RETURN OF THE BOOGIE pt 2

Early 2009 Lock it Down wrote a piece about the return of the boogie in the dubstep scene. Much has happened since then. Joker has become a major player in the scene, playing in front of large crowds and signing a publishing deal with Universal Records. His succes has caused a floodstream of boogie influenced dance music, most commonly know as 'Purple Wow" these days. The other artists we wrote about have taken things into a different direction...

2000F & J.Kamata were always ahead of their time. For one, Joker was greatly influenced by these two Danish producers (and played a key role in their Hyperdub release) as are a great many other people out there. Still, not much is heard from the dynamic duo themselves after their monsterhit "You don't know what love is." Granted: they've made a couple of remixes, which were really good, but didn't quite reach the great heights of their debut 12 inch. The wait for a new, original tune is long. But the future does look promising...

Earlier this year I visited 2000F and J.Kamata in their studio in Copenhagen where they played me some snippets of new material. All tracks were still work in progress, but from what I heard the lads are taking it even deeper into the jazz, boogie and funk registers. Their signature sound was still there, but the tracks sounded even more autonomic and different than anything else they ever made before. Quite an effort for a team who didn't regard musical boundaries as something to acknowledge to begin with. Perhaps the duo just needed a break from the dubstep scene to get back to their own?

Because, as much as they love bassheavy dancefloor music, they seem to draw more and more from their roots. When asked to make a mixtape for a Danish dance event called Raw, they came up with something that is nothing short of stunning: a 9,5 hour (!!) mixtape containing funk, soul, disco, jazz, dubstep, purple wow and everything in between. To listen to the whole thing is a bit of a stretch but worthwhile the effort. The mixes are so solid you sometimes can't tell one track from another and the tracklist is simply amazing : some evergreens, some underground goodies, some dubplates, some new, most old...

Now, take a day off, disconnect the phone, grab your (wo)man and take it from the lounge to the dancefloor. The return of the boogie is here!

Tracklist:

Guy Bonnet & Roland Romanelli - Amour, Emoi... Et Vous (feat. Heidi)
Art Of Noise - Moments In Love
Don Blackman - Since You Been Away So Long
Bernard Wright - Music Is The Key
Ronnie Laws - Tidal Wave
Bobbi Humphrey - San Franscisco Lights
Lonnie Liston Smith - Devika (Goddess)
Idris Muhammed - Loran's Dance
Joe Zawinul - In A Silent Way
Herbie Hancock - Butterfly
Herbie Hancock - Sun Touch
Eddie Henderson - Inside You
Idris Muhammed - Piece Of Mind
Earth, Wind & Fire - Brazilian Rhyme (Interlude) 1
Deodato - Love Island
Eddie Kendricks - Intimate Friends
Bootsy's Rubber Band - I'd Rather Be With You
Anita Baker - Sweet Love
The Isley Brothers - Between the Sheets
Kleer - Intimate Connection
Bernard Wright - Who Do You Love
J.P. Rodgers, Jr. - I Enjoy Making Love (Just Like You Do)
Luther Vandross - The Night I Fell In Love
Patrice Rushen - Remind Me
Zapp & Roger - Computer Love
The S.O.S. Band - High Hopes
Hall & Oates - I Can't Go for That (No Can Do)
Alfreda James & Billy Ray - Back To Love (Remix Club Version)
Yellow Magic Orchestra - Computer Game
Trouble Funk - Trouble Funk Express
Kraftwerk - Metall Auf Metall
Kraftwerk - Trans Europa Express
Cybotron - Clear
George Kranz - Din Daa Daa (Original US Mix)
Kraftwerk - Number
Kraftwerk - Computer World 2
Vangelis & The American Orchestra - Blade Runner Blues
Strafe - Set It Off (Instrumental)
MC Shan - A Mind Is A Terrible Thing To Waste
Rob Base & D.J. E-Z Rock - It Takes Two
Big Daddy Kane - Raw
Connie - Funky Little Beat (Instrumental)
Twillight 22 - Electric Kingdom
Kraftwerk - Musique Non Stop
Paul Hardcastle - King Tut
Zapp II - Dance Floor
Fatback - Is This The Future?
Midnight Express - Danger Zone
D Train - Keep On (Dum Mix)
The Other People Place - It's Your Love
Transllusion - Do You Want To Get Down

