Rephrase Interview & Exclusive NuFunk.net Track

Rephrase has been making waves since his first solo release in 2003 with a distinctive blend of musicality and raw dancefloor-friendly groove.

With releases on GoodGroove, Freestyle, Timewarp, Hed Kandi and many more and support from big name DJs such as Giles Peterson and John Stapleton - Rephrase's influence is as broad as his eclectic taste in music.

As we await the release of his third album, 'Taking On An Army', the Australian funkster took time out to talk to NuFunk.net and share an exclusive download with the community.

Tell us a bit about the new album.

This is my third studio album, it took a bit over a year to make, as you can hear there are many influences going on. I was lucky enough to get jazz trumpet legend James Morrison to play on the opening track.

Plus there's heaps of vocalists that I collaborated with on this effort. Merenia, Mitchell Anderson and Paula Baxter from Australia, MC Vandal from Canada and Shabaka from the USA.

You've described your process in making this album as "taking a songwriter's approach", did anyone in particular influence your sound?

Smoove & Turrell's Antique Soul album was a big influence on this album and I was also listening to Jazzanova's new one, Elektrons, N.E.R.D, Beach Boys, Kero One, Motown and Mr Scruff.

When is the album due to drop, and where can we get it?

I'm releasing this album myself on Rephrase Music on May 17th digitally worldwide through iTunes.

For updates on what's happening join my facebook page.

What are your thoughts on the NuFunk scene in 2010?

I've been making this sort of music for a while now and it's good to see people supporting it finally.

Big ups to the crew at NuFunk.net for pushing the sound through their site.

And finally, tell us about the exclusive track you've got for us.

It's a remix off the new album, it's brand new, no one has got it yet! It's by two guys from Perth, Australia called Assembly Line.

These guys are the real deal, I'm sure you'll be hearing more from them, they have a release on Cardboard City.

Props to Rephrase for taking the time to talk to us. Listen to the free track below and if you want to get your hands on a copy of this exclusive track, as well as a whole bunch of other goodies, head over to our exclusive Member's Vault and download the 'Megabundle'. This is a members-only forum, so if you're not a member yet, join up HERE.

Reprhase - Best Of Both Worlds (Assembly Line Remix) by NuFunk.net

Funky Friday Round-Up

Another look at what's fresh and hot in the world of NuFunk - this week with an EP from Trotter, a free album from Shy Beatz and a hot slice of sunshine from DJ Peabird.

DJ Peabird - Monsterfunk

'Monsterfunk' from DJ Peabird presents three tracks of raw soulful mid-tempo funk. It's also another hot contender for the 'label art of the year' award.

The first track 'Cool' slinks along with some heavy bass under tasty horns and wicked laid-back vocal snippets.

'Monsterfunk' and 'Oldskool' complete the package, the former reminds me of a 90s hip-hop beat with some fly sample material, but the latter really takes the EP in a new direction, mixing early Chicago house vibes with downtempo beats and a faintly acidic bass.

Three summery, goodvibe tracks, offering something a bit different as we head into outdoor party season.

Go here to buy your copy.

Trotter - Back In Time

 Staying on a sun-drenched tip - 'Back In Time', from Royal Soul head-honcho Trotter, is a four-tracker (including two versions of its title track) which is sure to provide the sound of summer any time you put it on.

Outstanding tune for me is 'Sunshine' which has enough Balieric vibes, latin percussion and chilled disco touches to set any dancefloor swaying. A great beach party set-starter.

'Back In Time' ups the tempo a bit, and toughens the beats, but keeps the relentless disco flourishes. The bass and rhodes are the stars of this track, combining to create a deeply funky groove that never lets up.

Finally, 'Keep On' takes you on a 70s cop-car chase through downtown Sao Paulo as wicked synths sweep across the tight bassline and dusty vocal samples push the vibe along.

A seriously musical, funky EP. Listen to the preview track on the player below and buy it here.

Trotter - Back In Time ( TEASER ) by Trotter

Shy Beatz - Night Window Shoplifting

And finally a wicked free hip-hop joint from Shy Beatz. Mad funky beats and positive, catchy lyrics combine to fabulous effect on this album, which is also refreshingly free from unnecessary gangster posturing.

