FUNKSTYLE - Funk Reviews

Keno I & The Hermit – Heavy Heavy / The Hardest Rain – Breakin Bread

Released 26 May

Breakin Bread continue to push their brand of dirty breakbeatin funk and hip hop. The label is currently working hard on developin some straight up hip hop for release on 122 later in 2003 but continue to bring the funk on this latest 7"release.

This time they welcome two extra producers into the stable Keno I and the Hermit have previously released records for their own label Museum under the names of Natural Self and Nostalgia 77 on Tru Thoughts.

Keno I has always had a focus on drums and to prove this just ask Big Daddy magazine (now Grand Slam) who described some of his earlier work as Heavy Bronx. Does this mae it hip hop or Funk or Latin. Who knows but he has been described as making hip hop music that bridges both the melancholic and the transcendental. Wow!

The Hermit also has a focus on funk and drums but he is also influenced by jazz melodies and the atmosphere of psyche. Having DJ'd for a number of years he has always planned to make music and he has certainly brought a jazz tinge to Tru thoughts 7"'s. The hermit is committed to pursuing his vision and constantly upping his game, Does he get there with these tracks?

On Breakin Bread the 2 producers combine forces to give you 2 tracks for the dancefloor and for all those beat heads out there. The boys give you a heavy funk with a hip hop edge. Perfect for Breakin Bread's musical combination.

A side – Heavy Heavy

The boys kick off with a nice crowd mover. Heavy Heavy lives up to it's name as it builds through hard beats, hectic drum rolls and one of the baddest bass lines ever. When deciding whether to relase this the Breakin Bread crew droped this intosome of their sets and the reaction was always the same. Whther they were B Boys Students or trendy bar crowd nobody could resist losing the plot on this one. The Breakin Bread crew were convinced.........try it for yourselves.

Bboy side – The Hardest Rain

We're not sure what to label this as. Hip Hop Ska? Big Band Beats? Smokers Breakbeat? Forget it, it's just a dope tune that will keep em going on the dance floor (even right at the end of the night). From the horn stab intro you know the tune is going to take you for a ride and when the beat kicks inyour feet will start moving, it then goes into a bit of a reggae tinge! The breakdown makes you wonder where you are, what you're doing........then the beat kicks backin and you'll find yourself again. Pure Dopeness!

More info contact skeg@breakinbread.freeserve.co.uk

 

Color Climax - Batidas Latinas / Crabwalk - Breakin Bread BNB)1o

The Press release states :-

A side - Showing that the guys dig their Latin styles too, this track takes a foray into South America. Starting off with a deep bass groove, the drums soon kick in and how! When the vocals first drop you'll know you are in for something a little different and this track certainly takes you on a trip through build ups, breakdowns and a fantastic drum break. This is destined to rock a whole heap of dancefloors from leftfield jazz clubs to swanky bars to the more open minded hip hop clubs.

B side - The flipside is destined to become a classic at the Breakin Bread Club night. Keeping some of the elements from the a side, Color Climax have created a pure B-Boy track. Make sure you come down to the club and see the excitement in the circles that the track creates. The drums have been completely "roughened up" and there are enough drum breaks for a full blown b-boy battle. Layers of instrumentation come and go throughout this funk epic and the familiar sound of the CC Hammond makes a few reassuring appearances. Start practising your uprocking now......

Well there isn't an awful lot I can add to that. So often Press Releases don't tell it like it is, this one does and then some. The record exceeds the hype!

 

Make it good to me - Sharon Jones & Dap-kings - Daptone

Superb - this track is stunning, slow, soulful and deep, sounding as if it was recorded 30 years ago but cut this century and written produced and arranged by Bosco Mann. This will appeal to lovers of any genre because of it's quality. Not so out and out funky that you associate with the label. Thanks to Kym for providing this and the next few tracks. Backed with Casella Walk by the Dap-kings ft Bosco Mann.