Galaxy 2 Galaxy - Journey Of The Dragons
Posatronix - Danz'
UR - Twista (The Dance)
DBX - Squelch
Pepe Bradock - Deep Burnt
Anja Schneider & Sebo K - Rancho Relaxo (Original Mix)
Aril Brikha - A Groove La' Chord
Cube 40 - Bad Computa
Choice - Acid Eiffel (Live by Bugge Wesseltoft)
Digital Mystikz - Neverland
Ramadanman - Offal
Dubbel Dutch - Throwback
Raheem Devaughn - I Don't Care (Mischief Makers Remix)
Ted Esha - 83
Harry Craze - Wa6
Brian Eno - An Ending (Ascent)
Mr. Fingers - Can You Feel It
Bam Bam - Where's Your Child?
Plez - Can't Stop
Tyree - Acid Over
Mike Dunn presents The MD X-Press - God Made Me Phunky (Original Mix)
Tim Driver - Colorama
Paperclip People - Remake U No
Jonny L - This Time (Carl Craig Mix)
Crystal Waters - Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless) (Basement Boy 'Strip To The Bone' Mix)
River Ocean - Love & Happiness (Yemaya y Ochun) (Masters At Work Dub Beats) + Love & Happiness (Yemaya y Ochun) (Maw Remix Keyapella)
Peshay - Vocal Tune
Fusion Forum - Vintage Keys (The Art)
Bizzy B & Pugwash - Just A Little Crew
Immortal Minds - Cosmic Jungle Remix
Deep Blue - Helicopter
Goldie - Inner City Life
DJ Dextrous - Nice 'N' Slow + 313 Bass Mechanics - Pass Out (Acapella)
DJ Slugo - Bitch Give Me Some Pussy
Remote - The Swarm
Silicon - Electorn Push
DJ Zap - I Can Make U
JKamata - Ekstasi
Dave Clarke - Protective Custody
The Prodigy - Weather Experience
Vangelis & The American Orchestra - Blade Runner Main Title
Lil Jon & The East Side Boys feat. Gangsta Boo - Da Blow + Bo Hagon's Phone Call
2000F & JKamata - You Don't Know What Love Is (VIP)
2000F & JKamata - You Don't Know What Love Is (Sukh Knight Remix)
Skream - Filth (Silkie Remix)
Silkie - Step Aside
Skream - If You Know
Von D - Incognito
501 - Everything In Its Place
Phuturistix - Blind Faith
Quest - The Unknown
V.I.V.E.K - Barcelona
Improvistators Dub meets Iration Steppas - Wah Wah (12" Mix)
Digital Mystikz - Thief In The Night
Mala - Lean Forward
Synkro - Just Say
Von D - E Von
Silkie - Test
Kito feat. Reija Lee - LFO
Turboweekend - Something or Nothing (2000F & JKamata Remix VIP)
Low Pressure - Babylon Bigtime (2000F & JKamata Remix Instrumental)
Caspa feat. Uncle Sam - London City (2000F & JKamata Remix)
L-Wiz - Girl From Codein City
Mr. Dé - Superugly (Funk Piano Mix)
Drexciya - Andreaen Sand Dunes
Lilly Allen - Just Be Good To Me (Joker Remix Instrumental)
Sticky - Paccman
Mala - Left Leg Out
Erykah Badu - Next Lifetime
Frank McComb - Twenty Four
2000F & JKamata - Dukkehus
Joker & TC - It Ain't Got A Name
Aztec Mystic A.K.A. DJ Rolando - Jaguar (Original Mix)
The Deacon - Soulsaver
Moreso feat. Filthy Rich & Damon Trueitt - Take My Hand (Industry Standard Mix)
Millennium To Millennium - Timeline
Ramadanman - Mir
Beezy & Kromestar - Say Yes
Alicia Keys - Feeling U, Feeling Me (Mala Remix)
Alicia Keys - Feeling U, Feeling Me (Interlude)
Nabo - Helt
Roy Davis Jr. - Dance With Me
A Tribe Called Quest - Bonita Applebum (UK Radio Edit)
Carly Simon - Why
Madlib feat. M.E.D. - Please Set Me At Ease (Hip Hop Mix)
Sunshine Anderson - Heard It All Before
Dâm-Funk - 10 West
LL Cool J - I Need Love
Nabo - BS Disaster (Bless Edit)
Flying Lotus feat. Andreya Triana - Tea Leaf Dancers
Quest - Smooth Skin
Jill Scott - Slowly Surely (Theo Parrish Remix)
Faze-O - Riding High
Mazarati - Stroke
P-Funk Allstars - Hydraulic Pimp
The O'Jays - Put Our Heads Together
D Train - You're The One For Me
Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam - Let The Beat Him 'Em (The Pop Radio Edit)
Main Source - Looking Out The Front Door
Larry Larr - Confused (The Soul Convention Remake)
Keith Sweat - Keep It Comin'
Earth, Wind & Fire - Brazilian Rhyme (Interlude) 2
Weather Report - River People
Carl Craig - At Les (live in Paris)
Timeline - A Moment
Timeline - Time Sensitive (Los Hermanos Remix)
Flora Purim - Transition/Conversation
Dâm-Funk - The Sky Is Ours
Azymuth - Dear Limmertz Prelude
Robert Glasper feat. Bilal - Chant
Mark Pritchard - ?
Kraftwerk - Spiegelsaal

