Grievous Angel

Beast of Burden
oh yeah - is that an actual Funky version of 'Ice Rink'...like Wiley 'Ice Rink'?
Yeah, the Riko vocal one, done UK Funky style at 128. Backing is like Roska doing techno (well, that's what I think anyway!).

Had its pirate debut on Heatwave's show on Rinse - big up Gabriel, it was a wicked set! Played the instrumental and then the vocal. Sounded fire. Audio is here, after about 9 minutes. http://www.zshare.net/audio/59757315b3e4caf6/
 

datura

white collar loafer
Cooly G's release on Hyperdub is 'Pick of the Week' in the Guardian Guide today.

'As dubstep begins to resemble, quite literally, a boy's club - one that pongs of a pungent mix of spliff and locker rooms - Hyperdub, the label behind the murky, underwater two-step of Burial, ups the ante once more. Cooly G is a female singer-producer from south London, and her debut single is both fiercely addictive and genre-uncategorisable. The A-side is tense and nervy, all duelling violins and harsh claps, but Love Dub and its remix are a reminder of UK bass music's capacity to sooth and seduce, all gently massaging sub-bass, breathy vocals and woozy synth that collects like warm pools of sunlight.'

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2009/may/09/eminem-prodigy-lily-allen
 

mms

sometimes
programmed sampled drums can still give that feel.

its just a standard software kit though from the sounds of it, modelled on whatever roland machine, but i agree its nicely complex, i like the way it starts slow and then kinda takes off, she's good at that sort of thing, quite intuitive.
 
Last night radio one played Zed Bias's funky remix of Neighbourhood. It is virtually the same as the original top 40 remix but slowed down a bit and some 4 to the floor drums. Not a great track but inoffensive
 

Tim F

Well-known member
Is there a Zed Bias funky remix of "Neighbourhood" in addition to Roska's?

Re Cooly G, as much as I like her, I have to say (probably for a third or fourth time) that it's very predictable how the media are already rushing to talk about her as distinct from Scottie D or Madd.One or Fuzzy Logic or D-Malice or even Lil' Silva (who arguably gets nuff hype, but then he deserves it 100%) or even Crazy Cousinz, or (it goes without saying) so many other amazing produciers.

I'm glad that Kode9 has signed her and I'm pleased for any media hype she gets, but I do wish that everything wasn't framed in this way, like there has to be one great funky auteur whose worth is proved by having been awarded the official badge of honour from the leading lights of an outgoing scene, whose music is by definition superior because it transcends the stale boundaries of mere genre.

It just seems to carry this undercurrent of "see, she's an innovator, not just any old UK funky..." As if "any old UK funky" was by definition not exciting. And people wonder why dubstep became "a boy's club".

I'm not trying to underplay the quality of her work, and I've got lots of love for LTJ Bukem, Roni Size, MJ Cole, Zed Bias and others who've received the "oh no, this guy's an auteur" treatment from sections of the media in the past (and it's nice that for once it's a woman), but it seems deflating to see it repeated over and over again.

How long before there's a dedicated "serious, innovative funky" night dedicated to stripping the shrill female vocals and the like?
 

Poet for Hire

Well-known member
Is there a Zed Bias funky remix of "Neighbourhood" in addition to Roska's?

Re Cooly G, as much as I like her, I have to say (probably for a third or fourth time) that it's very predictable how the media are already rushing to talk about her as distinct from Scottie D or Madd.One or Fuzzy Logic or D-Malice or even Lil' Silva (who arguably gets nuff hype, but then he deserves it 100%) or even Crazy Cousinz, or (it goes without saying) so many other amazing produciers.

I'm glad that Kode9 has signed her and I'm pleased for any media hype she gets, but I do wish that everything wasn't framed in this way, like there has to be one great funky auteur whose worth is proved by having been awarded the official badge of honour from the leading lights of an outgoing scene, whose music is by definition superior because it transcends the stale boundaries of mere genre.

It just seems to carry this undercurrent of "see, she's an innovator, not just any old UK funky..." As if "any old UK funky" was by definition not exciting. And people wonder why dubstep became "a boy's club".

