UK funky

UK funky
Stylistic origins	UK garage African popular music Tribal house Electro house Soca Dub Broken beat Dancehall
Cultural origins	Late-2000s, London, England
Typical instruments	Sequencer - Turntables - Samplers - Drum machine - Personal computer
Mainstream popularity	Underground

UK funky (sometimes known as Funky) is a genre of electronic dance music from the United Kingdom that is heavily influenced by UK Garage, soca music, electro house, broken beat, and afrobeat. Typically, UK funky blends beats, bass loops and synths with African and latin percussion in the dem bow rhythm and contemporary R&B-style vocals at around 135 beats per minute.

Emerging in the late-2000s, UK funky has been described by The Guardian as "probably the most exciting development in UK music since garage became grime".

History

US house producers such as Masters At Work, Karizma, Kerri Chandler and Dennis Ferrer could be said to have a strong influence over the development of UK funky. Karizma's song "Twyst It" and Dennis Ferrer's remix of Fish Go Deep's "The Cure and the Cause" were important records in the development of the genre and Dennis Ferrer's "Hey Hey" was a massive hit in the scene.

Big hits from the scene include the Crazy Cousins songs "Do You Mind", "Bongo Jam" and " The Funky Anthem", Fuzzy Logic Featuring Egypt "In The Morning". Popular songs have also produced dance crazes, such as "Heads Shoulders Knees and Toes" and "The Migraine Skank".

Other major artists known for pushing the sound and pushing it in new directions are Marcus Nasty, Roska, DJ Malice, Ill Blu, Lil' Silva and Funky Stepz.

Popular Singer Katy B, dueted with Ms Dynamite on a track called Lights On. It reached number 4 in the UK Singles Chart. This was the first UK Funky track to chart in the UK.

Description

UK funky uses tempos of around 130bpm and often has a prominent "4 to the floor" kick drum. The drum patterns commonly also include percussion playing African inspired rhythms. Instrumentation varies widely, but drum machines and synthesizers are common. There are huge similarities to garage in rhythmic, musical and vocal style. UK Funky is highly influenced by the tribal, deep, soulful and bassline house subgenres. Similar genres include Afrobeat, broken beat, electro and garage.

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Clark, Martin. 'The Month In: Grime / Dubstep', Pitchfork, August, 2006.
• Clark, Martin. 'Wot Do U Call It: Funky?', Blackdown, December, 2007.
• Prancehall 'What happened to grime? It turned into funky house', NME, February, 2008.
• McDonnell, John 'Can grime call house a home?', Guardian, February, 2008.
• Finney, Tim 'Peering Through The Front Door Of Funky House', Idolator, May, 2008.
• Wilson, Makeda 'The rise of Funky' Beatportal/D101 Magazine, July 2008.
• McDonnell, John 'Broken beat meets tribal house? Now that's what I call... funky?', Guardian, August, 2008.
• Clark, Martin. 'Spyro v Marcus NASTY v Mak 10 v Maximum = wot do you call it?', Blackdown, September, 2008.
• Wilson, Makeda - 'Nah That's Funky, It's leaking.... It Stinks!!' - D101 Magazine, October 2008. Article Available on request from D101MAGAZINE
• Wilson, Makeda - 'Keep It Funky!!' - D101 Magazine, February 2009. Article Available on request from D101MAGAZINE

External links

• FunkyHouseVideos.co.uk - Videos of uk funky, electro and soulful house music.
• funky.grimescene.co.uk - Supporting UK Talent, UK Funky, Soulful house and Old Skool Garage.