The great thing about running your own site is that you get to do whatever you want with it. The problem with it is you do whatever you want and that means you overlook somethings some of the time, letting stupid shit slip through without getting someone else’s opinion first.
JaFunk once again starts out our list of groove music, the first being Groovewit. We decided to call this one Groovetits because sometimes it feels like no one is reading these things. So I thought I’d try to get some kind of reaction. And it was refreshing to know I could post whatever the hell I want. Even though this’ll probably be one of those things that I should have gotten a second opinion on.
Fuck it, at least the music will last.
I was talking to my coworkers about the music in my Late Night Jazz list. While it’s definitely not the music of the early turn of last century, it still gives me that feeling of jazz for the evening, unconventional as it may be. It’s all covered in electronic sounds and that’s where our opinions stray.
Same goes with our funk-infused playlist, The Funk Shall Be Within You. It may go off into electro at times, but the feeling of funk is strong throughout and I don’t think any word could describe it better, especially electronic. Other than nufunk or any other made up offshoot, but that’s a whole other debate.
We haven’t had a single on Silence since Embody’s Make A Stand, which was over two months ago. I guess we’re all about the playlists now and singles are even more selective. But Grynpret has something special with his Airplane Food.
I cannot tell you what this style of electro is going to do for dance, though it’ll take a few years to even have a chance mainstream. This vaporware style I can best refer to it as takes from anime & classic video games, I believe Yoshi is on here, and slaps some solid electro funk in. The sound is penetrating, for better or worse, but is exactly the right formula for the progression of dance music, at least for one style.
Odesza is releasing their next album, In Return, in September and this is the perfect track to preview it (along with Sun Models). They’ve always had that Phil Spector “Wall of Sound” going on, at least in the electro sense, and ‘Memories That You Call’ continues it with a film worthy, chorus sound added on.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/158279202" params="color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="20" iframe="true" /]
Nothing is better to dance to right now than this style of electronic music. I thought electro funk sounded fitting as a title, but it’s more commonly known simply as electro and to some extreme electro house and bass music. Though this naming shit is getting outta hand, as necessary as it is.
The sound actually sounds like something between disco-house & bass music, but more experimental than the former and more soulful than the latter. It gets a little strange at times, but that’s exactly what dance music needs right now.
I try to think of my father listening to music like this and I’m sure he wouldn’t really get it. I actually remember showing him some ghetto funk and as much as he tried to get where I’m at, it seemed like it sounded broken to him, it does to me sometimes (ghetto funk specifically).
Even electro funk like this can sound like it’s a little too rich at times, Toxo’s ‘Need Your Love’ especially needs a little tightening up, but garish electro like this is the future of dance music. Although I have a feeling it’ll break off in two with a not so electro style… basically not so lazery.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/153000637" params="color=000000&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_artwork=true&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%" height="20" iframe="true" /]
We’d love to cover all good beats like ‘This Means War,’ but usually don’t. This song gives off a good sound, but lacks the variance and strong vocal presence we look for in most songs worth remembering. However, dat bass is something to talk about.
This is the best intro with a bass I’ve ever heard. It may not be the best track for the peak of the night, but it’s good one to start it off right. This song is set for any occasion worth an introduction. Definitely playing it for my first kid’s birth, though I don’t think I’ll have much say in the matter.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/137901920" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
This soul satisfaction sounds like a hit from the 40’s, albeit grossly updated. I could see kids now doin the spongebob dance to Bit Funk’s jitterbug beat. I actually just found out about this ‘new’ style of dance, but I know it’s a play off something from the 40’s. Forget the name though, anyone in the know let me know.
[soundcloud url="https://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/132426256" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Starting to think Method Records may be my new favorite label. With their most notable release of the year, ‘Together‘ sports some notable names including Nile Rodgers, Disclosure & Sam Smith. But before all that, they gave us Lxury’s ‘J.A.W.S.’, which I’m now coming to find was co-produced with Disclosure.
Disclosure is all over the place and that’s a key to creativity. They know the art of collaborate as their past pairings like Lxury can corroborate.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/110235013" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]
Repetition drives me nuts sometimes but usually feels just boring & unfinished, however, if it’s got a catchy melody with vocals it can go a long way. Toyboy & Robin’s ‘Jaded’ has a pretty standard house beat, but gets deep on the chords and varies it up just enough to rise above most.
And like with most upworthy music, the vocals set it further apart. I don’t know why I’m so obsessed with vocals pitched up or down these days, but it works well (up) here.
[soundcloud url="http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/85308019" iframe="false" params="player_type=tiny&font=Arial&color=292929" height="18" /]