There's some excellent scratching, deep basses and raw funky production on 'Night Window Shoplifting' - so do yourself a favour, go here to grab it. It's free, gratis, it costs exactly no pence. You'd be mad not to.

Until next time, keep the promos, links and previews of your new releases coming to blog@nufunk.net

What's That Sound? Scammers

When I heard The Scammers Meet The Great Wugga Wugga - 'Sally's Walk' back in the heady days of the 1990s, I was blown away.

If you haven't heard it you should. Unfortunately there are no clips of it anywhere on the whole worldly-wide inter-wangle.

However, you can preview / buy it at Juno and get a pretty good idea of how much you need it in your life...

Anyway, after hearing that blistering big beat tune, I needed to know where that funky-ass sample came from. Sadly it was a long time before I twigged.

A couple of years ago, after a fiercely fought and particularly costly Ebay auction, I found myself the proud owner of a beautiful piece of wax from the legendary Ultimate Breaks & Beats series.

Midway through side B, listening to a track called 'Let A Woman Be A Woman, Let A Man Be Man' by a band called Dyke & The Blazers, my ears suddenly pricked up.

There it was, as slamming and funked-out as I remembered it from the Scammers record - the 'Sally's Walk' break.

Have a listen, it kicks in around 1.40:



Blinder innit?

You can get it on Ultimate Breaks & Beats Vol. 17, on 'Greatest Hits' by Dyke & The Blazers (1969) and it also appears on a load of different compilations, including Dj Pogo's 'These Are The Breaks'.

Anyhoo, until next time, keep your fingers dusty and your grooves clean.

What's In The Box?

Lots of you have been using the NuFunk.net dropbox, which is awesome - keep 'em coming.

So here's a quick run through the best of what we've been sent this week, including tracks and mixes from Fuzzbox Inc, Matty Blades and M-Bird.

But first, some raw, soulful live funk from French band, The Bad Dogs. Although some members of the band are only in their teens, their cover version of Nina Simone's classic 'Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter' shows some serious soul.

Their album, 'Good Time, Bad Girl' features collaborations with musicians from around the world, including drums by Paco Serry, a man who has played with Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye amongst others.

Preview it below and if you like what you hear, buy it!
The Bad Dogs - Funkier Than A Mosquito's Tweeter by NuFunk.net

Next up, an incessantly groovy mixtape from M-Bird. 'Funky Town' is available for free download.

Check it out:
Maxim Lebedev - Funky Town by M-Bird

Also in the box we have a low-down funky hip-hop banger from TdashDUB & Phaze 5. 'A Classic By Request (Never Say Never)' has some wicked flute touches and a beautiful bassline.

Listen and download:
TdashDUB & Phaze_5 - A Classic By Request [Never Say Never] by Phaze_5

To mark more than three years of NuFunk at 'Dropping Phat' in Melbourne, Matty Blades has put together a mix that's funky fresh in the flesh.

Dropping Phat Summer Series Vol. 1:
Dropping Phat Summer Series Vol.1 by MattyBlades

Lastly but far from  leastly, a Fuzzbox Inc mix from Ali B's KISS FM show, laden with exclusive refixes by the Fuzzboxers themselves.
Kiss FM Ali B Funk Revolution Show Radio Mix 2010 Fuzzbox INc. by Fuzzbox INc

Keep it droppin' in the box - we listen to everything we receive.

Make It Funky: Two, Three, Break!

Another wicked and bad freebie for you: this time we have an incredible encyclopedia of drum breaks lovingly sampled, bounced and sliced by Cyberworm over at Rhythm Lab.

Available in both Rex and Wav flavours, this mighty collection has everything from 5 Stairsteps to ZZ Hill.

You need it in your life.

Head over here and grab them!

Also, those superb folks over at Salad Records.com have posted some awesome links to John Bonham's drum out-takes from 1979 album "In Through The Door".

