If your dancefloor’s been missing out on that melodic breakbeat fire of late, get ready to re-up your fuel stash as DJ Axe returns from going AWOL to chop out a forest of samples (plus one original vocal from Kidd Lines) and transports them your way via the medium of fifteen track album of City Funk, his new one on the Tru:Funk label – another entity which has been conspicuous by its absence recently.
Axe use his trusty production blade to hone anything from sixties funk to 90s soul into something a deejay can use – sometimes on the same track as with the Corona vocal-purloining Night Rhythm. In terms of samples, you’ll find both the well-rinsed (Fat Man Scoop, Wildchild, Musical Youth) and the less obvious (Tower Of Power, MC Lyte) while the musical vibe runs from the dreamy almost Balearic big-beat of Just Chillin’ to the ghetto funky title track to more classic big beat of one highlight Groove The Nation. Other top cuts include the P-Funky filth of Totally Fried and what is effectively a big beat edit of Tower Of Power’s I Got The Chop. Well – what else would you choose to rework with a name like ‘Axe.’
(Out now on Tru Funk)