Review: Presenting another collection of the best nu-funk and ghetto breaks from the Breakbeat Paradise label, volume 2 of Paradise Breaks contains a killer selection of hip-hop, funk and bass work from artists at the top of their field such as Badboe, Morlack, Breakbeat Junkie and Jazz K Lipa. Among the 15 tracks, look out for Pimpsoul's low-slung remix of Badboe's "One of Those Days" and the re-energised Southern soul of Jiggy Joe and Prosper's "Sweet Home Smoke".
Review: Denmark's Breakbeat Paradise, as the name suggests, is Scandinavia's holy ground for anything breakbeat-oriented. Starting as an early music website back in 1996 it has since then developed into a full-blown label and an impressive one at that This time we have five different names and five different tracks, ranging from Conte Crux's electro-charged "Turn It Up" to "Like Jello" by DJ Rudd - featuring masterful sampling and chopping throughout. Morlack's "Makossa" re-spins some old-school NY rap, whilst "Bring Back The Funk" itself is a driving, break-ridden floor monster. DJ Throwback's "The Hook" tops it all off with some loose, hip-winding beats and breaks a la Africana.
Review: It's 80s time! Eat your Filofaxes. Buy low. Sell high. Have rubbish hair! Or... Just get your funky selves down on this retro-funky four piece. Spanish soundclowns Itchy Bastards give EU's "Doing Da Butt" a raw rub, ensuring not to take any of its authentic timely class. Morlack, meanwhile, takes what sounds like a Paula Abdul snippet and blends it with every shade of block party on "Give It Here" and gets cosmic with on well known vocal from "Let No Man Put Asunder" on "Monie 2009". Finally Itchy Bastards finish the show with some lovely glockenspiel action. Naturally.
Review: Here we have a shared EP showdown between 'seasoned ghetto-funk priest', Morlack, and the self-proclaimed 'deadly mash-up monks' Mako & The Hawk. Mash-ups are indeed the dish of the day, with the former delivering some cleverly tweaked 80s boogie "Big Flow" and slick vintage funk "Heaven's Posse". The latter act are on a different tip though, with Radio Clash given a hip-hop makeover in "Doug Clash" and a lazy rap meets reggae uptown in "Lighters On The Corner".
Review: The unstoppable juggernaut that is the 'Katakana Edits' series rumbles ever onwards, with Parisian label regular Morlack (AKA Funk Blaster) back at the controls for Vol 103. 'Going With Sadness' is a lively, late 70s-style disco number - original source unknown - with a Spanish-sounding female vocal and sunny sax, while 'Love Is Really My Game' revisits Brainstorm's Sylvester-esque 1980 Tabu cut of the same name. 'Our Time' plunders Roy Ayers' 1982 barrio funk fave 'Our Time Is Coming' (as previously reworked by MAW and Joey Negro), while finally 'Right Back' is a low-slung, lower-tempo groover with more of an 80s boogie feel.
Review: Within the world of breakbeat, there are few names held in such high regard as Morlack, who continues his incredibly consistent run this time around with a five track package on Funk Blasters, that being the fourth edition of his 'Cheeky Edits' series. We begin with the 80's inspired drum smashes and stripped back vocal sampling on 'Breakin', followed by groovy bass guitar licks of 'Telepathy' and pulsating retro synth work of 'Ur Life'. The quality levels remain incredibly high throughout as we then take in 'Da Bomb', a disco-ready roller decorated with glistening guitar riffs and a well sampled chorus block, before the brick wall drum smashes of 'Funky Stuff' see us out in style. Excellent work.
Review: With the breakbeat movement growing stronger and stronger each week, it's quite incredible to see just how consistent Morlack's release schedule has been over the last few years, with a new project dropping seemingly at least once a month, this time on Funk Blasters. We are treated to four powerful originals, kicking off with sizzling horn lines and crunchy drum smacks of 'Robin Practise', alongside the chiming melodic lines and percussive rhythms of 'Jamaica Girls'. Next, the project takes a more violent turn with the powerful electric lines of 'Sardines' and the funk-infused approach of 'Kinda Hectic', signing this one out with a bang!