The legendary Led Zep skin-basher's percussive stylings have been sampled by everyone from Eminem to The Prodigy. Now you can get in on the act too.

Grab the files here.

Basement Freaks Interview & Exclusive NuFunk.net Track!

George Fotiadis AKA Basement Freaks has gone from strength to strength in the last few years and is now at the top of his game.  With the launch of his new label - Bombastic Jam - he prepares to take the scene by storm.  He talks candidly to NuFunk.net in our first ever exclusive interview and offers a special little treat for our members...

Why did you launch the new Bombastic Jam label?

I’ve started the label because I'd like to release all of my tracks.  There are many tunes which I couldn’t find deals for a vinyl release and they would have gone to waste without Bombastic Jam.

It's hard times for vinyl and there's the Serato revolution!  I truly believe my label has a lot to give to the Nu Funk scene.  I owe a special thanks to Goodgroove Records, they have created a large family of great breakbeat producers that I'm happy to work with on Bombastic Jam.

Tell us about how you got into music and the Nu Funk scene?

I started messing around with music in 1993, playing in an indie rock band for four years and finally set up a home studio in my basement in 2000.  The first 5 years I was experimenting and learning about music production, which led to the birth of the Basement Freaks project back in 2005.  I was amazed what I could record with my guitar, amp and bass - I used samplers at the same time as a platform.  I played blues guitar, funky bass and produced beats and in 2009 started making band-style songs again.  I released an album with a side project with Quasamodo called Smokey Bandits on Klik Records - the best indie label in Greece.  It's a unique blend of mexican-balkan-latin music with jazz-funk influences and fat beats!  It's the biggest music project I've ever done.  I've been working on it for three years with 20 musicians.  It's dedicated to the memory of my father.

What are your biggest influences when it comes to making music?

All retro boogie!

Who should we be keeping an eye on in the Nu Funk scene this year?

DJ Wood

Who is your favourite Nu Funk DJ?

DJ A.Skillz

What is your proudest achievement in life?

What I do. I've chosen not to work a regular job.  It's hard, but gives me the freedom to do what I want in life.

Why do you think the Nu Funk scene is not as recognised as it deserves to be?

Easy - I blame people.  They should stop listening to commercial music and be more eclectic, but even more than this - the artists involved in producing this kind of music, too.

Funky music is for cool people, but when you step into a club there are not many. They'll always be a request for Lady Gaga or whatever.  You end up playing mash-up hits to please the crowd.  You sneak back to the real funk only for people to remember the Michael Jackson track and not your own funky mix! Yes, the promoter is happy because his party runs well and you say to yourself “what should I do? I couldn't leave without rocking the party!" I love Nu Funk and would play it all night, but have to make a living!

There's a lot of mash-up tracks out there, made mostly from starter producers that have a lot of funky elements, but that's not nu funk.  On most you'll hear an instrumental track patched with an acapella.  For me, what represents the true scene is original tracks with great use of samples such as you'll find on Bombstrikes, Goodgroove and Jalapeno Records.

I admire bands like Smoove & Turrell because they have produced the most fresh Nu Funk sound without using any samples.  The Nu Funk scene in Canada and Australia are great and growing, but I still believe the UK is the king of the beats! 

Nu Funk should be about funk music and not from turntablism.  For me, this effect on Nu Funk is a pain in the ass, especially when 18 years old boys swagger over to the DJ  booth and ask why I don't play records or use Serato, or shout: "Why don't you scratch?".  Yet the club is on fire and the crowd are rocking.  It's not because I can't scratch, I was never interested in doing it myself. I like it, but it's not the absolute thing for my music.  People should go to a Nu Funk party to hear and dance to the music, not to see a DJ  scratching his records.  That said, of course there are a few DJs that use these skills in a good way in a Nu Funk set and they are the best around, but it's not a tip that everybody has to follow.

And the Nu Funk scene in Greece?  Do the Greeks dig Nu Funk?

Most of them still don’t, but a lot of good funky producers have come from Greece in recent years.  Maybe in the future we‘ll be able to say for the first time that there is a kind of underground music scene coming outta Greece!

