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Raw DMX – Do it to the funk
taken from “Credit to the edit – compiled by Greg Wilson”
Looking back through my record collection has got me thinking about where these records come from and how I got in to all this in the first place. I’ll be doin a few posts about some of my influences, posting a few rare classics and generally diggin in to a bit of my musical up-bringing in the UK. I thought I’d start with the first electronic music I ever got into when I was 13 way back in 1983, some people called it “electro funk”.
I actually come from Bolton which is a huge, grim, working class town in the north west of England and one of it’s few redeeming features for me was that it’s about a 1hour bus ride to Manchester city center. From being 12 or 13 years old we would jump on the bus and go hang out in Manchester on a Saturday afternoon. We’d wander around the city center, go to the music shops and play guitars and also try and hang out in the record shops without getting thrown out, which we always did, too young and no money to spend.
it’s the sound of electro funk that always reminds me of the streets in the UK
It was outside these record shops that I first heard these weird tracks, they had normal instruments in them, vocals and guitars, but they also had all these weird drums, and bleeps and blips that I hadn’t really heard up close before. I used to listen to radio 1 and piccadilly radio so had heard some of these tracks before but it was in the city, in and outside the record shops that the music really hit me. It was in that environent on the street that for some reason the music just resonated. I’m a “big city” lover and it’s the sound of electro funk that always reminds me of the streets in the UK.
Then there was the break dancing!!! Now Manchester had quite a few crews who we’re in to break dancing and we used to just hang out and watch and listen to this amazing music. It’s something I was in to when I was a kid, break dancing, poppin and lockin, the clothes, the sneakers we couldn’t afford to buy then, but it was the music, the beats that got me hooked. I loved the record shops too, the vibe of the place, the freaky looking guys who hung out there, the nods and smiles when certain tracks were played. I didn’t start getting in to the club scene until I was 17 so missed out on much of this early scene in Manchester but electro funk has always played a part in most of the club experiences I’ve had in the city since then.
I loved the record shops too, the nods and smiles when certain tracks were played
Now I’m not going in to too much of the history of the whole scene and all the other scene’s that jumped off from there. For that you should go check out Greg Wilson’s site electrofunkroots.com Greg was one of the most influencial DJ’s of the time and his site is an amazing resource for anybody interested in music and music history. Check out some of his articles and play lists and especially the colab article with another Manchester legend “a guy called Gerald”.
Starting to work on this site has had me looking back at all the styles of music which have had an impact on my life. I’ve always felt that certain music is developed directly from the area and environment in which it is made. The north of England creates certain types of music just like New York or Wellington or Detroit or Tokyo create there own spin on certain styles and genre’s. Having only moved to New Zealand 7 years ago I’m still looking at the impact it has had on my music and the styles created by this country. It’s something I’ll be looking in to as part of this Blog so if you’ve got anything to add or share with me about your side of the world and how it shapes your style then just leave me a comment. Now go check out Greg’s site and get that electro funk fix.
Tags: features, Influences, music