The NuFunk.net Launch Party - Nine Days To Go!

We're just over a week away from the party that promises to be one of the best NuFunk shindigs of the Summer - our very own launch party.

It's taking place on Friday, July 9th, at the completely lush Lost Angel bar in Battersea, from 8pm to 3am and it's completely free before 9pm.

There's an incredible line-up of DJs in store and we thought we'd take this opportunity to introduce them to you and drop a cheeky mix or two to let you know how they roll.

BadboE

Travelling all the way from Denmark to rock an hour-long headline set, BadboE is legendary in NuFunk circles as the man who founded the Breakbeat Paradise website and record label.

His debut album 'Break The Funk' was a huge release and has recently been followed by a remix package that is in almost every DJs playlist.

With storming 'must have' releases on Bomb Strikes and Goodgroove under his belt, BadboE is one of the mac-daddies of the NuFunk scene.

His 'Pushin' The Funk' mixtape gives a flavour of what you can expect.


Johnny Pluse

Label owner, DJ, producer and all round funky geezer Johnny Pluse is taking time out to spin at the launch party before embarking on a UK and US tour to promote his new album 'How Much For The Monkey?'

His tracks will inject a serious dose of party-friendly breaks and bass into proceedings, so hold tight and listen to his brand new 'Monkey Mix' for a taster.






Hayz 

Hayz is one of the most talented breaks DJs in the UK with his awesome nu-funk breaks and unique style of mixing, cutting and scratching. His music is infectious and constantly exclusive – providing the perfect balance between commercial and cool.

Co-founder of NuFunk.net & Headspin Promotions and signed by multiple record labels, Hayz is now in demand after his recent Ghetto Base E.P hit no.1 in the singles Charts, as well as topping the Funk, Breaks & Electro charts on Juno Records.



Check out his 'Wheelz Of Hayz - No Ableton' mix to whet your appetite. 



Hong Kong Ping Pong

 The Hong Kong Ping Pong Club is the funky love child of Dj's Morphosis and Fat Harry.


They enjoy a right old weekly knees up on their NSB Radio show 'Beating The Crates' every Monday, and have been doing so for the past few years now. So when somebody, somewhere, suggested the show was too good to be confined to the web-waves, they decided to fully oblige, and bring it to you live!

Whilst the name 'Beating The Crates' works for the radio show, it didn't sound quite right for the club night, and so, after recalling certain impressive Asian skill sets, The Hong Kong Ping Pong Club was born!

This mixtape takes you on a trip from old to new and rough to smooth in a funked-up mystery tour of beats. Their set should not be missed.

Chris Awesome

Chris Awesome never fails to fill the dance floor every-time he's at the turn tables. Priding himself on having the best tunes out there, mixed with a funky blend of beats and scratching, he now has one of the freshest, funkiest sounds around!

Having played on the Isle of Wight and the south-coast, Chris brings with him the sounds of pure party time. If it's feel good funky tunes your after, Chris Awesome has them by the bucketload!

When he's not DJing or creating bangers in the lab, Chris is co-founder, writer and designer for NuFunk.net.

You probably already know his releases on Big M, but if you need more persuading, here's a live funk mix he's put together.

101 Connection

The101connection is Alex Swann and Neil Rebbeck. They are breakbeat dj duo based in the South East.

Al began dj'ing in 2002 and has co-presented a show on NSB radio for 3 years. He has promoted several nights in the South and on the South Coast, holding down 2 local residencies this year and in March 2007 won dj competition "Battle of the Dj's" hosted by the Funky End Bar in Aldershot. Highlights have included appearances at Ministry of Sound, Guilfest Festival, Slinky and The Double X Festival in Slovakia, playing alongside dj's such as The Freestylers, Krafty Kuts, Atomic Hooligan, Dopamine, Plaza Da Funk, Far Too Loud, Rico Tubbs, Groove Diggerz, Precision Cuts, The Breakfastaz and many more.

Neil has been involved in the scene for 6 years where he saw an opportunity to channel his very diverse music tastes into dj'ing. He has been a co-promoter and dj for both "The Friday Funktion" and "Fractured Funk" at the Funky End Bar, still going strong in its 3rd year. Mixing a varied blend of hip-hop, funk and nuskool breaks has been proving popular with regular appearances at Guilfest festival, Echo and the ever popular Rockit Science at Camden's Lockside Lounge.