I'm not trying to underplay the quality of her work, and I've got lots of love for LTJ Bukem, Roni Size, MJ Cole, Zed Bias and others who've received the "oh no, this guy's an auteur" treatment from sections of the media in the past (and it's nice that for once it's a woman), but it seems deflating to see it repeated over and over again.

How long before there's a dedicated "serious, innovative funky" night dedicated to stripping the shrill female vocals and the like?

While I understand where you are coming from (being Simon Reynolds' gimp and all), this really is one of the most curmudgeonly things I've ever read.
 

mms

sometimes
Is there a Zed Bias funky remix of "Neighbourhood" in addition to Roska's?

Re Cooly G, as much as I like her, I have to say (probably for a third or fourth time) that it's very predictable how the media are already rushing to talk about her as distinct from Scottie D or Madd.One or Fuzzy Logic or D-Malice or even Lil' Silva (who arguably gets nuff hype, but then he deserves it 100%) or even Crazy Cousinz, or (it goes without saying) so many other amazing produciers.

I'm glad that Kode9 has signed her and I'm pleased for any media hype she gets, but I do wish that everything wasn't framed in this way, like there has to be one great funky auteur whose worth is proved by having been awarded the official badge of honour from the leading lights of an outgoing scene, whose music is by definition superior because it transcends the stale boundaries of mere genre.

It just seems to carry this undercurrent of "see, she's an innovator, not just any old UK funky..." As if "any old UK funky" was by definition not exciting. And people wonder why dubstep became "a boy's club".

I'm not trying to underplay the quality of her work, and I've got lots of love for LTJ Bukem, Roni Size, MJ Cole, Zed Bias and others who've received the "oh no, this guy's an auteur" treatment from sections of the media in the past (and it's nice that for once it's a woman), but it seems deflating to see it repeated over and over again.

How long before there's a dedicated "serious, innovative funky" night dedicated to stripping the shrill female vocals and the like?

no one's said "see, she's an innovator, not just any old UK funky..." As if "any old UK funky" ever, or created a situation where she's seen as an auteur, this is a kind of preemptive fantasy on your behalf i think, they have said she's a woman and she produces and sings, which is quite unusual.

Also, if the guy from the guardian above can't generfy her music then thats his take on it, I don't imagine he has an indepth knowledge of funky and dubstep anyway, or won't make it clear here as he's writing the lead review in the singles section of the biggest selling saturday broadsheet, not an indepth who's who of funky.

Also on another note, the funny thing like alot of the ppl in uk funky and alot of the productions at the moment, they're not easily definable, funky isn't defined itself, and to begrudge her success or a shot at the limelight because of your preemptive fantasy then that's yeah curmodgenly.
 
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Cooly G's definitely broke out a bit though, good luck to her.

I got some disgusting French tunes that fit into this current style very well yesterday.
 

lazybones

f, d , d+f , p.
that heatwave set is bad...

whats the new voc version of party hard?

i love the fact a tribal house tune has become a proper riddim here lolllzzz

amazing.
 

UFO over easy

online mahjong
Also, if the guy from the guardian above can't generfy her music then thats his take on it, I don't imagine he has an indepth knowledge of funky and dubstep anyway

a lack of in depth knowledge in a broadsheet journalist isn't a huge problem in itself, but she's presenting herself as an authority in her dismissal of dubstep and her assertion that cooly g is uncategorisable. that statement does kind of take credit away from the scene that nurtured her and brought her through, and even a quick google of her name would've given that journalist something a bit more positive and inclusive to say.

i definitely see what tim is saying, and i don't think it comes across as curmudgeonly at all.
 
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gumdrops

Well-known member
this cooly g mix for fact is ok but the one she did for that producers house thing was way tighter. she deserves all the press she gets tbh - as long as its not the standard 'shes superior to all these other samey generic funky producers' argument, cos that would just be false at this point. im not totally surprised shes being picked up like this though, shes a bit more of a character isnt she? i think she shd stop singing on her tracks though. not that she cant sing, just that the way theyre recorded cd be a bit better.
 
