What better day than Record Store Day to launch my new GhettoFunk exclusive blog post ‘Jimi Needles Record Store‘. To put it simply, I’m going to be periodically rating and reviewing purchasable music from established, upcoming & underground artists on numerous different scenes, and before you ask, yes, both digital & vinyl releases! I’ll also be throwing in free releases from time to time, and GhettoFunk exclusives too, so keep your darn eyes peeled!

TLC – No Scrub (Drop Out Orchestra Remix)

Label: Homesick || Taken From: Homesick #1 || Genre: Absolute Disco || Release: Vinyl Only via Juno (28 April 2014)

From the guys that bought you that absolutely stunning remix of ‘Get Lucky’ last year (A remix that, to my knowledge, has never officially or unofficially been released) now bring to the disco rework community an absolute ballin edit of the RnB classic ”No Scrub”. It literally sounds like Nile Rodgers produced the track; I’m guessing they were going for that all-so-fashionable disco revival sound, and nailed it. It’s such a good rework it could pass as the original to people who have been locked in some musical time warp for 20 years. Check this… (4/5)

Catch the Drop Out Orchestra LIVE in LONDON at “Cubed” @ The Queen of Hoxton, London, UK on the 5th July.

Trio Valore – Liars & Cheaters

Label: Record Kicks || Listen: ”Crazy”  || Genre: Mod-Funk || Release: Limited 45 Run, Digital Download (28 April 2014)

I love this. I had the pleasure of meeting drummer Steve White (The Style Council, Trio Valore) at a stompin’ Record Kicks 10th Anniversary party in central London back in November last year. The supergroup trio performed a magical hammond-lead cover of ‘Crazy’ by Gnarles Barkley and from that moment I was hooked, and of course, wondered if they’d ever lay this down for the DJs to spin. Luckily they did, and they’ve captured that vibe so well. The flip is a rolling funk number called ‘Liars & Cheaters’ which boasts phatty drum breaks, brass & hammond solos which rounds off the cut rather well indeed. (4/5)

Keep up to date with Trio Valore.

Kitten & The Hip – Hello Kitten

Label: Pedigree Cuts|| Listen: “Shut Up & Dance”  || Genre: Swing Pop || Purchase: iTunes (21st April 2014)

Swingsters Ashley Slater & Miss Quinn are Kitten & The Hip. Formed in 2011, their aim was to bring swing and pop together, and the result is a cheeky, classy, energetic and upbeat debut album! With ”Shut Up & Dance” boasting much success already (it’s my favourite from the album) and a whopping 75,000 plays on

already, they also boast an energetic live show when touring. Listen to the entire album below. (4.5/5)

KATH are playing in BIRMINGHAM. Tonight! For more of their shows have a peep here.

Machette - It’s Right And It’s Ok (EP)

Label: Dred Collective || Listen: “When I Pull Up It’s So Fresh” || Soundcloud: @DredCollective  || Genre: Juke, Footwork, Bass || Purchase: Donations via Bandcamp (Digital Only)

Digging deeper… I’m currently on tour in Estonia at the moment, and the one thing that amazes me about the guys I’m hanging out with here is their knowledge and love of UK musical subcultures, especially the golden era of DnB (circa late 90s, early noughties stuff). What also amazes me is their knowledge of current underground music, stuff that’s right under our noses. Some of you might be familiar with ‘Juke House’ or ‘Footwork’ as it’s usually known, the ‘Dred Collective’ are a label & blog that you simply must start following. Machette‘s music can only be described a colourful, funky and truly individual, and wouldn’t sound too out of place in some funky breaks or even DnB parties. Some of the most interesting sounds I’ve heard this year on my travels for sure. (5/5)

Purchase the EP “It’s Right & It’s Ok” HERE.