What do you think about the launch of NuFunk.net?       

Love the idea to spread the Nu Funk word!  Seriously - this is the first time I have said so much in an interview. I find the whole NuFunk.net venture special.

Can you reveal a killer production tip for our members?

Oops - I've learnt music production by myself, but I'm not a good teacher.

OK, here's a tip:

The frequencies that can't be produced by real instruments can be produced by synthesizers and effect processors.  Frequencies like extra lows or highs!

For example, adding a synthetic bass line, which plays the same riff as the bass guitar, but subtly turns funk to Nu Funk and of course then the sound is able to stand up in a club.  The same thing can be done by adding a hi-hat on an old drum loop or snare to get more punch from the loop without missing the old recording feeling!  In conclusion, you can use sounds to add frequencies on a production - not only as notes.

Any exclusive info on upper coming Freaks releases?

I’m recording new tracks at the moment for my forthcoming album on Jalapeno Records, working with George Perin (vocalist of Something Freaky), Jasmin Stocker (vocalist - Disco Life) and MC Coppa - for some hot dancefloor funky bombs.

I also have an upper coming release on Bombastic Jam called Basement Freaks EP - Beat Dilla
featuring four down tempo funky joints I did last summer in Greece while working with my friends and musicians -  John Marinos (Trombone), George Bogkias (Trumpet), Jasmin Stocker (Vocals), Jazzy Jap: (Flute) & Petar Savic (Jazz Guitar).

Tell us about the free joint you've kindly offered up and produced especially for NuFunk.net members to download?

Surprise!  It's called And That's NuFunk.  I've used James Brown's Funky Drummer beat  and a Bootsie Collins bass guitar loop.  It's a bridge between the two biggest funky schools blended with my own electronic bass line to make it sound fresh.  I think it's a cool example and I've put it up on Soundcloud as a tribute to NuFunk.net and to let people now about your fantastic new community.  I hope your members enjoy it.

Download the exclusive Basement Freaks production for NuFunk.net here and join our community via the Forum to ensure you stay in touch with the Nu Funk scene and get to hear about our future free downloads and wealth of exclusive material.

  Basement Freaks- And Thats NuFunk by Basement Freaks

Funky Friday Round-Up

This week we have an exclusive Basement Freaks interview and surprise giveaway, a new release from the Booty Pirates crew, with an exclusive free track, a super-sneaky preview of the new Rephrase album and a trio of free MP3s from London's Jezebel Sextet.


Rephrase - Taking On An Army

It seems like a long time has passed since the mighty remix album 'Swaps' from Rephrase, and even longer since his album 'Little Victories' swung, bumped and grooved its way into our lives in 2007.

But now the Aussie producer is back with a vengeance.

'Taking On An Army' has nine tracks dripping with beautiful vocal performances, stunning instrumentation and seriously funky feeling.

Genre-hopping from soul to dancehall to disco to hip-hop to drum n bass with ease, Rephrase collaborates with a host of vocal and instrumental talent including Mitchell Anderson, Paula Baxter, Vandal, Shabaka and James Morrison.

The title track, 'Taking On An Army', is a catchy soulful number which combines underground credibility with fresh pop sensibilities - no mean feat.

But this album isn't a departure from his previous output, or a bid for crossover appeal, more a logical progression of the eclectic sound he has established through his work up to this point.

Fans of 'Chase Your Tail', Rephrase's previous collaboration with MC Vandal, will not be disappointed by the bass-heavy, jiggy funk of 'Without A Second To Lose' or the chunky uptempo driving jive of 'Kick The Flow' - both of which see the pair revisiting their fruitful collaboration.

Vandal also appears on the first single from the album, 'Best Of Both Worlds' - for me the best track on a consistently outstanding album.

Here at NuFunk.net we're truly excited about this release, which drops on May 17th and will be available from iTunes, Rhapsody, Amazon, Napster, Nokia, Zune, Myspace Music, Lime Wire Store , Lala and just about anywhere else that sells tunes.