Expect funk of the highest order, as this mix will show!

Bubaking

In 2003 DJ Buba & Jason King were sent to listen to music crimes they didn’t commit. They promptly escaped from a commercial seaside town to the dance music underground. Today still wanted by the public, they survive as DJs of fortune

If you have a party, if none else can help, and if you can find them, maybe you can hire.... The BUBAKING

Why some play safe or stale Beats? Bubaking like to mash it up with an "Anything goes including the kitchen sink" attitude and a cheeky old skool twist. A Friendship supplying dodgy white ones over the counter of their local record store (white labels of course) has mutated into The breakbeat equivalent of little & large. They have not looked back with infamous Mix Cds, Radio 1 Minimix for Annie Mac, Burgers & Beats Radio Shows, Cheeky Booties/Re-edits and a string of festival appearances and not forgetting that Bloody Horn Noise!!

When they’re not raiding charity shops, diving in the bargain basement bins or robbing the vinyl crypts, they still find time to share DJ needles on the Breaks & Beats celebrity list including Freddy Fresh, Coldcut, DJ Food, A Skillz, Krafty Kuts, Stanton Warriors and the Plump DJs to name a few. The duo have built up an infamous reputation (and fanbase) tearing the house up & down throughout London, Brighton, Southampton ,Bristol and their Bournemouth Hometown.

Expect the unexpected and don’t burn your fingers on the fuse wire, They’re no warm up act!!

Check out their 'Raiding the Pigpen' mix for more evidence.

Lebrosk

Lebrosk's love for all things funky started back in the early 90's when he discovered the likes of Fatboy Slim, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Cut La Roc and The Freestylers.

Following the BigBeat and Breakbeat scene over the years helped land him a partnership and residency with Hayz where they formed Headspin Promotions setting the dancefloor on fire with Funky Breaks, House and Hip Hop! These days, you can catch Lebrosk spinning anywhere from trendy bars in and around London & Brighton, boat parties on the river Thames and not forgetting those infamous North London warehouse parties where he has the crowds dancing til the sun comes up!

With support from Nick Thayer, Tim Beatvandal, DJ Badboe and Kid Stretch, Lebrosk has conjured up a number of bootlegs and mashups which regularly get played on radio shows and out in clubs and bars all over the world. Check some out here on my Soundcloud page

March 2010 saw the release of his first official release with Rory Hoy on Kid Stretch's record label Warriorz. Lebrosk has a monthly radio show hosted on Ramp FM where he plays the funkiest in breaks, NuFunk, house, mashups & bootlegs.

Listen to his 'NuFunk.net Promo Mix' for a preview of his styles.

Kool Hertz

Renowned remixer, DJ and producer Kool Hertz has been djing for 14 years around South Africa around the UK.

He's now a resident at Graffiti Rock and an unstoppable force in the NuFunk and breaks scene, with his unique style of booty breaking!

His blinding 'In The Nude' mixtape is a testament to his skills and the sort of flavour you can look forward to at the launch party.

Funkskillz 

With a history stretching back to getting his first pair of Soundlabs with a student loan back in '93, the emphasis Funkskillz' music has always been the funk.

Brought up on the rave breaks of the early 90s whilst studying down in Essex he's been playing breaks in all forms for some 17 years.

He helped to establish 'Method' in Birmingham, playing D&B back in the early noughties but is now content to do the odd exclusive gig here and there. Whether it be double-bass vibed D&B or funk-fuelled disco breaks the Funkskillz feeling keeps 'em reeling.

His latest mixtape should get your juices flowing for the launch party.

 B-Roll

 Chris Cartwright is B-Roll. Born in Canada, to a Danish mother and a Canadian father, he grew up with a range of musical influences.

Moving to London in the hayday of Fabric, the sound of breaks from the Plumps, Lee Coombes, Rennie Pilgrim, Soul of Man and Freestylers pulled him into the breakbeat world. Artists like A-Skillz and Moquee recently moved B-roll into the Nufunk zone, where he now resides.

Have a listen to his NuFunk Sampler mix here.

tOtALcULt

A Midlander with a penchant for all things funky and releases on Booty Pirates and Royal Soul records, tOtALcULt fuses old school funk with hip-hop and earth-quaking bass to devastating effect.

He's also part of the NuFunk.net team, writing several columns for the blog, helping out with features, Q&As and other funk-related media jiggery-pokery.