Illectrix – Digital Evolution (Free Album)

Label: N/A (Self Release/Free) || Listen: To The Whole Album! || Genre: Future Funk / Glitch || Purchase/Stream: HERE

London’s very own Illectrix has a bright future. After receiving much love on the blogosphere from giants such as EDM & GlitchHop.com, it’s time a shared you guys his debut album. I’m betting my scratch hand (I’m a leftie, for those who don’t know) that in the years to come we will be billing Illectrix as the UK’s very own answer to Kill Paris or Grizmatik. The album spectacles are ‘Give It To Me’, a James Brown vs RHCP megamash with huge beats, bass, filters and sawtooth synth, and ‘The Real Deal’ (below) which is a hyped up lil number, moaning synths and funky shuffles make this the chunkiest party tune on this release. (4/5)

Support Illectrix on Facebook!

Thanks for reading GhettoFunkers! Keep your eyes peeled for future Record Store episodes!

Jimi x

Wick-It the Instigator  springs us with an “all vinyl-no serato no bullshit mix”.. here’s what he has to say:

This is a one take, all vinyl hip hop mix. This is not a studio creation, this is me, two turntables, and a crate of records. My roots are in spinning hip hop on vinyl, scratching, battling, etc…. Very excited to share this everyone.

As he should be.. its brilliant.

Grab your Free download from his soundcloud page

Live Vinyl Mix (One Take. No Laptop. No Serato. No Bullshit) by Wick-it the Instigator

Jump Around by House of Pain gets a remix by Benji Boko to celebrate hitting a million plays on his soundcloud.

Free download!

Jump Around by Benji Boko

Its round up time again and we have some great tracks to showcase here, Addictive Behaviour have a new EP out from L 33 & Detail, the aptly named ‘Godzilla’ by Detail really is a beast of a track, energetic and furious Neurofunk that rips through the cranium with a marauding bassline that sems to represent the movie monster the track is named after!!!! L 33′s ‘Bring Down’ is dark and deep with nice bleepy pads and Hip Hop style vox, 2 tracks to get the crowd going ape!!!!

Virus Syndicate’s new EP features colaborations with various artists including a great half step DnB colab with Maztek, everything from Grime to Trap through to DnB with trademark hard hitting bars from Virus Syndicate

In the run up to a great forthcoming LP of stunning colabs, we get the 2nd in the series of MC Fats Collective EPs ‘We Gotcha Vol 2′, sheer quality is an understatement, its clear the artists involved have pulled out all the stops for an exceptionally good remix package, just wait until you hear the album!!!! Kudos to Mackadena, S.P.Y, A Sides & TC for a set of tracks featuring the vocal talents of the legendary Jungle/DnB MC that will simply blow your mind!!!

https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/we-gotcha-2-ep/id845294303

Classic 90s Jungle/DnB Joker Records is having its back cat remastered and made available for digital download for the first time ever  courtesy of Asbo Audio, the label was set up by bona fide legends Bizzy B & Pugwash to put out big dancefloor anthems and that they did, there are countless gems from this label all of which you can now buy via the Asbo website, theres some free downloads too like this one below, follow the link to download and check out the growing re issued back cat whilst you’re there

The prolific hardcore breaks don, Paul Cronin has just dropped this fresh freebie, pure old skool vibes to get you rockin!!!!

He also has a brand new EP out too, 4 tracks of full on ‘ardcore mayhem proving once again you can’t keep this sound down, hardcore will never die!!!

Slowing things down a bit, we have Taiki Nulight’s bass reworking of the hugely popular Major Lazer tune, plenty of chopped up breaks on this badboy, pretty damn sick!!!!

Darkhalf lays down some deep, mellow 140 beats to soothe your mind, a great taster for his forthcoming EPs on Music Of Life & Stay On Target Records, this is going to go down really well among the 140 Jungle heads and rightly so, this writer hasn’t stopped listening to it since he first heard it!!!!

Bay B Kane’s classic ‘Code K’ LP is getting a reissue soon and in preparation, we get the great 2012 VIP of 92 dark jungle classic ‘Hello Darkness’ for free download, rolling breaks like only Bay B Kane does!!!

From a legend to a talented new producer known as Alex Breako from Greece, ‘Deep Love Pt 2′ is out now on Kode 5 Recordings and is a modern classic in this writer’s opinion, fantastic break edits, a classic 94 Formation/Bassment Recs feel, sweet soaring pads that give away for darker stabs midway building back into a perfect crescendo, this will make the hair stand up on the back of your neck, its that good!!!

And to finish this round up, a great freebie from The Monaco Cruisers that kicks off with lovely layered breaks before kicking into some nice melodic piano and a dreamy drop with vocals from Just Jack, very mid 90s feel to this one, a must have tune!!!!

Bass. 140 & DnB Round Up

System II aka London based Charlie McConville hits us up with a new mix for 2014.  Featuring some of his singles, remixes and favorite tracks within the realms of progressive breaks, psychedelic tech funk and outer space! With driving, dancefloor energy and deep and mystical atmospheres, this will take you on a journey through space, time, and other dimensions…

Tracklist:

1. Bad Tango – Cortex (System 2 Remix) (Free Download)
2. Andy Faze – Dream Frequencies (Kwah Remix) (Rune Recordings)
3. System 2 – Interconnected (VIM Records)
4. Hedflux – Catharsis (Self Released)
5. Chris Voro – Saturday Night Special (System 2 Remix) (VIM Records)
6. Nimbus – Prism (Monk3ylogic Remix) (Liquid Records)
7. System 2 – The Kora (VIM Records)
8. Steve Maccabe & System 2 – Odyssey (Tom Clyde Remix) (Diablo Loco Records)
9. Motna – Left Overs (Ap3x Remix) (Sub Element Recordings)
10. Nanosphere – Baba Tao (Broken Robot Recordings)
11. Tummy Talk – Holodeck (Broken Robot Recordings)

South London Drum n Bass Warrior ,

Chords

Drops a Summer Sizzler

“ High Groove “ Is a 170 bpm Dnb Groover

Out 20th April on Ram Records

Itunes Link : https://itunes.apple.com/gb/album/high-groove-summit-single/id843240724

One of the most exciting young talents to emerge in drum & bass in recent times, within two releases Chords had already secured himself a golden contract with Ram Records. Neither party has looked back since.

With an established trademark for lush, rich textures, melodic twists and that concentrated rushy energy that made us all fall in love with drum & bass in the first place, each Chords production tingles with sonic clarity and electrifying distinction. And none more so than these gems...

Previously featured on Andy C's 'Nightlife 6', 'High Groove' is a game of two halves. Introducing itself as a twinkling soulful roller with glistening arpeggios and honey-coated vocal groans, it quickly explodes into an unruly romp. The bassline buzzes with incessant fire, punching through the mix with each single note hit. As the original star-gazing elements are re-introduced into the mix, it's a perfect blend of contrasts and dynamics.

'Summit' surges with even more breath-taking charm: crisp synths take the lead as the drama unfolds by way of tight steppy drums, dreamy pads and a well bodied bassline that slaps hard. Yet again, Chords has struck another perfect balance between drum & bass's quintessential elements: light and dark, slim and heavy, deep and firing, warm and icy.

Finally, for added digital pleasure, Chords has also provided the cheeky 'Goodbye Groove'. A show-stopping, bass-pumping house version of 'High Groove', he's flipped the vibe so consummately it's impossible to tell which version is the original, and which one is the remix. An awesome shout out to the house crew and a fantastic creative tool if you're looking to switch between styles mid set, this smashes it in every direction.

Proof that his trademark lush, rich textures and concentrated rushy energy transcend all possible genre restrictions and tempo formalities: this is Chords' biggest release to date. We can't wait to hear what he comes up with next.

https://www.facebook.com/chordsmusic

https://twitter.com/_chords

https://soundcloud.com/chordsmusic

I’ve been so busy in the studio these days, that I forgot to publish my March chart before March ended! Not to worry though, it was worth waiting for. Here are 10 top techno tunes really grooving things right now in my books.

