What do you love the most about the ghetto funk/nu funk genre?
It’s a mid-tempo genre that blends breakbeat, funk, hip hop, and bass music with lots of bootlegs and mash-ups – guaranteed party starting business. It’s basically larger sounding, more dance-floor friendly versions of the tracks you love, laced with hyped hip hop lyrics and fuelled by big beats and bigger bass lines.
Who are some of the pioneers/biggest names in the genre?
Breakbeat legend A.Skillz had a big hand in popularising these big banging mash-ups and Featurecast (Ghetto Funk) helped pioneer the sound with releases on Goodgroove Records, with the label basically initiating the birth of the genre. Ghetto Funk label artists Stickybuds, Slynk, Basement Freaks, Dancefloor Outlaws, B-Side, Tom Showtime, The Captain, WBBL, Goodgroove, J-Roc, Kool Hertz & Lewd Behavior are all big in the scene with names like The Breakbeat Junkie, Fort Knox Five, Ali B, Nick Thayer, BadboE, Hong Kong Ping Pong, All Good Funk Alliance and Mooqee also being favourites. Record labels such as Bombastic Jam, Bomb Strikes, Breakbeat Paradise, Manmade and Jalapeno Records all release ghetto funk/nu-funk.
Is there a particular country that has really embraced the genre?
Obviously it’s massive in the UK where it all began with the movement is best represented by the eponymous blog ghettofunk.co.uk. The scene is also huge in Canada, where local artists like The Funk Hunters, DJ Wood and Jpod The Beat Chef reside and the famous Shambahla music festival happens. The sound is definitely sweeping the globe and it’s growing here now in Australia with Out Now Agency head honcho Paul Masters touring his famous Regrooved parties nationally.
Tell us about some of the exciting things coming out of the Ghetto Funk label.
The ‘Ghetto Funk Presents’ series of artist EPs are consistently raising the bar and pushing the genre forward, watch out for forthcoming releases by B-Side & Slynk. The label’s catalogue is both vinyl based and digital, now with a sub-label Sub Funk releasing more original based material. Tom Showtime’s recent signing to the label and consequent release are creating a buzz locally.
Who here in Melbourne is playing this genre and where?
Chances are your favourite party rocking DJ is playing it right now! 100% Phat’s Tom Showtime, Agent 86 and DJ Ayna are constantly representing the sound. Melbourne based producer/DJ Copycat is killing it right now. The Dropping Phat crew Citizen.Com, Matty Blades and JD host a bass heavy party by the same name, it goes down monthly at The Workshop.
What is the new night you’re involved in and what does it offer?
PHATURDAYS (n.) – the largest night of the week. Expect colossal beats, massive hip hop classics, heavyweight bass and an enormous selection of drinks, plus huge amounts of ‘hands in the air’. This tremendous night is getting bigger and bigger with Tom Showtime & DJ Ayna always on rotation.
Why should people come check out Phaturdays: Extra Large Edition?
It’s always a crazy party at BlueBar330, but this time they’re upsizing the weekly dose of booty shakin’ party music and bringing to you Australia’s biggest Ghetto Funk export, the funky breakbeat prodigy Slynk! Slynk’s reputation stems from his inventory of unreleased and unsigned party style ghetto funk bootlegs, remixes and edits. His work is highly soughtafter by DJs around the world and with new tunes, collaborations and projects always in the pipelines, you’re guaranteed a fresh show every time.
