A spanking NuFunk label dropped their debut release today, serving up a merry treat for the funk faithful - Boogie Boutique Volume 1. It's the first release from Boogie Boutique Records - branding themselves a funky fresh label bringing the best NuFunk music to DJs, artists and party people everywhere with an appetite for phat, feel-good, funk fuelled sounds!
And with artists such as Badboe, Nick Fonkynson, CMC & Silenta, Kid Stretch, the Breakbeat Junkie, Hayz, Chris Awesome, Funk Ferret, Rory Hoy & Totalcult all delivering party bombs for this super-funk fest compilation, it's no wonder DJs in NuFunk-land are licking their lips! Yule not want to miss this! Buy it exclusively from JunoDownload NOW!
After nearly 30 releases under their belt, Ireland's Bulabeats dropped an early Christmas goodie bag this week - their album entitled It's Bulabeats So It Is - released on Monday! It's packed with exclusive jams from the likes of Aussie Hip-Hopper Matty Blades, Dublin's Ragga Funksters - The Dirty Dubsters, the talented Rory Hoy, beat bandit Kool Hertz, the one and only DJ Obese and of course the man himself - Johnny Pluse. Expect the usual party madness and Bag it HERE!
After a week’s sabbatical, we’re back with a vengeance, and a crate full of serious funk for your trunk, with blazing joints from WARA, Hint, the Manmade crew, Badboe, Funk Burners and Rory Hoy.
WARA – Get Your Woman On The Floor EP
Three big tracks on Rebel Scream first, on this party-friendly release from WARA that’s already getting big support from Lebrosk, Kid Stretch and Jayl Funk.
The title track is where the serious gold is on this release - blending buzzing bass with disco groove and even a couple of Coolio snippets.
‘Banger Again’ takes a smooth flute sample and adds head-nodding hip-hop vibes. The Stakka Bo sample may be a touch too cheesy for some dancefloors though. ‘Unbelievable Banger’ takes the EMF classic and gives it a few subtle tweaks – not my thang, but if the crowd was in the mood, they’d love this one.
Genre-defying beats from Tru Thoughts now, on an EP which opens with ‘Give It Up’ – an 80’s-influenced synth funk track with mad party vibes. Vocals come courtesy of Josie Stingray and 1-O.A.K, making this a wicked party starting tune.
‘Pretty Stable’ and ‘Gallop Track’ also feature lush synth sounds, but stray into peak-time ‘Crack House’ territory, with skittering beats and enough bouncy baselines to turn heads as you cruise past in your Vauxhall Nova.
The EP is out on August 30th from the Tru Thoughts shop, but in the meantime you can preview below.
The Feature Funk series is a kind of quality guarantee, in a scene where it’s sometimes hard to find the nuggets amid a sea of dodgy edits and boots and this ninth release in the series is no exception.
The EP opens in fine style with ‘Chainsaw Massacre’ by CMC & Silenta, a track which effortlessly blends what feels like dozens of different tracks into a single, dancefloor-devastating, raga-funk-soul-hop mash. If music was drugs, this would be a crack bong – INTENSE!
Moodbase is next up, with ‘Put Your Hands Up’, injecting a heavy Deep Purple riff (yes, that riff!) with growling bass and hype hip-hop vocals. Anthemic booty business.
Telephunken goes back, waaaaay back, with ‘Really Sayin’ Something’ and ‘It’s a Beautiful Day’ – both of which take crusty soul classics and update them for a modern dancefloor.
‘Hit The Road’ by Tom Drummond hits hard with crisp breaks and booming bass laced under the unmistakable Ray Charles anthem. Tom adds acidic bass tweaks and vocal scratches, to create some incredible party fodder.
Amazing stuff. Listen below to ‘Chainsaw Massacre’ and keep an eye on their Juno page for the release.
Badboe is back in the house with some crazy party fire on Bomb Strikes. ‘Shine Like a Halo’ is a thumping hip-hop banger that gives Dusty Springfield’s ‘Son Of A Preacher Man’ a new twist.
‘Masterpiece’ on the flip keeps the vibes going with Jurassic 5 flows over lowdown dirty bass.
Funk Burners – Electric In The Streets/Whatchya Got
Tough funk breaks and old skool electro vibes meet disco-hop groove on this 12” from new imprint Funk Burners.
‘Electric In The Streets’ takes Eddy Grant’s ‘Electric Avenue’ on a spin through funky town, with hard machine drums, electro bass and retro stabs.
