Funky House Recommendations September 2011

Review: Justin Critchlow aka The Sound Diggers is back after a short production slumber with the Don't Flap Just Jack EP. Known for his unique approach to blending house, dub and even dancehall, this new EP comes up trumps thanks to an expert fusion of genres. "Drop Da Funk" is maybe the finest example, with its funky guitar riff intro, a mid-section of bounding house b-lines and jazzy piano arrangements to close. Captivating and fresh throughout, Critchlow eases through styles with enviable ease. "Bump Funk" arrives next; stabby vocal pockets working as instruments and generating a glorious bump 'n' grind vibe. On the flip, "Bearnejackity", as its title suggests, does indeed sample Phil Harris and Louis Prima's "Bear Necessities" from The Jungle Book - we'll let you make up your own mind about that! Lastly, "Floor Swinger" takes our pick here at Juno with its delightful jazz brass sections, swinging rhythm and elegant groove.

Review: Having spent One Night in Oakland courtesy of Guesthouse Music last year, the inimitable Sonny Fodera teams up with San Fran's DJ Mes for this fiendishly titled follow up Two Nights in Oakland! Fans of either producer will know what to expect here, contemporary jackin house with bass lines dipped in urgency and plenty of filtered vocal hooks, with "Freaks on the Floor" laying down the gauntlet. Alongside it "Flyin" offers tightly wound rhythms and a dicier approach to vocal sample implementation, ramping up the inevitable release of pressure when the piano hook comes sailing in. On the flip the duo present two variants on "The Revolution" both of which lift Mos Def's take on the Gil Scott classic and slip it beneath the bounciest of beats, with the original perhaps the best.

Review: Duck Sauce aka unmagnifiable hype merchants Armand Van Helden and A Trak mercifully don't wait as long to unleash their latest club conqueror "Big Bad Wolf" as they did for their previous hit (which will remain unnamed to prevent it's vocal hook lodging itself in your head for the weekend). Regular listeners of the Annie Mac radio show will no doubt already be familiar with the charms of "Big Bad Wolf," which is unusually restrained given the duo's recent form. Bound to feature heavily at any upcoming Halloween parties, Duck Sauce ensure the track has longevity beyond the novelty seasonal play via the accompanying Gesaffelstein remix. The new French darling of the Turbo family turns in a suitably rowdy banger with just the right dash of backwards glances towards the electroclash era.