Download:

https://www.yousendit.com/download/aHlReFlYT2JwTVd4dnc9PQ

RETURN OF OF THE BOOGIE

Last year I wrote about famous dubstep producer Skream hitting it hard and surprising the hell out of his listeners, when he decided to play a disco and boogie set on one of his Rinse FM Stella radio sessions. At the time it seemed like he was the odd one out, a lonely soul with a taste for late 70's/early 80's disco 'n boogie, but the last couple of months the disco sound is resurfacing more and more often. Either in its original form, most notably sported by Danish producer and dj 2000f, or in an updated style: a synth laden kind of dubstep that's been getting a whole lot of support in the scene lately.

Bristol based youngster Joker is one of the key players in the latter category. His sound is created by a whole heap of fat, blazing synthesizers that are literally on, and over the top of everything. What his sound may lack in thick, heavy (wobbling) bass, is more than made up for by such outgoing and, dare I say it, corny melodies and arrangements that truly haven't been heard in this extravagant form since the day the boogie was still legal on the dancefloor. Like disco, the new disco influenced sound proved often to be too extravert for many hardcore dancefloor lovers, but it's also gaining the dubstep scene a bunch of new fans who seem to be taken in by the melody, the more uplifting sound (whereas older dubstep is raw, dark and a bit evil) and the openess of the songs as a whole. A Joker song like "Snake eater" could very well pass as a disco-hit remix: It screams, sighs and invites; it's just over the edge but not too far and it's incredibly sticky. Once heard, it'll remain in your heart and your mind for days on end. Again, like disco, that can both be as annoying as much as it's fun. And that makes it a proper hit.

Taking things even further is Copenhagen based 2000f. Like Joker, this versatile producer is utilizing the heavy synthesizer sound as well, although he tends to mix it down a bit further. 2000f is somewhat of a pioneer in the dubstep scene, he was one of the first outside the UK to pick up on the new sound from south-London, but none could have guessed he would be as far ahead of the times as he recently turned out to be. His epic "You don't know what love is" tune (co-written an co-produced by JkaMata) is due to come out on the Hyperdub label, is setting the world on fire as a dubplate, is eagerly awaited by many, many fans and....is two years old already. With the resurfacing of the synthesizer sound in the dancehalls, the tune, available as dubplate only to a small group of lucky ones, proved to be some kind of missing link and was finally understood for what it really is: ultra funky, proto-dubstep disco. Call it whatever you want, the tune is so good it comes as a surprise to me that no one, not even outside the dubstep scene, was interested in it at the time of birth. Guess it's aquired taste and it needs some maturing? Funilly enough, for all it's popularity and long stretch, the tune now seems to be guarded to the extremes because it is nowhere to be found on the net, accept in a few mixes here and there. Watch out for the proper release and make sure you listen to it by then.

