Liquid funk
Encyclopedia
Liquid funk is a sub-genre of drum and bass
. While it uses similar bassline
s and bar layouts to other styles, it contains fewer bar-oriented samples and more instrumental layers (both synthesized
and natural), harmonies, and ambience, producing a calmer atmosphere directed at both home listeners and nightclub
audiences.
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
, 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 and samples in place of the organic element achieved by use of real instruments.
, Zero T, Lenzman and Spectrasoul to name a few. Like the Liquid preceding it, it came predominately from the UK. Although more of it was coming internationally. 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 1st 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' hitting Dance charts.
YouTube
channels such as Liquicity, Pandadnb, SKANKANDBASS and many more have caused a worldwide viral for Liquid Funk through promoting the work of the respected artists.
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
. While it uses similar bassline
Bassline
A bassline is the term used in many styles of popular music, such as jazz, blues, funk, dub and electronic music for the low-pitched instrumental part or line played by a rhythm section instrument such as the electric bass, double bass, tuba or keyboard...
s and bar layouts to other styles, it contains fewer bar-oriented samples and more instrumental layers (both synthesized
Synthesizer
A synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
and natural), harmonies, and ambience, producing a calmer atmosphere directed at both home listeners and nightclub
Nightclub
A nightclub is an entertainment venue which usually operates late into the night...
audiences.
History
In 2000, FabioFabio (DJ)
Fitzroy Heslop better known by his stage name of Fabio, is a drum and bass DJ and producer from the UK. Fabio has been described as one of the best DJ's of all time. He runs the Creative Source record label.-Biography:...
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
Creative Source
Creative Source was an American R&B group from Los Angeles, who had several funk and disco hits in the middle of the 1970s.-History:Creative Source was formed in 1972 by several veterans of the West Coast recording studios. They were managed by Ron Townson, who was previously a member of The Fifth...
label. This was characterised by influences from disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
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
Good Looking Records
Good Looking Records is a Jungle/drum & bass record label, formed in the early nineties by pioneering DJ/producer LTJ Bukem.Artists who have released on this label include LTJ Bukem, Tayla, Furney, Redeyes, Q Project, Peshay, Big Bud, Nookie, Makoto, Intense, Artemis, New Balance, MC D.R.S., PFM,...
(although this label is strongly cross-genred with atmospheric drum and bass), Hospital Records
Hospital Records
Hospital Records is an independent record label based in South London. Primarily releasing Drum and bass, the label was started in 1996 by Tony Colman and Chris Goss, and has grown in recent years to become one of the most well known labels within UK dance music...
, Liquid V
Liquid V
Liquid V is a drum and bass sub-label of V Recordings, owned and run by Bryan Gee and Jumping Jack FrostAlso singing Loads of Established DnB producers as well as many up and coming artists. Liquid V has quickly rose to the top of the Liquid Funk Genre of Drum & Bass, becoming one of its top labels...
, Shogun Limited, Fokuz Recordings, and artists like Calibre
Calibre (artist)
Calibre, birth name Dominick Martin, is a Drum and Bass, and Liquid Funk, music producer and DJ hailing from Belfast, Northern Ireland. He originally started producing at a young age and has spent many years refining his sound. He is a classically trained musician playing a variety of musical...
, Netsky, High Contrast
High Contrast
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast , is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.-History:...
, Logistics
Logistics (artist)
Logistics is the stage name of Matt Gresham, a drum and bass music producer and DJ from Cambridge, England. He is signed to Hospital Records and has been releasing music since 2004, which he creates using the Reason 3 and Cubase sequencers...
, London Elektricity
London Elektricity
London Elektricity is the DJ and stage name of musician Tony Colman who is best known as a recording artist of five albums, international DJ and formerly a live drum and bass act "London Elektricity Live".-History:...
, Nu:Tone
Nu:tone
Nu:Tone is a drum and bass artist on the Hospital Records label. His musical style is generally drum and bass and the subgenre liquid funk.-Background:...