Review: We have found it to be a common theme with Breakbeat Paradise releases that they really do ooze quality from start to finish, a pattern into which this latest five track thriller from Morlack, kicking off with the uplifting sample work and stuttered grooves of the title track 'Good Times'. This is followed then by then spacey arrangements and scratch inputs of 'Do It 2 Me' alongside 'Sexy Shine', a spacey project led by more clever vocal sampling. Finally, 'Get Happy' combines punchy bass guitars with rhythmic cowbell manoeuvres before we round up with 'Freak Bitch 2020', an amalgamation of funk and soul flavours to round us off in style!
Review: Rhode Island-based Katakana Edits bring us the 98th installment in this long-running series, and once more we're in the hands of Morlack, who's contributed no fewer than 14 previous volumes. The French DJ/producer has dug pretty deep for source material: 'Cali Style' bites Eddy Grant's 'California Style', the Jimmy Castor Bunch's 1975 novelty funker 'King Kong' gets a light-touch refix and 'L.Cats' gives The Cure an unexpected breakbeat makeover, but that's about as much as we can tell you! The rest of the EP draws on unidentified soul, funk and boogie nuggets, many of them with non-Anglophone vocals.
Review: It's a great time for breakbeat in general, with new heavyweight releases dropping every week, thanks primarily to the consistency of top labels such as Funk Blasters. They here welcome sounds of fan favourite Morlack across four wicked originals, beginning with the spooky themes and grizzly synth rolls of 'Candy Skank'. Next, 'Lorins Dance', in which we hear choppy vocal slaps forged together with smooth jazzy saxophone lines before 'Rhythm 20' lets a funkadelic bassline run riot. Finally, the euphoric harmonic structures of 'Same Feeling' work as an excellent sign out for a top quality body of work.
Review: The long-running 'Katakana Edits' series reaches #94, with Parisian funk and disco producer Morlack at the controls and bringing us four tracks. Opener 'Wipe Mo' (source unknown) has a soca-ish feel, while 'Dance Dance Dance' feels like it's been reworked from an old African disco record. 'Wonderful', on the other hand, revisits Kid Creole & The Coconuts' 1982 hit 'I'm A Wonderful Thing Baby', while 'Whip' is a slowed-down, Temazepam disco reversioning of the Dazz Band's 'Let It Whip' from the same year. The EP as a whole will suit those who like their disco on the more leftfield side.
Review: It's been a very exciting 2019 for Morlack, who continues his run of top quality releases by teaming up here with the ever-ready Funk Blasters team for the third edition of 'Cheeky Edits'. We kick off with the classy sample work and pulsating drum pressure of 'Rumba', before moving into the spaced out percussive structures of 'Momie' and latin-inspired arrangements of 'El Ray'. Next, 'Masta Rocka' arrives with a real punchy drumline, before the the almost 80's sounding compositional layout of 'Da Bird' rounds us off with a bang.
Review: Bustling breakbeat badman turned re-edit hero Morlack has served up some scintillating stuff of late, including a brilliant four-tracker on Katakana Edits. Here he gets his re-edit groove on for Thunder Jam. It's a decent label debut which moves from vaguely Balearic '80s Afro-boogie (the synth and filter-sporting "Kalimba Tree") to chunky, hard-wired P-funk brilliance (the Bootsy Collins-esque bounciness of "Agony"), via smooth, slick and seductive '80s soul ("Control", whose slap-bass, screeching car tyre effects and sassy female vocals are particularly alluring) and horn-toting, big studio electrofunk ("Lovin' U"). In other words, it's another tidy collection of cuts.
Review: Breakbeat is most definitely back on the up this year, and it is primarily down to the sheer consistency of artists such as Morlack who tireless push forward with new projects on such a regular basis. This latest album episode goes by the name of 'Bluff' and encapsulates everything we love about Morlack's sound, from the stunning instrumental sampling and punchy drum work of 'Colibri Shine' to the dipping grooves of 'Sex Me'. For us, the highlights here have to include both the excellent vocal slicing of '2Be In Family', and of course the horn-heavy riffs of the title track 'Bluff'. Excellent stuff from the breakbeat mastermind!