Take it as it come (parts 1 &2)- Charles Bradley & Sugarman & Co.- Daptone

Out and out funk written by Neal Sugarman and Bosco Mann. The hard hitting (almost) instrumental is the side that does it for me.

Got to be the way it is - Sharon Jones & Dap-kings - Daptone

Back to a funky groove for Sharon who surely has got to be one of the finds of the year... and she's coming to the UK soon. Prominent beat with Sharon in control over the top, then the organ kicks in. One of those persistent grooves that you can see going on and on live, moving in and out, bringing the vocals in then the instruments and giving it large.

 

Promised Land - Naomi Davis/Sugarman & Co- Daptone

Similar - ish to the above but with the sax taking the lead in the instrumentation. Moves along at a pace but just a bit weaker than the above cuts. Some nice guitar on the instrumental.

Soul Pop b/w Countdown to Soul - Mauri Bailey - Soulfire

Fun funk inna dance craze stylee! Spoken vocals over persistent funky beat. Organ led instrumental

Get it - Herb Johnson Settlement - Soulfire

New cut from Herb Johnson from Philadelphia, solid uptempo beat allowing the main main to virtually freestyle it.

Quienes Que Resolverlo / Chum's Pimpage Bronx River Parkway - Latin Express

Top Stuff indeed - Latin Vibes and funky beats - good timing from New York City, bit of Joe Bataan in there. Flip is altogether moodier, slower and more percussive.

 

Dennis Rollins Badbone & Co - Badbone - Raestar Records

This is a magnificent slab of hardhitting freestyle funk. An excellent and enjoyable album all the way through evoking memories of funky paartying. Kind of a retro feel but not in a bad way because it's a now album.

'Shake it down' is a funky party groove, an uplifting and feel good cut, as is 'The funky Funk' bringing in the funk chants. 'Payback' is a bit more freestyle. 'Where it's at' is very Fred Wesley and 'mellow fellow' brings it down.

'Wild and Free' is the first cut with any vocals and fine it is too. 'The Badbone theme' brings back the good time funk. 'Red Cent' for me is a killer, melodic, hypnotic harmonies over a mellow trombone, one of those smooth but funky cuts that just takes you up. 'Can it be done' closes in a mellow jazz style.

A truly excellent, well put together album and I wish it well.

Website is at www.dennisrollins.com

 

Sharon Jones & the Dapkings - "Got a thing on my mind" pt. 1 & 2:

when sharon jones says she's got a thing on her mind, you had best damn well listen. it's hard to imagine that any voice could possibly emanate such raw, sweet, soulful & rough around the edges style all at once but sharon has this trick well mastered. the lyrics are liberating enough alone but with the dapkings laying down the fastest, most furious hard hitting drums & buttery basslines in the background, it's no wonder you'll be panting for breath & greedily beggin' for more after only the first few measures. the dapkings masterfully funky horns show their true presence on the instrumental b-side. as the debut single on the funkiest brooklyn based label, i must sincerely proclaim that this is the best funk 45 i've heard all year!

 Review by Kym aka Fuzzbeat - see her on Galactic Fracures

 

What am I gonna do/ Need Somebody - Akwaaba People - Deep Funk -

This is a magnificent new release. I actually dropped this at Soul Supreme last week amongst Northern Soul and it went down very well, almost unnoticed. In other words it's midtempo groove and soulful falsetto vocals is not out and out funk, but more embracing with a bit of Latin in there as well.

The second side is slower with the falsetto more to the front.

Phenomenal release . One of the best releases if not the best of the year.

 

She took my love - Color Climax ft Gabe/ Swings and roundabouts - Rob Life - Breakin' Bread

From the Breakin Bread Collective this excellent double header. Color Climax has a throbbing hard beat with a lilting Hammond over (or under!) the beat and featuring Gabe on vocals. A dancefoor stormer for sure.

Personally though it's the other side. This is altogether moodier and funkier (and slower) with a 'Rock the House' sample. This is minimalist deep funk with a helluva lot going on.

 

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