ I'm aware of to play "Badman Riddim". So he does break the rule (which is only for his radio show) but pretty rarely. He and his MCs are often referring to tracks that they can't play on the show for this reason.