Check out one of his mixtapes here.


Phew! So there you go. One hell of a line-up. The DJs will be playing back-to-back battle sets - so expect the hottest beats, the freshest exclusives and unreleased tracks to be booming through the Lost Angel system.

Facebookers can read more and RSVP here. And there are more details over at our forum.

We seriously hope to see a lot of you down there, for a night that promises to be funkier than George Clinton's socks.

What's That Sound? Evil Knievel

A golden-era bigbeat sample for you this week, from Fatboy Slim favourite 'Evil Knievel' by Ceasefire & Deadly Avenger.

This tune completely rocks dancefloors. It did then and it does now. Relentless tough breaks, raw wah guitar, uplifting vocal shouts, growling bass and a storming main groove.

But where does that groove come from?

Well, in 1972, Quincy Jones worked on the soundtrack to a movie called 'Dollar$', also known as 'The Heist' or 'Le Coup'.

The soundtrack was classic blaxploitation fodder: moody, suspenseful, rugged and funky. The standout tracks were called 'Money Runner' and 'Money Is', which were released together on a 45, and it was the former that went on to become the blueprint for Evil Knievel.

Ceasefire & Deadly Avenger - Evil Knievel


Quincy Jones - Money Runner


Copies of the Money Is/Money Runner 7" still change hands, and the soundtrack to Dollar$/The Heist/The Coup is still available after a re-release in 2001. Neither of them are cheap though. Expect to pay US $15+ for the single and around $30 for the full soundtrack.

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

Make It Funky: In The Studio With Mr Scruff

Spend and hour in the studio with the brewmaster himself, Mr Scruff.

Learn how to sample a stapler in an echoey stairwell and much, much more in this one-hour video from Computer Music magazine.


Mr Scruff - Producer Masterclass from Mat on Vimeo.

Jayl Funk - Interview and Exclusive Free Track

One of the many NuFunk innovators hailing from Germany, Jayl Funk’s deeply groovy productions and remixes have graced many labels from Timewarp to Breakbeat Paradise and even Basement Freaks' new Bombastic Jam imprint.

He took time out of the studio to talk to NuFunk.net and provide an exclusive free track for our members.

Germany is huge in the NuFunk scene, with a load of producers, DJs and bands making waves this year – is NuFunk big in Germany? And are the Germans naturally funky people?

Yeah, some great NuFunk Producers are from Germany. I am thinking about Marc Hype, CMC & Silenta, Quincy Jointz, Torpedotrickser, Jazz K. Lippa and many more. It's great to be a part of all the great artists from Germany in this genre with my music and mixes.

In some parts in Germany NuFunk is going more famous but I think it's still underground music. The leader in the club music buisness in Germany is more the Electro and Tech-House genre.

Its difficult to say whether German people are more funky or not funky.

How did your relationship with music begin? What music did you listen to growing up?

My relaitionship with music started when I was 7 years old. I began to play horn, keyboard and trumpet.

At that time I was a big fan of Michael Jackson.

With I was 12 I began to learn turntable mixing with Chicago House like Chez Damier or Happy House like Robin S. and Livin' Joy.  Also I began to collect Oldschool Breakbeat. I love the piano sounds and organ sounds in all the music genres of club music.

And when/how did you start producing your own tracks?

In the year 2003 I tried to produce own stuff with Fruity Loops or simply Technomaker Software. The sounds were very thin, the effects were not very good but I thought the ideas were really good.

In 2006, I start working with Reason software to do some more of own stuff and I heard my sounds getting better with every track I produced. In 2008 my first release came out, the Washed Car EP. I was very excited and happy about the great response I got to this track.

How would you describe the ‘Jayl Funk sound’?

I desrcribe my music as a mixture of House, Breakbeat, Oldschool and Funk.

Tell us about your latest releases and anything you have coming out soon?

One of my favourite releases is the 'Funky Breaks EP' on BadBoE's label Breakbeat Paradise Recordings in 2008. It was a great feeling for me to see that so many people was dancing to my bassline, to my brass melodies and the groove of my track Monkey Phonk on this EP.

At the same I did some production with Quincy Jointz, our Fresh Funky Dude tune.

I saw that the crowds love this kind of music and this makes my very proud because that its really original stuff from us.