1. Frankie Knuckles – The Whistle Song (Original Mix) [Noice Music]

Obviously many artists are paying tribute to the House Music godfather right now, and I definitely wanted to offer my thoughts. I hadn’t heard this tune in years, and then all of a sudden last summer it was played while I sat looking out over the ocean in Ibiza – just the perfect tune in the perfect moment. Thank you for the music, FK always. 

2. Moderat – Bad Kingdom (Marcel Dettman Remix) [50 Weapons]

I am utterly obsessed with this track right now. The severe beats and white noise coupled with soft vocals make it unreal. 

3. Sasha Carassi – Vection (Original Mix) [Bedrock]

Bedrock has been in a darker place recently, and I am a huge fan. Up here is Sasha Carassi with a blippy dark techno tune – great synth stabs and super fun rhythm.

4. Steve Parker – System 22 (Original Mix) [Ovum]

This one is dark and brooding, serious techno business from Steve Parker. Definitely love when the super high electronics-sound comes piercing through!

5. Carlo Lio – Love Nation (Original Mix) [Intec]

I love this one because you can simultaneously sing along with the housey vocal, and rock a nice jackin techno walk. 

6. Matt Sassari – Polyethers (Original Mix) [Comade Music]

Honestly, Matt Sassari is the next man-of-the-moment if you ask me. The dark pulse under the bottom of this tune is sick, creating a really nice texture as the vocal comes in.

7. Red Square – Dark Roast (Dantiez Saunderson & Deep Slice Remix) [Different is Different]

The original by Red Square is a sweet tune, however the remix from Dantiez Saunderson & Deep Slice really does it for me with the wiggly sounding synth line and a snappy snare drum, followed by speaker-smashing darkness.

8. John Norman & Dantiez Saunderson – Stuck In My Mind (P-Ben Remix) [KMS]

This was one of the 3 remixes to come out on my debut release with KMS, after the original, dub mix, and Kevin Saunderson’s curator’s edit. P-Ben adds a great funk on this remix – check it out!

“>Youtube Preview

9. Xell & Howld – Glost (Original Mix) [1605]

There an almost disco-techno feel to this tune. Super fun!

10. Etai Tarazi – All Work No Play (Original Mix) [Transmit]

Also pretty high on my list of up and coming producers right now is Etai Tarazi. The guy is everywhere! No-nonsense dark techno to stomp out.

+++++++

www.johnnormanmusic.com

John Norman Beatport Chart

Perfecto Records are proud to present to you Paul Oakenfold’s 2nd release from his forthcoming album – ‘Trance Mission’ due for release in early Summer and covering ten of his all time favorite records. ‘Toca Me’ was originally a massive hit for him in the late 90′s originally featured on his album ‘Perfecto Fluoro’. This release also comes with a set of tidy remixes including this one from breaks guru Eshericks with a broken, beat, bass, bonanza featured above!

Juice Recordings are consistently releasing the creme de la creme of funked up, bass heavy breakbeat bangers and alongside a slew of original tunes (which you can check here) they have been putting out some serious party club bootlegs and their latest is an uptempo take on the Wild Cherry classic which has been given a stomping beats and bass work over to deliver a serious dance floor mover. Tried and tested.

http://www.juicerecordings.com

https://soundcloud.com/juicerecordingsofficial

https://www.facebook.com/JuiceRecordingsOfficial

Break That Funky Music White Boy – Sticky Bumps, White Boy Awesome & Wes Smith

Really loving the swell of classic tunes making their way into the minds and (digital) crates of producers lately. The latest free download from STANTON WARRIORS flashes back to the mid 90s with their rebounce of the seminal house tune from the MIGHT DUB KATZ. The original was built on a certified disco hit (Cloud One’s “Disco Juice”). The linkage doesn’t stop there though. The Mighty Dub Katz is another alias of FATBOY SLIM and the production is credited to The Pizzaman, another of Mr. Cook’s aliases.

Long story short though, the Warriors double-stack the drums in this edit, “to make people dance.”

++++++++++
Stanton Warriors on SoundCloud | Facebook | Twitter | stantonwarriors.com