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!!!!!
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:
