There are some rather excellent upfront promos doing the rounds here at tuneraker HQ which are so good that we don’t want to wait until they hit your local record shop.
Detroit wunderkind Kyle Hall is proof that UK Funky has truly crossed over into the US scene. Just turned 18, Kyle worked up a buzz with his remix of Darkstar’s ‘Aidy’s Girl is a Computer’ at the end of last year. His own track ‘Kaychunk’ comes across like Carl Craig jamming with a Trinidadian carnival band: It’s all about metallic, sparkling strings floating over a syncopated rhythm with that big bass drum straight out of Caribbean Soca music. Watch out for this on Hyperdub on the 15th of March. Kyle has previously released on Omar S’ well respected FHXE imprint and runs his own Wild Oats label. ‘Kaychunk’ is his first release for a UK based label.
Watch Kyle Spin His ‘Aidy’s Girl’ Mix In Paris
Grime don Terror Danjah stakes his claim in the UK Funky gold rush that sees every producer between Aberdeen and Bristol (and some across the Atlantic) dabbling in Soca drums and Caribbean rhythms. Danjah’s foray into UK Funky is the high energy burst of ‘Acid’. This killer track can only be described as UK Funky meets 8-Bit Dancehall with shards of glass flying and high energy synth stabs scorching the air. It’s a slice of total hardcore which should be out on Hyperdub by the time you read this.
Jamie Vex’d, a pioneer of the now ubiquitous Dubstep sound, has started recording under the new pseudonym Kuedo. The ‘Dream Sequence EP’ by Kuedo kicks off with ‘Starfox’, named after the vintage Nintendo game, which boasts an ace 60’s TV theme tune style melody buried under a hiccupping juggernaut of a rhythm. Jamie then shows he can still add a touch of aching urban drama, Burial stylee, on ‘Shutter Light Girl’ and ‘Glow’. The latter is the standout track here with a stunning melody and a rhythm like a dozen zombies pulling themselves through a swamp in slow motion. ‘Dream Sequence’ is due out on the 22nd of February on Planet Mu.
Slow motion is also the preferred speed setting for newcomer Slugabed from Brighton. Slugabed tables some ace 8-Bit Dancehall flavours on his ‘Ultra Heat Treated’ EP for Planet Mu. This 6-track EP brims with heavy, sluggish rhythms pierced by pinball noises and Atari sounds. If you want a comparison, it has to be Japanese maverick Akira Kiteshi. Slugabed drops massive digital Reggae rhythms on ‘Pressure’ and the pounding title track ‘Ultra Heat Treated’. Also check out ‘Titans’ for its cool melody - like an 80s cassette tape mangled in your uncle’s car stereo. ‘Ultra Heat Treated’ should be available now from your record supplier of choice.