I am very proud to be a part of Bombastic Jam, with my We Got The Funk EP on Basement Freaks' new label. It's great for me to see all this fantastic support in many playlists of DJ mixes by Marc Hype, Danny Massure, Lebrosk and others.

By the way: I wanna say thank you for the amazing remix versions by Basement Freaks himself, J-Roc (Sould out DJs), CaZ and Quincy Jointz on this EP.

Soon I've got a Jayl Funk Bootleg EP coming out, some of my own new stuff and some different remixes for Funky Destination, Quincy Jointz, Prosper, Zamali, Omegaman and Grand Slam.

Which bands/DJs/producers do you enjoy the most?

At the moment I am really liking the sounds of Stickybuds, Bombastic Jam and Crazy P.

How do you feel about new developments in production and DJ technology – Ableton, digital vinyl etc?

It´s very interesting to see the development in the digital music world. I love the good old vinyl. On my DJ gigs I am playing a lot of vinyls together with digital tunes. By the way: playing out your own stuff in a DJ set has never been easier than it is now.

And there are so many opportunities to play out music on the radio and also at parties. You can produce your own beats now with your mobile phone, you can even mix live with your mobile. It's frightening but interesting to think what will be coming out in the music business in the future.

I’ve noticed you seem to stick to original productions over big bootleg records, is that a conscious choice on your part? And if so, why?

I think it's important to do some different stuff in the NuFunk scene. It's a lot of fun to do some original tunes, but it's also a lot of fun to connect my own style with an original funk track for example.

It's great to listen to the latest bootleg stuff, but I think its important to add my own styles and ideas into some bootleg tracks and not the same style like many other bootleg productions, which often rely on the same famous hip-hop vocals or other elements.

And can you reveal a killer production tip to our readers?

Burn a CD with some tracks together with your new song idea or save it on a USB stick or MP3 player together with some other tunes.

Listen to it in your car, at the gym, on the road, etc. You compare your song and sounds automatically with the other tracks. That's a simple way to learn how your idea works and also how your idea sounds.

How do you feel about being able to reach out to people through the internet – is it changing the music industry for the better?

For sure. It is very important to make new contacts in our NuFunk business. We want to go bigger and bigger and I think it's important to be in contact with many people and producers in this scene who like and respect what we do.

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

Keep the funk alive!!

Some quick-fire questions to finish with:

What’s your favourite sound?

Live bass and slap bass sounds.

What’s the last tune/album/podcast you put on your MP3 player?

Resident Filters - Get On It

What is your proudest achievement in life?

These days in the morning when I take the steps to the 4th floor at work.

And your biggest regret?

These days in the morning I choose the lift to the 4th floor at work.

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

It´s a great idea to have a site for the NuFunk scene to get bigger and bigger and to promote

the artists in this genre. As a DJ and producer is it very important to know the news in this kind of music, new sound developments, new stuff, new mixes, new artists, etc.

And finally, can you tell us about the exclusive free track/mix that you are offering our readers?

With one of my new tracks I will say "Thank you" to all the NuFunk.net readers and supporters of

my music.

A long time ago I started a new track and the result is a groovy hip-hop, downbeat track with some funky guitar elements, some vocal parts and a synthy bassline. Hope you like it!!!!!

Together by Jayl Funk

Listen on the player below, and to get your free download of this excellent track, head over to our brand new Member's Vault at the forum. You can't get in if you're not a member of NuFunk.net, in fact the forum is invisible until you sign in.

Once you sign in, the password for the Vault is in the forum description. We've spray-painted it out in the picture below, but you get the idea:

And if you're not a member yet, dive in, the water is lovely!

Funky Friday Round-Up - totally bumper bonus edition

We've got a totally bumper edition of sizzling releases for you this week, and a few bonus freebies for you too. Spoil you? Oh yes we do!

DJ Wood - Turn Me On

Out tomorrow on Bombastic Jam, this is some mad freshness from DJ Wood - who appears to be on a one-man mission to set 2010 ablaze with a string of banging releases.

The original of this track is a 120bpm stomper, with a beauty of a bassline, catchy vox and some lovely disco elements that uplift without being cheesy.

DJP comes with an equally banging remix, chopping and mangling the original groove without once compromising the funky flavour.

To complete the package Basement Freaks brings a bucketload of booty-quaking bass to his remix, proving once again that his Bombastic Jam label is going to be a force to be reckoned with.

Hard to pick a favourite from this release, grab them all FTW.