Review: Parisian man of mystery Morlack is at the controls for this latest installment in the long-running Katakana Edits series, bringing us four more reworks of dancefloor cuts from days gone by. 'Terapeutica' tops a lolloping funk groove with brass parps and James Brown-like shouts, while 'Que Pasa' revisits Coati Mundi's 'Me No Pop I' from 1982. 'Manyoma' is a frothy, party-tastic cocktail of Latin, lounge and Afro influences, while completing the EP is 'Hot 4U', a more struttin', stripped-back disco jam with a late 70s kinda feel and, as the track nears its end, some scorching sax work.
Review: Within the realms of Breakbeat, the name Morlack is to be treated with some serious respect, as he continues to create fantastic original material, showcased here by his involvement with the awesome Breakbeat Paradise Recordings crew. From this funkadelic grooves of 'One Dutch', moody bass movements of 'Manteca' and soul inspired harmonies of 'Bush Beat', we get off to one hell of a start. Following this, the well-sampled vocal leads of 'Pull Up' really do the business before we finish up the project with a dive into the more slower-paced 'No Illusions', packed with catchy rap vocals and groovy drumwork.
Review: The chopper king himself Morlack returns here to the legendary Katanaka Edits imprint here with four stunning recreations, showcasing just why he is held in such high esteem by all of us here at Juno. The first track 'Here Comes The Hook' combines soulful, uplifting horn melodies with punchy drum moves for with fantastic results, whilst 'Here I'm' applies a similar format to some classic disco vocals. Next, 'Sossego' leaps to the forefront with some smooth, bluesy guitar riff, which is followed by the psychedelic grooves and twists of 'Lucy On Skate' to see out the EP in style.
Review: Well, it's most certainly hit the time to get funky as we take a stroll through this high energy collection of breakbeat chops from Morlack, who lands on the Funk Blasters imprint with fantastic results. We are treated to some absolute sauce buckets on this one, from the irresistible melodic grooves of 'U R The Rap Machine' to the old school vocal sampling of 'Family Anime' and gritty bass work on 'Movin' Alright'.Following this, the high energy bassline movements and hard hitting drums of 'Get Down' certainly strike a chord, with the EP rounding off well on the smooth vocal lines of 'Crazy Wig'.
Review: Paris-based Ben Morlack is the man at the controls for this latest addition to the ever-growing Katakana Edits series. 'Rainbow Mash' is just that: a mash-up of styles with house, big beat and P-funk influences thrown into the pot and serve up as a gloriously energetic dancefloor romp topped with a "party down!" vocal and a rolling, house-y piano riff. 'That Girl', meanwhile, beefs up Maxi Priest and Shaggy's 1996 ragga hit for modern dancefloors, while leaving the 'Green Onions' riff on which it's based intact. Both tracks can be safely filed in the box marked 'party-starters'.
Review: If you're a lover of hip-house vocals then the Sweet Tee-esque title track here will definitely give you a 'Happy Feeling'! Elsewhere on the EP, 'Corrupt' is a looping, Latin-tinged affair with chorused female vox, there are more Latino flavas on 'You Choose', 'Arab Money' is an uptempo, brassy joint atop which another rapped vocal (a male one this time) and some Middle Eastern chanting go head-to-head, while 'Heartbeat' is essentially a rework of Jimmy 'Bo' Horne's 'Is It In?' from 1980. Five sample-tastic cuts that'll keep disco floors moving for sure.
Review: Funk Blasters are back and this time alongside the king of cuts himself; Morlack, who arrives on the scene with a fresh bag of magic as he unveils the second volume of his 'Cheeky Edits' series. We begin with the shuffling disco beats of 'Cruncked House', before moving into the soul grooves and expressive riffs of 'Feel It'. To follow; 'Smthing Special', another futuristic soul slice, leading into the darkened hip hop drumwork of 'A Toke'. The project then rounds off nicely with 'Knee Dip', a funkadelic blend of crunchy rhythms, precise vocal slices and moogy bass leads, packed with flavour and energy.
Review: Breakbeat Paradise regular Morlack has a reputation for serving up brilliantly chopped-up, funk-fuelled material that's guaranteed to get the party started. The Parisian producer's latest Katakana Edits outing ticks all of the right boxes, serving up two prime cuts of celebratory dancefloor release. Choose between the rubbery, beefed-up disco heaviness of "I Like The Way You..." - all elastic slap bass, punchy horns and screaming orchestration -and the chunkier, 109 BPM breakbeat shuffle of "Across The Floor". This is effectively a rearrangement of a well-known disco era staple with punchy new drums beneath. While simple by design, it's very effective.
