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VARIOUS: FUNK BLASTERS – Squad (2014)

Funk Blasters SquadGiven how much material Morlack puts out in the average year, it’s hardly surprising that he hasn’t put out a compilation on his Funk Blasters label until now. What is surprising is that not only has he picked probably his most prolific year ever to do it, he’s also managed to find an impressive team (including two other label bosses) with whom to do it. And while the members of this hand-picked Squad may be few (the 9 tracks on this make it about a third the length of your average Morlack LP) they make up for it in swagger.

DTC shoot first with a hypnotic pumping slap bass bullet which segues neatly into DiscoBeta‘s monster synth Redman rerub. MustBeat main-man Clairvo follows and lightens the mood by showing how he likes to move it, blending Fedde Le Grand (of all people) with Reel 2 Real and is followed in turn by Breakbeat Paradise boss Badboe who delivers a masterclass in funky breaks. Right at the centre of all this shenanigans are Mako & Mr Bristow who hand in a cheeky edit of an ’89 hip-hop cut having carried out essential surgery (using classic sampled breaks) to transform the weak beat of the original into something that elevates said cut to a hands-in-the-air boom-bap banger. Then it’s the turn of Trotter to keep it all party by Sailing The Seas Of Funk in a neat complement to Badboe’s number. Closing the album are a three-strong fire-team consisting of Itchy Bastards, who scratch up some funky electro-flavoured big beat, DTC with their second track (a heaving slab of ghetto funk) and that old jester Morlack himself with the closer – a crunchy dnb take on Aha’s Take On Me. Still – there’s me talking away – I don’t know what else I’m to say (as Morten Harket once reflected) – players and dope Discobeta vid below…
(Out 30 October on Funk Blasters)


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