Listen below and buy on Beatport from tomorrow.

BJ 004 Dj Wood - Turn Me On (Release Date 26-6 on Beatport) by Bombastic Jam


Chris Awesome - Bangers & Mashup Vol. 1

A double-barrelled banger of a release from Chris Awesome, his second on Big M.

As the title implies, there's some cheeky mashing in store as Chic meet Pete Rock over some of the toughest hip-hop breaks I've heard in months.

The flip is a hands-in-the-air battle royale between Public Enemy and the Red Hot Chilli Peppers that will fill dancefloors and plaster smiles on the face of anyone within earshot.

Another quality release from Mr Awesome.

Buy it on Junodownload from tomorrow and listen below.

Freak out in the club by ChrisAwesome

Chris Awesome - Roller-coaster of awesome love by ChrisAwesome


DJ Zeph - Batidas Latinas

Just in case you've been sleeping on Breakin' Bread lately, here's your wake-up call. The killer Batidas Latinas EPs from the king of the beats, DJ Zeph have now got a digital release.

The two EPs comprise 13 amazing blends full of lush Latin funk and raw party hip-hop. Proper summer tings agwan people, you need these in your crate.

Mixing classic Latin tracks from the likes of Hector Lavoe and Sergio Mendez, as well as modern masterpieces from the likes of Quantic and Color Climax with jump-up rhymes from Lauren Hill, KRS-1, Jay Z and more - Zeph has created 13 mini-masterpieces of funk.

Listen and buy below:







Johnny Pluse - How Much For The Monkey

As you know from our recent interview with him, Johnny Pluse has been busy in the studio lately - cooking up some fresh beats.

Well, the wait is almost over - out on July 7th on Breakdown Records, the album 'How Much For The Monkey' is straight banging!

From the old-school live funk stylings of 'Funky Time' and the ska-hop bounce of 'Market Street Hustle' to the tearout JB funk of 'Pleasure Town' and the trip-hop shuffle of 'How Ya' - these are 11 tracks made of purest win.

Managing to be varied without ever leaving the dancefloor, the grooves on this record are strong and the beats are crisp.

Do yourself a favour and seek this out. While you wait, here's an album sampler to whet your appetite:

HOW MUCH FOR THE MONKEY ( ALBUM SAMPLER) by johnnypluse

Label Love - free album

Remember we said we have freebies? Remember how moist that made you feel? Well, get ready to ear-jizz, because here it is, a free album featuring some of the greatest labels and artists in the biz today.

They say: "Label Love is an eclectic yet unified bundle of unique sounds compiled simply for the love of sharing them with the universe - each track plucked and presented by label heads from Bastard Jazz, ESL, Fania, Now Again, Plug Research, Tru Thoughts and Ubiquity.



"Each label evokes it’s own signature swagger giving this collection a diversified and interesting flow of genres. Label Love consists of nostalgic classics, fresh unreleased gems and other dope selections with the goal of expanding minds to new styles, vibrations and colors."

We say: "It's free, get it on your pod before they change their minds!!!"

Features tracks from Quantic, Shafiq Husayn, Ancient Astronauts and more.

Clickety click.

Parker vs Focus - Bogus Hocus Pocus

More freeness? Surely not!!!

And yet here it is anyway.

Parker has blessed us with another timely bootleg - this time in the form of a drum n bass version of the prog rock track Nike are using in their World Cup ads.

It's a banger and it also has a super-sweet video courtesy of DJP:



Grab your download here or here.

Until next time, send those promos, press releases and other goodies to blog@nufunk.net

City Breaks: Hamburg, Germany

In a new occasional feature we're taking a look at the NuFunk scene around the world.

Our guide for this funky fresh journey is Lebrosk: a DJ, producer and presenter of 'The Funk Sessions' on Ramp FM. This week he's assisted in his search for international funk-spots by Rhino Soulsystem.

Featured bar: Sommersalon (Spielbudenplatz 26 / Hamburg – St. Pauli)

The “Sommersalon” is Hamburg´s finest adress when it comes to music like Nufunk, Broken Beats and Rare Grooves. In 2010 the club celebrated it´s 8th anniversary which is a long time for a club to exist on the reeperbahn, the heart of hamburg´s red light district.

Residents of the club are Rhino Soulsystem, DJ Sultan Libre and Funktomas (Goodgroove Rec). There´s a monthly Party called “Kiezvisite”, hosted by Rhino Soulsystem. This event allows Rhino to invite DJs from the national and international freestyle and nufunk scene.

