Funky/London/UK House
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I'm not sure why the radio set itself isn't "the standalone creation" (produced in collaboration like so much great art).
It's only a problem if you're thinking of great music in terms of "greatest 12 inches of the year".
But then I guess my perspective on this is coloured by the fact that 99% of my hardcore/jungle/2-step/grime listening is via DJ mixes and radio sets - none of this music has ever been about discrete releases considered in isolation for me.
At any rate funky has been like this since day dot, so in and of itself this tendency is not evidence of some kind of "plateau" except in terms of commercial crossover.
I mean hypothetically you could swing it the other way and say "well Night Slugs material by and large is not nearly as good as proper funky because it doesn't really facilitate MCs."
And people would correctly say "that's a ridiculous argument, you're importing a standard that doesn't apply to the music in question."
The key is to work backwards from the effect and the experience of the music: ""This blows me away" > "Why/How does it do that?" > "What are the contexts in which this effect occurs?" > "How do I therefore define the barometers that measure its success?".
Rather than starting by insisting on a particular barometer and then using that to disregard or (at best) downgrade the actual experience of the music.
I think it goes without saying that funky's effectiveness is difficult to capture by most traditional critical measures of quality - but this is a problem for those measures (to the extent that we seek to apply them to funky, not in general) rather than a problem for the music. And it's hardly something that's unique to funky either: the tendency of music to deviate from previously accepted measures of its quality is part and parcel of the history of popular music.
If you listen to all the purportedly great funky radio sets and they still don't blow you away, well, that's a different issue: I'd disagree with you of course, but I would consider that you were approaching the music critically in a manner that is appropriate to the music.
And people would correctly say "that's a ridiculous argument, you're importing a standard that doesn't apply to the music in question."
The key is to work backwards from the effect and the experience of the music: ""This blows me away" > "Why/How does it do that?" > "What are the contexts in which this effect occurs?" > "How do I therefore define the barometers that measure its success?".
Rather than starting by insisting on a particular barometer and then using that to disregard or (at best) downgrade the actual experience of the music.
I think it goes without saying that funky's effectiveness is difficult to capture by most traditional critical measures of quality - but this is a problem for those measures (to the extent that we seek to apply them to funky, not in general) rather than a problem for the music. And it's hardly something that's unique to funky either: the tendency of music to deviate from previously accepted measures of its quality is part and parcel of the history of popular music.
If you listen to all the purportedly great funky radio sets and they still don't blow you away, well, that's a different issue: I'd disagree with you of course, but I would consider that you were approaching the music critically in a manner that is appropriate to the music.
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
"yo it's back to the future if you're locked in on computer" lol
Ha ha, big up yer chest for putting that up on youtube.
Tim's right you know, you simply can't capture something like this on a 12".
"yo it's back to the future if you're locked in on computer" lol
this was my favourite part of the show. who produced it? i know it's just a synthline but it's quite the little earworm.
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
I've a feeling G smalls produced it using the name B2DF (Back to da future). There's a few of their own tunes on the set, including that one they do the 'get down' game over...I think.
Btw, you can buy the DJ Naughty and Undisputed remixes of DJ Mystery's Speechless on Juno now: http://www.junodownload.com/products/the-remixes/1648254-02/
Btw, you can buy the DJ Naughty and Undisputed remixes of DJ Mystery's Speechless on Juno now: http://www.junodownload.com/products/the-remixes/1648254-02/
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FairiesWearBoots
Well-known member
Ha ha, big up yer chest for putting that up on youtube.
Tim's right you know, you simply can't capture something like this on a 12".
yeah this bit was wicked. "he gets the wheelups, i get double-d cups and feel-ups" hahaha
i'm gonna admit my own stupidity and confess that i don't quite get how to play the get down game
Thing is, it was funky productions that originally blew me away, Apple, Crazy Cousins Do You Mind remix etc etc. And while i love sets too, it's unsound reasoning to throw this away these barometers of success now they feel like they're becoming less successful.
All nuum genres have a three-way power dynamic between the DJs,vocalists/ MCs and producers... grime came about when the balance was re-negotated between the MCs and the producer/DJs in one strand of garage.
So while i accept your point that sets are a vital barometer (if you think i havent been listening this year you're nuts...) i dont know where it got decided that the single and only measure of funky's success was DJ sets at the exclusion of all others. Yes they're important but i dont accept that you shouldn't also hold the producers to account for their productions in their own right.
Perhaps you should ask actual funky producers about this lol... you might get some primary sources to contrast with your theory...
So not my point but apparently you're more interested in being right than having a sensible discussion.
It's not about prioritising DJs or deprioritising producers, it's about talking about how and why the music works. If music works in any fashion, that's credit to the producers. Do you think most producers don't want their tunes to be picked up by DJs?
It's not about prioritising DJs or deprioritising producers, it's about talking about how and why the music works. If music works in any fashion, that's credit to the producers. Do you think most producers don't want their tunes to be picked up by DJs?
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
@Blackdown : Its funny that you mention Apple as one of the producers that originally blew you away, while at the same time slagging most of funky off for being too tracky. All of Apples tracks are pretty much one sequence going round and round for 5 minutes. So whats the difference between that and some of the trackier stuff thats about now? You're hardly gonna sit down and listen to Mr Bean all the way through in isolation, but its still a great track and you can say the same about a lot of producers nowadays: LR Groove, Greyman, Devine Recordings etc.
Basically you're just talking in circles.
Basically you're just talking in circles.
Benny Bunter
Well-known member
that was my first thought too, but Luka was on here saying he doubted it cause Krispy is Mauritian. He's like the more affable version of D Double or something.