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Poet for Hire

Well-known member
personally i think Tim is bringing way too much baggage into his reading of that short record review. He,s said similar things before about Roska just becuase some dubstep people like him. The FACT write relating to her mix is much much more objectionable. And why Ben exactly did 'dubstep become a boys club ' as Tim suggests. Tims problem like simon is that he has internalized arguments about scenious and feminine pressure and hatred of dubstep to the point of absurdity. He also has Misteeq as a prototype of good vocal music which ultimately is not a problem in itself is not really useful as a model for a scenes development.
 

Tentative Andy

I'm in the Meal Deal
Yeah, but I don't think it's a projection to say that funky is primarily driven by scenius at the moment. Think of how many of the big tunes have been made by relatively unknown figures, producers who have only made 1 or 2 tunes so far. Or the way certain tracks have worked to lay down a 'blueprint' for a certain substyle which has then been developed and expanded on. So it certainly wouldn't be right to suggest that 'generic' funky is somehow limiting on artists at the moment, it's actually evolving and mutating rapidly. Maybe Tim's interpretation is somewhat overdetermined by Reynolds-esque theories, but that doesn't prevent from containing many accuracies. And I say this as someone who is enjoying Cooly G's music a lot at the moment.
 

Poet for Hire

Well-known member
you are right andy. Funky is a great example of scenius. But im not sure an argument from that direction was merited in this instance for a single review. Tim argument seemed as motivated by other chips he has on his shoulder about dubstep being about to ruin funky like it did with 2step. Any way scenius is only ever half the picture.
 

Tim F

Well-known member
Well maybe I am coming across as slightly curmudgeonly (though thanks ufo) - if so it's not because I don't want Cooly G to do well, and it's not because I think badly of the people supporting her.

I guess because so much music crit hype machinery is centered around the auteur and the innovator who cuts across party lines, cooly g is just easier to make sound like an inviting proposition to people not heavily invested in the scene already. The fact that she's signed to Hyperdub obviously helps here (that's probably how the guardian reviewer became aware of the release in the first place) - and so does the fact that her music is often excellent.

(in a different but related way, L-Vis and Bok Bok are also easier to hype - in this regard being a liminal figure, far from causing one to fall through the cracks, actually becomes an effective marketing tool and selling point. And i should note that i like L-Vis and Bok Bok)

What results is the unfortunate combination of two otherwise innocent and even laudable things: media organs are profiling cooly g (without having profiled much if any other funky before - and i note she's also gotten praise in Fact Magazine and in the Observer), and they're praising her for being unique and pushing things forward.

Again, any media exposure and resulting sales Cooly G gets is all to the good. It'd be nice, though, to see any media discussions of funky that didn't immediately try to abstract away from what it is at its best, which is raw, exciting, populist but innovative dance music.

...About which there has been precious little discussion in media publications.

Anyways, a random sampling of things people say about Cooly G:

"Cooly G takes funky in new directions here by really stepping up the production values and making some really minimal forward thinking sounds all of her own."

"There is something really compelling about Cooly G’s take on funky, it strips away everything that I can find a bit annoying about the scene, which is the overly cheesey stuff with dance moves and just down right blatant rip offs of old house."

"Cooly G's productions exist in their own hinterland - abstract post-garage beats that slowly shuffle into life, and favour cut up vocal snippets to RnB ballads...Cooly G is possibly the dance producer to watch this year, not just for her own tracks but to see how Funky DJs incorporate her unique shuffling groove into their sets, what new styles could spawn from these records getting popular, and especially what hybrids could spawn if DJs from other genres - someone like TRG, for instance, you could see playing her - adopt her tunes as their own."

"When an artist gets signed to Kode 9's Hyperdub label, the world stands up and takes notice. But when a UK FUNKY artist gets signed to Hyperdub, the world's jaw hits the deck. Something groundbreaking has happened here, and Cooly G deserves every bit of credit she's getting right about now. Pushing a deep, dark, broken strain of funky house, nobody is catching her at the moment."
 

Tentative Andy

I'm in the Meal Deal
(in a different but related way, L-Vis and Bok Bok are also easier to hype - in this regard being a liminal figure, far from causing one to fall through the cracks, actually becomes an effective marketing tool and selling point. And i should note that i like L-Vis and Bok Bok)

Whoa now - whilst I'd consider myself 'on your side' in the general debate that's emerging, this bit I just do not understand. First of all, who is giving them all this hype? I for one would love if they were receiving acres of column space, but I've seem very little evidence of that so far. Secondly, from what I've heard of their work so far, I don't see themselves as distancing themselves from the scene in any obvious way. Their tracks mix well with all sorts of straightahead funky, and I'd assume they'd go down really well on a dancefloor. Indeed, a lot of thing that I've heard that bear their names have been remixes of top current tunes.
It could be that I'm just missing something here in their output and reception to date, but this struck as pretty strange.
 