DJs that have played there include: Badboe (Denmark), Barrio Katz and Jazz K. Lipa (Resense Records, Agogo Records), Javi Frias (The Teenagers / Spain / Boogaloo & Afrodisia Club), Quincy Jointz (Member of Geriba, Funkweapons U.S. / Citrona Records), Da Wiesel & Frequento (Sunsetsoul, Resense Rec.), Frohlocker (Agogo / Galopp Records), DJ Bavian & Wellbecome (Rust / Copenhagen / Polka-Team) and many more. Upcoming Gigs by Cay Taylan wellknown for his great James Brown remix.

The concept of the club is to take no entrance fee, only drinks have to be bough. You´ll get great Cocktails and hamburg´s famous beer called “Astra”.

As a dj you´ll enjoy a very funky bunch of people on the dancefloor.. openminded and interested in the music they hear.

NuFunk artists and DJs playing in Hamburg at the moment....

Quincy Jointz

 Barrio Katz / Jazz K. Lipa

Basement Freaks

Jayl Funk

Ed Royal

The Funkanomics

Funktomas

Mick & Mark (Big M Bootie)

Renegades of Jazz

Frohlocker

Florian Keller

Check out these labels from Germany!

Mocambo

Melting Pot Music

Roca Records

Manmade Records

Keep an eye on our Events board for the latest updates on the world-wide funk scene and if you'd like your city to be featured, drop us a line: blog@nufunk.net

Next time Lebroks is taking us to Aukland, NZ!

What's That Sound? Lulu

Just a quick column this week, sharing a discovery I've only just made but that may well be OLD news to the rest of the world.

Remember Lulu? The one your mum liked? Yeah, that's her!

Well, what does she have in common with Norman Cook? More than you'd imagine.

I'll let the videos do the talking.

Lulu - Love Loves To Love


Fatboy Slim - Santa Cruz


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

Make It Funky: Remix Chicken Lips

Legendary UK producer Chicken Lips is offering his track 'Sweet Cow' for remix - with the winning entry going for sale alongside the original on the DJHistory download store.

Have a listen to the original on the YouTube vid below and get hold of the download parts here.

Read more about the competition and how to enter over at the DJHistory blog.

Nick Thayer Interview And Exclusive Free Track For NuFunk.net Members ONLY!

The ‘hardest working man in showbusiness’ cliché gets thrown around a lot, but Australia’s Mr Dynamite, Nick Thayer must be at least in the top three. With a globe-trotting DJ schedule, releases on Passenger, Bombstrikes, Insane Bangers and more, as well as a raft of remix work, it’s surprising that Nick has time to catch his breath. Despite all this, he took time to talk to NuFunk.net and offer our lucky readers a cheeky exclusive into the bargain.

How did your relationship with music begin? What music did you listen to growing up?

 

I was fortunate to grow up in a very musical household. My parents listened to everything. Two albums I remember listening to a great deal when I was young are Paul Simon's 'Graceland' and also Talk Talk.

 

There was lots of classical music too, and I learnt piano and then violin from a very young age. The first album I ever bought myself was Queen's Greatest Hits. I still love all of these.

 

And when/how did you start DJing? And producing?

 

I started DJing when a mate of mine asked me to play at his birthday party. I had been collecting records for a little while, but didn't really know how to DJ. I borrowed some decks in the morning, figured out what was going on in the afternoon, and played the party that night. I'm sure it wasn't the smoothest gig in the world, but I loved it. I started producing pretty soon after that. I would buy some records and think 'man, I can make this'. Turns out that, like most things, it's harder than it seems.

 

What do you look for in the records you play, is there a ‘Nick Thayer sound’?

 

The two things I really look for are great ideas and great production. For me, essentially anything that ticks those two boxes will get plays.

 

Tell us about your album, ‘Just Let It Go’.

 

It took a hell of a long time to get together, and went through so many revisions and versions. The bottom line is that it is a club album. The tunes are club tunes. I was stoked to be able to include guests like Black Noise, Mike & Lex from Wizard Sleeve, N'FA, Sporty O and of course Sway on there too.

 

I'm really proud of the album as it makes a clear statement about where I've come from musically, where I'm at now, and where I'm heading.