And to make sure you're just as excited as we are, we're posting the album preview below:

"Taking On An Army " Album Sampler by Rephrase

 

 
Various Artists - Booty Pirates Vol. 1

This collection from new label Booty Pirates takes mash-ups and bootlegs to new and funky heights.

Featuring tracks from Zenit Incompatible, tOtALcULt, Philly Blunt, Matthew Britt, Busta, Phunk Sinatra and Funcle, these tracks fuse old and new to make suprising, dancefloor-friendly bangers.

Stand-out tracks include 'I Want Linguistics' by Zenit Incompatible, which sees Chris Joss meet Jurassic 5 uptown for a dance-off and 'Jump That Way' by Busta, which is getting hyped by everyone from Slynk to Fuzzbox Inc.

Take a listen on the player below and if you like what you hear, go buy it.

Booty Pirates Volume 1 by Booty Pirates Rec

To celebrate his debut release, and the first release on Booty Pirates, tOtALcULt has given us a free track to promote the album. Click here to grab yourself an exclusive copy of his funky hip-hop banger 'BusMef'.

STOP PRESS: Pulp Fusion has added another free bootleg to promote this release, exclusive to NuFunk.net - grab his ultra-funkular take on the Red Hot Chilli Peppers here.


Jezebel Sextet - Free Tracks

As ever, we're finishing on a freebie - this week from the London-based Jezebel Sextet. Sounding like they come straight out of a dark and smokey nightclub in the 1960s, these guys deliver raw, fiercely groovy funk.

And they're giving away three MP3s to anyone who signs up to their mailing list. Head over to their homepage and get involved.

Keep your promos coming to the usual address blog@nufunk.net

What's That Sound? Chas & Dave invented Hip-Hop

We're back with another delve in the crates to bring you obscure samplistics and trace the genesis of beats.

Not strictly NuFunk this time, but hey, a sample is a sample, right?

First up a bit of history. Specifically the history of these two luvverly cock-er-nies:

Their names? Chas & Dave. Their music? Well it sounds a bit like this:

So how the f*ck is that in any way connected with Hip-Hop / Funk / anything else in the realm of decent music?

Allow me to explain.

For this to make any sense you have to understand that despite all appearances to the contrary, Chas (Charles Hodges) & Dave (David Peacock) were once very well-respected session musicians.

They worked with many artists around the world including Labi Siffre - a jazz musician and poet who wrote the song 'It Must Be Love' (later covered by everyone from Madness to Rik Fu*king Waller).

In particular, Chas & Dave worked on a track called 'I Got The' from Siffre's 1975 album 'Remember My Song'.

This song went on to become the basis for the Dr Dre-produced Eminem vehicle 'My Name Is'.

But not only that. The song was also sampled by Wu-Tang Clan, Jay-Z, Def Squad and even Primal Scream.

For my money, the best riff is at the start - the one that Jay-Z and Def Squad jumped on, but you can hear the Dre loop around 2.10.

Anyway, here it is, in all its Chas & Dave-ish glory:

Siffre's 'Remember My Song' album is still widely available, and this track also appears on his greatest hits compilation, 'The Best Of Labi Siffre'. All of his work is worth checking out for heavy atmospheric grooves.

Until next time, keep your fingers dusty and your grooves clean.

Make It Funky: Gives Me The Horn

Shortly after our launch we got a request from Ryan Wells for some horns & brass samples.

Who are we to refuse? Here's the links to more than 100 samples and loops.

It's the best the web has to offer in terms of funked-up brass for your Nu Funk productions.

First up, and I really shouldn't be letting you in on this one - it's almost too good - more than 80 wicked horn section riffs from the New York Brass group.

This bunch of talented session musicians has put together a brilliantly recorded pack of stabs and horn lines, all in 320kbps MP3 for your listening pleasure. All they ask in return is your email address and a credit if you use one of the samples in a track.

Grab it here before I change my mind about letting this one out.

Next up, the incredible Freesound Project, always a good spot to look for free high-quality sounds.

There are a number of brass samples available - notably those of Simon D’souza who has posted a load of brilliant packs including: New Tenor Sax D minor, Tenor Sax D major 110bpm , Tenor Sax D major 90 bpm and Tenor Sax multisamples.