, and Solid State
Solid state
Solid state may refer to:In science:* Solid-state chemistry* Solid-state physics* Solid-state laser* Solid matterIn electronics:* Solid state , circuits built of solid materials* Solid-state fan...
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
Soca music
Soca is a style of music from Trinidad and Tobago. Soca is a musical development of traditional Trinidadian calypso, through loans from the 1960s onwards from predominantly black popular music....
, latin, disco
Disco
Disco is a genre of dance music. Disco acts charted high during the mid-1970s, and the genre's popularity peaked during the late 1970s. It had its roots in clubs that catered to African American, gay, psychedelic, and other communities in New York City and Philadelphia during the late 1960s and...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, and funk music, while IDB creates a calmer yet more synthetic sound, using smooth synth lines 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 PerezAlix Perez
Alix Perez is the stage name of Alix Depauw, a drum and bass DJ and producer originally from Charleroi, Belgium. Currently based in North London, his music is characterised as liquid funk and released on labels such as Hospital Records, Liquid V, Bassbin, Creative Source, Horizons, Progress,...
, Zero T, Lenzman and Spectrasoul to name a few. Like the Liquid preceding it, it came predominately from the UK. Although more of it was coming internationally. These innovative artists tended to steer away from the Amens
Amen break
The Amen break is a brief drum solo performed in 1969 by Gregory Cylvester "G. C." Coleman in the song "Amen, Brother" performed by the 1960s funk and soul outfit The Winstons...
and 808's
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer was one of the first programmable drum machines . Introduced by the Roland Corporation in early 1980, it was originally manufactured for use as a tool for studio musicians to create demos. Like earlier Roland drum machines, it does not sound very much like a real...
and brought new sounds to the drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
scene.
On the 1st October 2007 High Contrast
High Contrast
Lincoln Barrett, better known by the stage name High Contrast , is a Welsh drum and bass DJ and producer.-History:...
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
Diane Charlemagne
Diane Charlemagne is a British vocalist, who has provided vocals for many major dance music hits.-Biography:She was the lead singer for the Urban Cookie Collective, who had two UK Top 10 hits in the 1990s, and the lead singer for 1980s funk band, 52nd Street.She provided the vocal for Goldie's...
) which made Radio 1's Dance singles chart, Kiss Kiss bang Bang and Tread Softly. This ended up "crossing over"
Crossover (music)
Crossover is a term applied to musical works or performers appearing on two or more of the record charts which track differing musical tastes, or genres...
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
Mistabishi
Mistabishi is a UK composer, singer/songwriter, electronic music producer, at present signed to Hospital Records.He has gained recognition in the international dance music scene with his first Studio Album 'Drop'...
's 'No Matter What' being played on daytime radio, Chase & Status
Chase & Status
Chase & Status are an electronic music production duo from London consisting of Saul Milton and Will Kennard. MC Rage & Andy Gangadeen also make up the live band.-2003-2005:...
' "More Than Alot
More Than Alot
-Personnel:Chase & Status* Will Kennard – producer* Saul Milton – producerProduction* Stuart Hawkes – masteringAdditional musicians* Digga – vocals* Five O – vocals* Jenna G – vocals* Kano – vocals* Nneka – vocals* Plan B – vocals...
"' album charting and the Brookes Brother's single 'Tear You Down' hitting Dance charts.
YouTube
YouTube
YouTube is a video-sharing website, created by three former PayPal employees in February 2005, on which users can upload, view and share videos....
channels such as Liquicity, Pandadnb, SKANKANDBASS and many more have caused a worldwide viral for Liquid Funk through promoting the work of the respected artists.
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External links
- 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.
- Marcus Intalex RBMA video lecture session
- ItsTooLoud.com: UK-based website and Liquid funk resource. Offers a friendly community, up to date scene news, and has been active since 2001.
- Fabio & Grooverider on Radio 1. The home of Fabio'sFabio (DJ)Fitzroy Heslop better known by his stage name of Fabio, is a drum and bass DJ and producer from the UK. Fabio has been described as one of the best DJ's of all time. He runs the Creative Source record label.-Biography:...
Liquid Funk show on BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock... - http://www.soundcloud.com/presents]