Review: The Breakbeat Paradise Recordings catalogue is an impressive one, boasting some of the most sought after releases in and around the breakbeat scene. That catalogue has just been improved yet again by the ever-impressive sounds of Morlack, who returns with his brand new 5 track project. We kick off with the depthy funk melody sampling and gritty reeses of 'Keep That Funk' before drawing for the vocal fidget combos on 'Be Bumpin Fresh' and 'Ghetto Girls'. Next up the more stripped back skippy arrangements of 'DayO', before finishing up the EP with 'Lets Get It (part 2)', which utilizes some fantastic patois vocal sampling with exhilarating horn riffs and smooth percussive patterns.
Review: For their 63rd edition, Katakana Edits hand the reins over to Paris based DJ Morlack again with some crafty resplices of some forgotten disco gems. Following up a slew of terrific releases on the always reliable Breakbeat Paradise imprint - you're in equally good hands with this four tracker. From the neon-lit, '80s styled boogie down jam "Your Love", the Cameo styled funk attack on "Wop" to a golden oldie by the artist who was formerly known under a variety of names on "Do It 2U Right" - there is no doubt that Ben Morlack has got it goin' on!
Review: As one of the leading Parisian future breakbeat masters, Morlack makes a return to Funk Blasters for a super groovy four track project by the name of 'Good To Go Go Vol. 5'. Right from the off we are greeted with super crunchy drum patterns on 'Woody's Groove' and 'Go Go Bart', both of which combine these arrangements with very catchy funk riffs. On 'Got My Eyes On You' the funk levels increase as smooth vocal samples roll into play alongside vibrant bass melodies. With 'Hey Buddy' we are thrown a super curveball as we delve into more latin rhythms and carnival themes before we finish the EP nicely with the crafty yet soulful design on 'Let Me See You Go Go'.
Review: Congratulations to the Katakana Edits crew, who have now reached a half century of releases. Their 53rd EP comes from the mysterious Ben Morlack from Paris. He's had other releases recently on Funk Blasters, Breakbeat Paradise, Relative Dimensions, Homebreakin, Tru Funk and Boogie Boutique: so you know where this guys coming from! "Train" is a well funky joint with some super powerful vocals retained from the original of this fine track - that sounds quite familiar. Next up you get served to some serious soul power on the wicked "There It Is".
Review: Uh-oh! It's French breakbeat wizard Morlack back to his old tricks! Returning to Breakbeat Paradise, the prodigious beat-maker drops the second chapter of Ghetto Disco, a series which, as you can probably tell by the name, focusses on the more 'gangsta' side of disco and boogie. In fact, these five cuts are of the latter than they are the former, stomping and chomping their way across arrangements with some fiery electro bass and cosmic tones. There's even a nice layer of hip-hop sensibility in there for you, namely through the party-ready funk-bomb by the name of "Smokin N Drinkin". Big and bad - here to party!
Review: This time last year, breakbeat maverick Morlack was banging out some Rick James business, a sweet reinterpretation of the legend's most infamous moments, but right now he's up on Royal Soul with some sweet-ass, electro-swinging gear of the highest calibre. "Ripa Na Chulipa" takes the boogie beats on a Brazilian tip, before the sounds of "Farther Imagination" blast it all down to classic US levels - what a master-blaster of a tune! "It Should Have Been You" is a sweeter, more soulful West-Coast sort of number, perfect for kicking back and smokin' a number, whereas "Try My Lovin" takes the groove way down below, somewhere closer to traditional hip-hop levels. Don't mess with dat bass doe!
Review: Re-edit maestro Morlack went AWOL for a while, with reported sightings of him partying with Trotter in as far away locations as Brazilian jungles coming in thick and fast. Well wherever he disappeared to this producer is back and he's brandishing a new album to boot! Beautiful Mistakes features 13 new jams, all of which are guaranteed to get you moving in one direction or other. Highlights include the lively jump up Egyptian DnB of "Belly Pyramid", the smooth 80s soul grind of the title track and the glistening electro-funk grooves of "Nightlife". Back in business!