Get your filthy mitts on them here.

Another Freesound user, Synapse, has posted a couple of tasty trumpet riffs with a Latin flavour here.

Andrea Biondi has posted some excellent sax melodies here. As has Fred Galist, here.

With all these Freesound packs, it is worth checking the license at the bottom of the page, most are released under Creative Credits copyright agreements and may be reserved from commercial use or require crediting the creator.

Enjoy.

Any more suggestions or requests, get in touch: blog@nufunk.net

Funky Friday Round-Up

Our weekly round-up of the latest releases and promos kicks off in style with huge tunes from Dirty Dubsters, Katzuma and Jayl Funk plus a free album from Roots Manuva's Banana Klan label.

Dirty Dubsters - Skatty Riddem EP

In with a bullet, it's the Dirty Dubsters with a bass-heavy double header of bouncy skankin' goodness - ready to see in the summer with a smile.

Skatty Riddem is a brass n bass monster with beefy kicks, nuff 'Selctah' vocal samples and heavy lazer FX. The second drop on this one is ridiculous. Impossible to resist, peak-time 4/4 ska. Expect this to be rinsed to death at festivals this summer.

The flipside is Love Break, again coming on a skankin' tip, this time with a laid-back break. But don't be fooled by its mellow intro, once the bass drops your trousers will be flapping! Unexpected funk touches garnish the second half of this track as the breaks get more frantic with plenty of old-skool flavour.

A seriously quality release, but don't just take my word for it, check the streaming demo below:

Skatty Riddem
Dirty Dubsters - Skatty Riddim by DirtyDubsters

You can get this one on exclusively on JunoDownload.



Jayl Funk - We Got The Funk

The mighty Jayl Funk has also blessed us with some new tunage this week.

Out now on Basement Freaks' new imprint (Bombastic Jam) is this funky breaks cut from the Nurnberg producer - accompanied by not one but four remixes from the likes of Basement Freaks himself, CaZ, J-Roc of the Sould Out DJs and Quincy Jointz. It also has arguably the best cover art of any release so far this year.

We all know Jayl Funk well, and if you don't, then you should! This release is one of the fruitiest numbers we've heard in a while. Tropical licks with a bassline that can walk with the best of them. This tune will get the ladies' hips moving for sure.

The remixes on this E.P range from start of the night groovers that will kick start even the most stubborn crowd, through to end of the night slammers that will get the joint jumping! A killer release that any self respecting NuFunk DJ must have in his arsenal!!!

Preview here:

BJ 002 JaylFunk - We Got The Funk by Bombastic Jam

Buy it here.


Katzuma - Dr Know EP

Next, a heads-up on the super-funky 'Dr Know EP' from Katzuma. Six slices of disco-infused funk, with plenty of groove, tripped out synth solos and lively percussion.

DR KNOW - EP (2010) by katzuma


There's a wicked promo vid too:



To bag your copy of this exclusive vinyl release, you'll have to send an email to: infoATtrixshopDOTcom


Unfriendly Neighbours - Still Starvin'



And finally, a wicked free release to finish with. Roots Manuva's Banana Klan label presents the debut from Unfriendly Neighbours.

Very fresh beats, wicked verbals - amazing for a freebie.

You can preview on the player below and if you like what you hear, click 'Download' to go to their Bandcamp page for a full DL.



That's all for this week. Send us your press-packs, promos etc. to blog@nufunk.net

What's That Sound? This stuff is really fresh...

Sampling: Derided by some as theft and a shortcut to music making. Hailed by others as the most significant art form of the 21st Century.

At NuFunk.net, we're choosing to celebrate this cultural ram-raiding in an occasional column. 'What's That Sound?' will appear sporadically to look at samples, their origins, who's using them and who made them in the first place.

First up: Kraak & Smaak's funked-out club smasher 'One Of These Days'.



It's unrelentingly groovy and guaranteed to fill a dancefloor, whatever kind of room you're playing to. But where does that infectious boogie-inducing vibe come from?

