Liquid funk

Liquid funk
Stylistic origins	intelligent drum and bass, funk, ambient, oldskool rave, trance music, soca, Latin music, acid jazz, trip hop
Cultural origins	Early 2000s, UK
Typical instruments	Sequencer – Turntables – Samplers – Drum machines – Personal computer – Vocals

File:Calibre Marcus1.jpg

Calibre and Marcus Intalex. Both are well known DJs of the genre.

Liquid funk (alternatively, liquid drum & bass, liquid DNB or liquid) is a sub-genre of drum and bass. While it uses similar basslines and bar layouts to other styles, it contains fewer bar-oriented samples and more instrumental layers (both synthesized and natural), harmonies, and ambiance, producing a calmer atmosphere directed at both home listeners and nightclub audiences.

History

In 2000, Fabio began championing a new form of drum and bass he called "liquid funk", with a compilation release of the same name on his Creative Source label. This was characterised by influences from disco and house music, and widespread use of vocals. Although slow to catch on at first, the style grew massively in popularity around 2003–2004, and by 2005 it was established as one of the biggest-selling subgenres in drum and bass, with labels like Good Looking Records (although this label is strongly cross-genred with atmospheric drum and bass), Hospital Records, Liquid V, Shogun Limited, Fokuz Recordings, and artists like Calibre, Netsky, High Contrast, Logistics, London Elektricity, Nu:Tone, Dj Marky, and Solid State among its main proponents.

Liquid funk is very similar to intelligent drum and bass, but has subtle differences. Liquid funk has stronger influences from soca, latin, disco, jazz, and funk music, while IDB creates a calmer yet more synthetic sound, using smooth synth lines, deep bass and samples in place of the organic element achieved by use of real instruments.

New wave

A second wave of liquid music started from 2006–09 with a rise of artists such as Eveson, Alix Perez, Zero T, Lenzman and Spectrasoul to name a few. Like the Liquid preceding it, it came predominately from the UK. These innovative artists tended to steer away from the Amens and 808's and brought new sounds to the drum and bass scene.

On the 1 October 2007 High Contrast brought liquid funk back to the mainstream with his album, Tough Guys Don't Dance, releasing tracks such as If We Ever (Featuring Diane Charlemagne) which made Radio 1's Dance singles chart, Kiss Kiss bang Bang and Tread Softly. This ended up "crossing over" and becoming one of the most listened to Drum and Bass album's of 2007. The success of liquid funk never left the mainstream, and was followed by Mistabishi's 'No Matter What' being played on daytime radio, Chase & Status' "More Than Alot"' album charting and the Brookes Brother's single 'Tear You Down' and 'Loveline' hitting Dance charts.

Related artists

• 4hero
• Alix Perez
• Aquasky
• B-complex
• Bachelors Of Science
• Brookes Brothers
• Calibre
• Camo & Krooked
• Commix
• Cyantific
• D.Kay
• Danny Byrd
• DC Breaks
• DJ Patife
• DJ Marky
• EZ Rollers
• Future Prophecies
• High Contrast
• Klute
• Logistics
• London Elektricity
• LTJ Bukem
• Makoto
• Mediks
• Mistabishi
• Mutt
• Netsky
• Nu:Tone
• Q Project
• Rameses B
• Seba
• Shapeshifter
• DJ Dextrous
• Total Science
• Utah Jazz
• XRS
• DJ Starcrafter
• DJ Russell The Wonder Muscle

External links

• Planet Liquicity
• LiquidDNB.com: Online community for the liquid drum and bass scene.
• LiquidFunk.ca: Liquid Funk DJ Tedder. Offers info and links to top artists such as Calibre, Condition Red, and more.