‘Whatchya Got’ is a flowing funky disco joint with some wicked little touches of Q-Tip lyrics to add some bounce. With a couple of lush filtered breakdowns and an infectious groove, this is a seriously booty-shaking track.
Listen and buy below.
Rory Hoy – Baby Likes It Fat
Rory Hoy is on fire this year, and this album on Freddy Fresh’s Howlin’ label shows we’ve barely scratched the surface of his talents.
Ranging from hip-hop to breaks, bigbeat, house, chillout and even full-on 60s Northern Soul – this album combines musicality and pop sensibilities without compromising on underground credibility or danceability. No mean feat.
Highlights include the acid bigbeat madness of ‘On The Floor 1,2,3’ and the raw funk of ‘D Sez Yeah’ and the slow-mo disco flavours of ‘Nightflight’.
Really though, every track on this release is a blinder in its own right. Preview below and buy on Juno.
Producer RORY HOY is only 22, yet has already been snapped up by Skint Records and Freddy Fresh’s Howlin’ label. And with an award winning film to his name, he’s certainly producing the goods with his raw creative talent. Here he speaks candidly to NuFunk.net, revealing what’s next on his musical agenda and how being autistic gives him an artistic edge…
Tell us about your background, where you’re from and how you got into Nu Funk?
My parents have been professional musicians since the 1970s - my dad even has a gold record of one of his albums. The first record I ever bought was Boom, Shake the Room by Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince back in 1993, but I didn’t get into music seriously until about 1998 - during the heyday of the Big Beat scene.
I first heard about the Nu-Funk Scene around 2006, which was when I first started to produce music and thought it was an interesting new scene, especially as I dig all the Old School Funk like James Brown, George Clinton and of course being a fan of anything with a good Breakbeat.
Do you DJ as well as produce? If so, where can we see you perform this year?
Yes, I DJ now and again in my local area. I have a couple of notable gigs this year. The first gig is at a charity show in Harrogate called H-Bomb Rocks Fashion, where I will be mixing surrounded by beautiful fashion models. It’s at a famous venue called The Royal Hall, which used to stage all the famous 60s and 70s groups, including one of my favourite groups - The Beatles. The other gig is for a festival in my hometown of Knaresborough called FEVA – all on good ol’ vinyl of course!
If anyone is interested in booking me – expect an eclectic night of Big Beat, Breaks, House, Electro, Disco, Golden Age Hip-Hop, Soul, Old School Funk, 60s Rock, Dubstep, Drum & Bass and of course . . . Nu Funk!
Tell us about the labels you’re involved with and plans/releases for the future?
I’ve had two albums on Freddy Fresh’s Howlin’ Records label (USA). My first album - Cosmic Child (2008) was Chillout and Downtempo and the second album - Standing On Dust (2009) was more Nu Funk & Funky Breaks. My next album - Baby Likes It Phat is also on Howlin’ Records and is nearly complete. It’s a diverse album, showing all the different sides to my production and features singers, rappers and musicians, as opposed to just vocal samples like most of my other work.
I have three EPs planned with French Nu Funk legend DJ Prosper, which are sounding really good. The first is a booty of T-Rex, which is out very soon. I also have an EP with American rapper – The Conductor Crucified - called The Time Refinery, which is in productiion. I also have a solo EP with BigM in the works, too.
I’ve had various remixes including Dan Le Sac VS Scroobius Pip, Boomjuice, RamSkank, Marc Hype & Jim Dunloop, Mick & Marc and Phantom Lord - all released on various labels. I’ve been a busy boy!
What was it like working with Freddy Fresh and being signed to SKINT UNDER 5s?
Freddy Fresh is a really nice chap. He was the one who discovered me back in 2007 when I first set up my MySpace account. The demos I sent him originally resulted in my debut album. It's done well, especially in America, where it's been played on various airlines over there and was picked up by the Muzak Corporation for background music. The success of that album resulted in my first Nu Funk orientated album - Standing On Dust. Various tracks from this have been played on BBC Radio, and other stations across the USA and Europe. One track was even included in Craig Charles’ Funk & Soul Show in the Best Tracks Of 2009!
The Under 5s release came about in July 2009. I sent in my demo and it was swiftly accepted with the contract being signed in September. I’m very proud to have a release on this label, as I grew up listening to Skint label artists such as Midfield General, Bentley Rhythm Ace, Cut La Roc and of course Fatboy Slim. I’ve also produced a Big Beat remix for Dubstep artist Linton Brown on the Skint label that should be ready in August this year.