 

Have you got any forthcoming releases on the horizon that we should keep an ear out for?

 

Aside from the album there will be another EP too, and also I've done remixes for HeavyFeet, Yolanda Be Cool & DCup, Adam Tensta, and Fort Knox 5.

 

I've been in the studio with DJ Yoda and HeavyFeet whilst I was over in the UK recently so those things will no doubt see the light of day soon enough.

 

Which bands/DJs/producers do you enjoy the most?

 

I love bands like Elbow, and Muse. I can't stop listening to Jay Z at the moment. Swizz Beats' production always kills it.

 

In terms of DJs I always love Andy C, A Skillz, Smalltown DJs, and Mark Ronson.

 

Some people talk down about bootleg breaks, saying ‘we need originality to push the scene forward’ but it seems like everyone still wants to play big bootleg records – what’s your take on this debate?

 

A tough question, and one I have to answer carefully. As a DJ, I am always going to reach for the record that is going to have the greatest impact on the dancefloor. If this means playing a bootleg instead of an original that is what I'm going to do.

 

It seems that in this scene that has been branded 'nu-funk', that is nearly always the case, whereas it is not so in other styles. For instance my biggest drum and bass record at the moment is probably the Sub Focus remix of Rusko. For club music things like Will Bailey and Punk Rolla's 'Kata', or the HeavyFeet stuff and Black Noise always kills it just as much as any bootleg.

 

Why is this so? Perhaps it is because the majority of original 'nu-funk' records try and emulate the original funk groups, and that brings you back to the initial question: "Why would I play a track of someone pretending to sound like James Brown instead of a James Brown track?"

 

I think in order for the scene to move forward there needs to be producers pushing new sounds. Guys like J-Roc and Audit are doing this. Really bringing sounds and production techniques from other genres and applying them to what they're doing here.

 

Obviously you need look no further than A Skillz for someone who transcends the scene by doing just that.

 

How do you feel about new developments in production and DJ technology – Ableton, digital vinyl etc?

 

Anything that enables people to take DJing a step further is a great thing. I have been using Serato for a few years now, and it has totally changed the way I DJ. Having every part of every tune at my fingertips is such an amazing thing.

 

It is also the backbone of our DJ vs AV live show too. I think if you're using these programs you need to be spending a good chunk of time finding out just how powerful they can be.

 

And can you reveal a killer production tip to our readers?

 

Always make your drums work WITH the groove. To make a record that sounds great and moves properly, all the parts need to be working together. Don't just put kicks and snares in randomly, or in a pre-determined pattern. Make sure they work with the bassline and the melody parts.

 

The drums and the bass are generally going to be the most important part of any track you're making, so take the time to make them sound tight.

 

Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?

 

I'm a big advocate of responsible consumerism. Find out where your food and your clothes and all your other shit comes from, and decide whether you want to be supporting those practices and companies.

 

What do you think about animal testing? Do you know if your shampoo is from a company that tests on animals? What about sustainable agriculture? Do you go for the cheap mass produced food or spend that bit extra for something grown in a sustainable manner?

 

I'm not saying 'do this' or 'do that'. I'm saying BE AWARE of the things you are saying and supporting with your lifestyle.

 

Some quick-fire questions to finish with:

What’s the last tune/album/podcast you put on your MP3 player?

 

Peter Gabriel 'Scratch My Back'

 

What is your proudest achievement in life?

 

Hitting a royal flush in our weekly poker game and actually getting paid off (three other people went all in).

 

And your biggest regret?

 

Not buying all three Banksy prints that the store had when I bought my first one (for a grand total of £95).

 

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

 

The site is very cool. Perhaps you could have an airhorn button though? That way I can play lead airhorn along with whatever jams are up there.

 

And finally, can you tell us about the exclusive free track/mix that you are offering our readers?

 

This is a jam I did a little while back. It has been siting on my computer for a while now and doesn't really fit in with anything I'm doing at the moment, so this seems like the perfect place to give it out. There are no samples in there (apart from the vocal bits which are from an old Western I think).

 

The horns are real horn stabs from a sample pack put into a sampler.

 

And whoop, here it is: Nick Thayer's 'I Can't Take It'. To get your hands on this awesome tune, 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.
 
Nick Thayer - I Can t Take It by NuFunk.net
 
You can preview Nick's album 'Just Let It Go', below, buy it on Junodownload and check out a host of other releases by him here.