Have a listen to 'No Trouble On The Mountain' by Richard 'Groove' Holmes and see if you can hear any similarities...



Hmmm.... *strokes chin* Interesting no?

'No Trouble On The Mountain' appears on Holmes' 'New Groove' album, which changes hands on vinyl for around $40 nowadays. There is a re-issue CD, released in 2003, which is more readily available. The whole album is cracking, so I recommend you pick it up.

Finally for this first edition of 'What's That Sound?': a classic sample, familiar to just about anyone who has ever heard a DJ scratch.

Here it is in action on Herbie Hancock's 'Rockit', in the hands of the legendary GrandMixer DXT (around 2.53):



Yeah, that's right: "Ahhhhh, this stuff is really fresh." And here's where it originates - Fab 5 Freddy's 'Change The Beat', which came backed by a female vox version. Listen to the final few seconds, 'cos that's where you'll strike gold:



Pretty cool huh? And not as rare as you'd think. Plenty of copies are still for sale on the interwebs, search for Celluloid Records, cat. no. 156. If that's too much bother, the sample is on about a million scratch vinyls and the entire track appears on more than three gazillion hip-hop compilations (roughly).

That's all for now. Any suggestions/ideas/future samples you'd like researched/sourced, please drop us a line at the usual address: blog@nufunk.net

Until next time, keep your fingers dusty and your grooves clean.

Make It Funky: Give The Drummer Some

Welcome to 'Make It Funky'. Each week we're going to be providing resources, links and tips for Nu Funk producers. Hopefully there's going to be something for everyone, from noobs to pro's, so stay tuned.

First up, drums. Without them there is no funk.

So here's some links to all the drums you'll ever need.

First up, a well-recorded live drum kit. Sadly the legendary NS7 kit is no longer free, but there is a really rather tasty alternative - the Analogue Drums Big Mono kit.

Analogue Drums say:
"Big Mono is a roomy rendition of a lovable Ludwig, a Rogers Dynasonic snare drum, some tasty Zildjians, and a Sabian ride for good luck. Tracked through a '75 Neve desk, and as always onto a nice thick roll of tape. Recorded in mono using a decca-tree configuration, this kit sounds retro with plenty of space."

Each drum has been multisampled at loads of different velocity levels, for realistic sounding drum sequencing.

You have to register to get your hands on it, but you get 254 discrete 24-bit, 44.1khz mono wav samples, a quick-reference card (PDF) and sampler mapping files for Battery, Kontakt and Logic's EXS24 - all in a handy 135MB package.

Download the kit here.



Now for all the drum machine samples you will ever need. From Acetone Rhythm Ace to Yamaha TX16W, taking in 200 different machines on the way, including the seminal Roland TR-505, 808 and 909.

Simply go to this page, hosted by netlabel Hexawe.



"But what about the breaks?" I hear you cry. Well don't get pissy, we've got that covered too.

Phat Drumloops does exactly what it says on the tin, provides phat breaks from some of the most distinctive drum tracks ever recorded.

It's got yer 'Amen Brother', yer 'Think', yer 'Apache', yer 'Funky Mule' - but it also has some more obscure and unexpected freshness. For example: 'Atlanta Boogaloo' by The Inclines and 'Oh Woman, Oh Why' by Sir Paul of McCartney.

With 580 entries, their beats archive is definitely worth a look for fresh faces and dust-fingered diggers alike.


And finally, you lucky, lucky people, a NuFunk.Net EXCLUSIVE: a massive sampled vinyl kit, with 50 snares, 50 kicks, 50 hats, plenty of fills and percussive hits. There are more than 180 individual samples in this pack, lovingly sourced and sliced ready to load into your weapon of choice.

Grab it here. Don't say we never give you anything.








Now get busy - we want to hear your demos, tracks and WIPs. Use our Soundcloud Dropbox on the right of the page to send us some hot shizzle.

And if you have always fancied making tracks but aren't sure how to go about it, why not start by downloading the Free Portable Music Studio? It contains everything you need to get you up and running.

Peace,

Mat
(tOtALcULt)