To complement the "new wave of funk," and perhaps encouraged by Skream's Stella disco session, 2000f has unleashed a series of oldie-disco mixes that are a must have for anyone who's into disco, funk, house, proper mixing and good music in general. Three mixes have surfaced so far, but more will undoubtly follow. And if that is the case, I'm praying 2000f includes Donna McGhee's "Do as I do" somewhere. All 10 sighing, whispering, moaning and excellent minutes of it...

Untill then we'll make do with volumes one, two and three of 2000f's excellent Fyraftensboogie series. Download them here:

Part One
Finis Henderson - Skip To My Lou
Jackie McClean - Doctor Jackyll and Mister Funk
Grey and Hanks - You Fooled Me
Patrice Rushen - Number One
Slave - Stellar Fungk
Central Line - You Know You Can Do It
Tom Browne - Funkin' For Jamaica
Don Blackman - Never Miss A Thing
Trouble Funk - Good To Go (instrumental)
Rick James - You Turn Me On
Precinct - Shining Star
Odyssey - Inside Out
Mystic Merlin - Just Can't Give You Up
Syreeta - Can't Shake Your Love
Funkadelic - (Not Just) Knee Deep
Fat Larry's Band - Act Like You Know
D-Train - Keep On
Shirley Lites - Heat You Up (Melt You Down)
Yvonne Gage - Doin' It In A Haunted House

Part Two
Light Of The World - London Town
AM-FM - You Are The One (Instrumental)
AM-FM - You Are The One
Junior - Mama Used To Say (American Remix)
World Premiere - Share The Night (Club Mix)
Edwin Birdsong - Son Of A Rapper Dapper Snapper (Dub Mix)
The Dazz Band - Single Girls (B-Beats)
Ex Tras - Haven't Been Funked Enough (Ex Tras Special Version)
Savana - I Can't Turn Away
Conversion - I Can't Stop Dancin' (Dance Version)
Ohio Players - Fast Track
Inner Life - Let's Change It Up (Extended Version)
Brooklyn Express - (Spank) Sixtynine
Al Hudson & The Soul Partners - Spread Love
Johnny Hammond - Los Conquistadores Chocolatés
Al Johnson - I Got My Second Wind
George McCrae - I Get Lifted

Part Three
Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness (live at the Rainbow Theatre in London, England)
Don Blackman - Holding You, Loving You
Eddie Kendricks - Intimate Friends
Con Funk Shun - How Long
Aleem feat. Leroy Burgess - Think
RAH Band - Cloud Across The Moon
S.O.S. Band - Just Be Good To Me
Kinkina - Jungle Fever
S.O.S. Band - High Hopes
T-Connection - Saturday Night
Kongas - Anikana-O
Jeanette 'Lady' Day - Come Let Me Love You (Instrumental)
Trouble Funk - Trouble Funk Express
B B & Q - Riccochet (Club Mix)

FUNKY DISCO DUBSTEP?

Now this is what we like, here at Lock it Down! Regular readers may have noticed we cover a wide area of music, from dubstep to soul via latin with a de-route through reggae: if it's about good vibes, we'll write about it. Luckily for us, there are kindred spirits out there with an equal broad taste in music. That said, it's the godshonest truth that the podcast that started this whole post even surprised the hell out of Lock it Down! Why? Well...picture a dubstep mogul mixing disco funk and disco funk only on a dubstep radioshow...Funny picture isn't it?

Past that, the mighty Skream really managed to unite the best of both worlds: his excellent mixing techniques makes this funky set a true pleasure to listen to. Combine that with the occasional "pull up," a jamaican dancehall scene gimmick, and the picture is complete: this is Lock it Down style podcasting, this is what we like to see.

What makes the mix extra fun are Skream's constant defense offerings: "...this is what I like; this is personal; I love this track; this one's got big bass!"

Nice, really nice!

Listen to Skream's "long awai'ed funk set" here

Big up and props to Rinse FM for airing this.