Tim F

Well-known member
Tims problem like simon is that he has internalized arguments about scenious and feminine pressure and hatred of dubstep to the point of absurdity. He also has Misteeq as a prototype of good vocal music which ultimately is not a problem in itself is not really useful as a model for a scenes development.

Actually I agree with you that Mis-Teeq are "not really useful as a model for a scenes development", and wonder why on earth you've raised them here except so as to discredit me somehow. At any rate Mis-Teeq have nothing to do with funky and I wouldn't say funky needs a crossover girl group. I reckon funky works better with single vocalists anyway, though I'd have to think on it to say why.

Though interestingly the Mis-Teeq track "Eye Candy" was an ace inadvertent precursor for funky.

"Scenius" doesn't work as a universal key to explaining good music but it worked for 2-step and it works for funky. Which shouldn't surprise as they're very similarly structured scenes. Though with funky I tend to like it the grimier the better, the "feminine pressure" component doesn't seem so important as it was with 2-step for a whole host of reasons.

Also I don't dislike dubstep... I'm probably alone on this forum in thinking there's more to like about it now (by which I mean silkie/quest/ramadanman/martyn/pangaea, not caspa etc.) than there was 18 months ago. And I'm hoping silkie's album will be the best album of the year (or second best behind the-dream at any rate).
 

Tim F

Well-known member
Whoa now - whilst I'd consider myself 'on your side' in the general debate that's emerging, this bit I just do not understand. First of all, who is giving them all this hype? I for one would love if they were receiving acres of column space, but I've seem very little evidence of that so far. Secondly, from what I've heard of their work so far, I don't see themselves as distancing themselves from the scene in any obvious way.

I meant "easier to hype" in the sense of "I could imagine them becoming very hyped" - sorry that probably wasn't clear though... And I don't think they're distancing themselves from the scene but I think the Night Slugs playlists and their sound generally just have a very sense of multi-genre mutability to them. Certainly they're playing a wide range of stuff. I think this will only work for them rep-wise.

Perhaps they're equivalent to Stanton Warriors circa 1999/2000 vis a vis 2-step - and to be clear again that's not an obscure diss, pretty much everything Stanton Warriors dropped in that period was brilliant, regardless of what became of them subsequently.

Their Bongo Jam remix is awesome, incidentally.
 

Tentative Andy

I'm in the Meal Deal
I meant "easier to hype" in the sense of "I could imagine them becoming very hyped" - sorry that probably wasn't clear though... And I don't think they're distancing themselves from the scene but I think the Night Slugs playlists and their sound generally just have a very sense of multi-genre mutability to them. Certainly they're playing a wide range of stuff. I think this will only work for them rep-wise.

Perhaps they're equivalent to Stanton Warriors circa 1999/2000 vis a vis 2-step - and to be clear again that's not an obscure diss, pretty much everything Stanton Warriors dropped in that period was brilliant, regardless of what became of them subsequently.

Their Bongo Jam remix is awesome, incidentally.

Ok that makes things much clearer, thanks.
As regards the multi-genre thing, whilst I can agree that this can often be a way that external tastemakers attach themselves to a scene and leech some kudos off of it, I think at this particular juncture it is a direction that the scenes in question, or at least aspects of them, 'want to go in' themselves, it's in large part an internally driven thing. But pan-hardcore unity is my own personal hobbyhorse, and one I actually need to put a lot more thought and research into, so I'll leave it for now.

Although many people here have no doubt heard it already, now would be a good time to mention that this L-Vis and Bok Bok radio show is my current top musical/cultural artefact to get stupidly excited about:
http://dot-alt.blogspot.com/2009/04/night-slugs-south-crazy-cousinz-sub.html
(Scroll down a bit for download).
They even almost convince me that Untold - Anaconda is actually a good tune. ;)
 
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