Who should we be keeping an eye on in the Nu Funk scene this year and who are your favourite upper coming Producers?
I don’t usually mention names, but I would have to say RamSkank from the BigM label. He is a London guy and his first album should be ready very soon. He brings out a similar happy sunshine vibe that Mint Royale showed 10 years ago.
What is your proudest achievement in life?
One has to be being part of this whole scene - especially working with people like Freddy Fresh and Skint Records. I’m also really proud of a film I produced 4 years ago called Autism & Me. It’s a documentary I made on what it’s like to have Autism on a day-to-day basis. It won a number of awards, including one from Guy Ritchie and because of this there’s always great interest in me and my music. I appeared on the NBC Today Show in America, various BBC, ITV and SKY channels. I also go into schools and organisations to show my film and talk about autism. I get e-mails and messages from all over the world – some from celebrities congratulating me on my achievements, and others from grateful families with autistic children. I even had a message from one mother from America said that having watched my film, she felt she knew her son for the first time. Pretty Awesome!
Is it true you are autistic and does this have a positive effect on your music production? Are there any drawbacks?
Yes, I do have Autism and yes I think it’s had a positive effect on my music production. It ‘s said that music has a positive effect to children on the autistic spectrum, especially music with high repetition - perhaps that’s why I love Big Beat so much! I also work extremely quickly and find that, during my creative spells, I can produce endless tracks.
If you had to summarise in ONE word how Nu Funk makes you feel at its best, what would that word be?
Funky. Pretty obvious innit?
And the Nu Funk scene in Yorkshire – is there one?
To be honest, I don’t think there are too many places that have picked up on it yet, but in Leeds it’s finally getting there. There are traditional Funk & Soul nights everywhere. I think the Nu Funk vibe is finally starting to get noticed oop north!
What are your biggest influences when it comes to making music?
Who would you most like to collaborate with in the future?
I’ve already produced a track with one of my heroes - Freddy Fresh. I’m not sure when the tune will be released, but I’m confident it will rock the crowd. It would be great to do a collab or remix with Norman Cook. For different reasons, I would have to say Duffy!. She’s got that lovely sensuous and somewhat unusual baby voice, which I really dig.
Can you reveal a killer production tip for our NuFunk.net members?
If the track you produce puts a huge smile on your face and you can groove to it, you have a winner! We all have our own style - don’t think there’s any one tip I can give.
What’s your most cherished piece of equipment in your studio?
My beloved Technics SL1200s. They never let you down and are ultra reliable for DJing and scratching. I’m also very lucky that my parents are musicians, as we have a small recording studio and I have access to numerous guitars, keyboards and equipment.
If we gave you £5000 to spend on one item, what would you buy?
Irn Bru! Seriously, I can’t imagine spending £5000 on one Item.
Tell us something exclusive about Rory Hoy that nobody else knows?
I’ve done a track with DJ Angelo, which is going to be on the third album called Mic Check. It’s a floor-rocking Nu Funk banger. I had a great compliment about my music from Ali Shaheed Muhammed from A Tribe Called Quest, which made me feel very proud.
Some folk in the scene were initially sceptical about the launch of a new Nu Funk site. What are your thoughts about the launch of NuFunk.net and the community?
The great thing about this site is that it’s starting to give the whole Nu Funk scene an identity. I’m very pleased with it and hopefully the scene will reach new heights. You guys have done a great job setting it up and we can all feel part of this community.
And finally, tell us about the free joint you've kindly offered up - exclusively for NuFunk.net members to download?
I wanted to make the world’s happiest Dubstep tune to contrast from the dark and moody stuff that dominates the scene. It’s essentially a mix of Dubstep with Funk, Soul, Reggae and Electronica all competing against each other. It will raise a few eyebrows for sure.
Check the joint on Soundcloud here and please leave a Timed Comment to show your appreciation to Rory ;)
To get your mitts on this exclusive free download, 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 then get on it and stop missing out on all the fun-k HERE
After nearly 30 releases under their belt, Ireland's Bulabeats dropped an early Christmas goodie bag this week - their album entitled It's Bulabeats So It Is - released on Monday! It's packed with exclusive jams from the likes of Aussie Hip-Hopper Matty Blades, Dublin's Ragga Funksters - The Dirty Dubsters, the talented Rory Hoy, beat bandit Kool Hertz, the one and only DJ Obese and of course the man himself - Johnny Pluse. Expect the usual party madness and Bag it HERE!