Review: If ever there was a resident curator of the esteemed nu-disco Katakana Edits series, it's the Go-Go hero Morlack. Frankly, he's always at it. Here he's back for numero 47, this time rustling up three new cuts for our itchy disco feet. "Ring" goes for the jugular, taking a well-known (to the point of wedding disco classic) 70s barnstormer and adding some seriously filthy electro arpeggios to the mix. Next up, "Up Down" is a slow and groovy party breaks cover version of Diana Ross' perennial classic. Last but not least is "Tell Me Something Good" which is relaxed and mellow reggae fun at its finest.
Review: Go-Go lovin' disco re-tweaker Morlack recently helmed the 41st instalment in Katakana's Edits series. It clearly was a huge success because they've already invited him back to curate a second one! There are four tunes on this one, starting with a toughened up version of T-Connection's already tough 70s funk jam "Totally Connected", "FWM" is a spacier and breakier affair, "High Time" is accelerated lady funk of the electro kind and "Do It Fluid" wraps things up with a beautiful melange of boogie, breaks and soulful bellowing.
Review: Denmark may not spring to mind when thinking of the late, great Rick James and his breed is glittery funk. However its Danish label Breakbeat Paradise that Go-Go addict Morlack has chosen to release his James-referencing Touched It EP. This one even comes with a special video featuring the James-meister in his spandex-clad prime. In short this EP is packed with five retro boogie edits, highlights of which include the pitch-bent boogie stomp of the title track, the tight digital synth funk of "Take A Ride On The Soft Side" and the quirky groove mania of "Take A NY Trip".
Review: Go-Go was a strain of US hip-hop that hit peak popularity in the mid to late 80s...unless you are re-edit hero Morlack who has never let go (go). Good To Go-Go Vol IV features seven of the kind of tunes that saw the style quickly evolve into themes for TV shows like Fresh Prince Of Bel Air and The Cosby Show (season eight FYI). Highlights include the quirky funk of the cruel-to-be-kind "Wind It On Ugly", the raw throated Busta Rhymes bounce of "Love 2 Fire" and the DX synth bass twangs of smooth soul jam, "She's A Bad Girl".
Review: Party orientated re-edit man Morlack is the latest name signed up to curate a Katakana Edit compilation. Here on number 41 the 80s obsessed producer catches us on the wrong foot with the dubbed out reggae rework of Michael Jackson's Don't Stop Til You Get Enough. Normally known more for his boogie tastes, this dubby version is a real treat. "Funk & Roll" is a celebratory funk and breaks sing-along and the beefed up Afrobeat of "Ubirantan" is the best track on here. Party season has arrived!
Review: Although it's fair to assume that every new release from party-orientated producer Morlack will mine the 1980s for inspiration, it's harder to guess which genre he'll focus on. This latest EP actually has more of a contemporary feel, but still doffs a hat to his beloved vintage boogie. "All I Wanna Do Is Funk With You" sounds like The Commodores if they had gone hip-house, "Anytime" features a raw and nasty arpeggiated bassline that's straight from Patrick Cowley's back catalogue, but with added go-go beats, and the title track is elasticated cocktail disco at its finest.
Review: Serial album-blaster Morlack returns from his Go-Go odyssey with what must be his thirty-first long player. Going back to his dirtier bass, disco-edged samples and classic hip-hop vocals, it's another 12 track funk adventure with something for all DJs. Highlights include the fidgety swing of "Anything U Do Is Ugly", the Zapp & Roger style west coast steez of "Who Comes" and the all-out block-busting grit of "Jukebox". Concluding with the sweet digi-skank and slap bass bubbles of "What You Wanna Do", it's yet another immaculate collection from the unstoppable (and probably unsleeping) Morlack.
Review: The latest driver to be given the keys to the Katakana Edits series is the Go-Go lovin' Morlack. He's delivered four sizzlers aimed, as always, firmly at the heart of the dancefloor. "Hang It Up" sees tough, breaky beats leading sassy brass, quirky bass and honky tonk piano, whilst "Bom Bom" is pure unadulterated 80s holiday cheese - imagine Black Lace on a bender in the Caribbean circa 1984 and you'll get the postcard. This theme continues with the digital-reggae sing-a-long "Ganja Man" before the pure, phased funk of "Love Thing" wraps things up in cool early '80s style.
Review: Every now and then the outre space-glam '80s outfits in Morlack's wardrobe start to beckon and before you know it he's rustled up another fine collection dedicated to his love of Go-Go, the cult proto hip-hop sound that emanated from Washington DC. If you're unfamiliar with this style, you can look to the Fresh Prince theme to get an idea (albeit a watered down version). For the real deal though check out the 13 raw cuts here that boast those signature rolling electro drums, funk samples and carefully layered acapelllas from the likes of King Tee and Chuck Brown.
Review: We all know his name. And by now we should all know what he sounds like, too... Morlack has been blazing the nu funk, bass and bootleg scene with creativity and stacks of long players for a good half decade now. This latest set comprises 14 of his genre-melting dancefloor devices; from the Kravitz dancehall facelift "Boss Like Me" to the slap-bass strutting, percussion heavy 80s rap homages "For The Brothers In The Ghetto" and "Problems Generator" each cut is primed for unashamed party fun. Elsewhere there's a 90s ghetto twist on the Tower Of Power-twisting "Movin' On The Dumb Stuff" while another highlight "Back It On" sees Beenie Man getting the funkiest version of his illustrious life. Not a dull moment throughout, Morlack keeps killing it. Get to know.
Review: Normally one for the grand gesture (his last album boasted 27 tracks!), master of the gently nefarious art of the mash-up, Morlack, comes back down to earth to deliver a mere four edited disco gems for Katakana. As usual, the production quality of his sample-fuelled jiggery is second to none, with the slow and elastic funk of smoocher "The Dude", the slap bass twitcher "Morning", the stormin' electro-funk of "Dusic" and the raw, cowbell bustin' hoe-down of "Spinnin'" proving to be dancefloor devourers one and all.
Review: Morlack comes correct once again with a 27-track collection of total funk blasts. Naughty booties, reversions and mash-ups galore, the eclectic vibe ranges from skippy hair-swishing party rock ("Funky Woman") to cheeky Ting Tings reversions ("Hang It Up") via crazy blends of Zeppelin, Black Box and Outkast ("Ride On A Whole Lotta Love"). Elsewhere we hit gems like the big disco string B.M.W sucker punch "Get A Lil Stupid" and Bowie-busting block party slammer "Triple Fame". Morlack's repertoire was already bulging before this - now it's just ridiculous. Easily one of the best masters of the illicit art of mashery.
Review: Morlack comes correct once again with a 27-track collection of total funk blasts. Naughty booties, reversions and mash-ups galore, the eclectic vibe ranges from skippy hair-swishing party rock ("Funky Woman") to cheeky Ting Tings reversions ("Hang It Up") via crazy blends of Zeppelin, Black Box and Outkast ("Ride On A Whole Lotta Love"). Elsewhere we hit gems like the big disco string B.M.W sucker punch "Get A Lil Stupid" and Bowie-busting block party slammer "Triple Fame". Morlack's repertoire was already bulging before this - now it's just ridiculous. Easily one of the best masters of the illicit art of mashery.
Review: It's not often an artist gets treated to being remixed 18 times on the one release, but here Morlack pulls it off. But before the remixing gets underway he raises the curtain with a Notorious B.I.G sampling gambit of slashing synths, tearing basslines and fluttering drums. Then there's the remixes. Funkanomics get all big band, Stevie Wonder and straight up hip hop on part two of a remix to "Take It To The Zulu", while BadBoE provides a killer remake of "Nice & Rough". James Brown is in the place during Trotter's remix of "Play Cards Right" while Morlack electrofunkifies himself in a 2014 remix of "Ghetto Vaccination". More breakbeats than you can poke a DJ at!
Review: Now a firm face on the nu-funk and glitch scene, Morlack continues to surprise and delight with each and every release. A sample craftsman, his ability to twist and manipulate references is second to none. Here we find him in slo-mo disco mode with lush warm synths that swoon over a slinky-but-subtle bass groove and robust beats. Remix-wise Leygo gets sexy with a superb 124 half-tempo jam that will work well in warm-ups and end-of-night wind downs and Kenny Beeper adds a more uptempo funk flavour to proceedings by way of a stinking bassline. Morlack also gets busy on the remix front himself with a cheeky Sunz Of Man and ODB vocal version. Like we said, Morlack always surprises and delights.
