Review: Krafty Kuts & Bomb Strikes, two names that when combined leave us with potentially incredible results. They join forces here to curate and design the fifth edition of 'Bass Funk', showcasing some of the most prominent faces across the entire breadth of breaks. The tracklisting for this one looks pretty monstrous, featuring the likes of A Skillz, Dubra, Arteo, Fort Knox Five, K+Lab & more. There are a couple of immediate stand outs however, with the latin horn melodies and vibrant rhythms of Ninjula's 'Spanish Princess' and the pure rawcus devilry of 'AI' from the legendary Delta Heavy both standing out!
Review: Marc Hype, boss of German 7-inch label Dusty Donuts, mixes up this seventh volume in Bomb Strikes' 'Funk N' Beats' series. It's an eclectic, funked-up selection that ranges freely through hip-hop from The Nextmen and Red Astaire, 'new old' funk and soul from Speedometer, Soopasoul and the Hot 8 Brass Band, nu-jazz from Nicole Willis and Jazzanova and more besides. Highlights include The Traffic's funked-up cover of Daft Punk's 'Harder Better Faster Stronger', Speedometer's cover of The Chi-lites' 'Are You My Woman?' (AKA 'Crazy In Love'), and Hype's own take on electro classic 'Al Faafyish (The Soul)'.
Review: Following the success of Shaka Loves You's previous compilations on Bombstrikes, the label has offered them the chance to launch a new series all of their own. Named in honour of their radio show and regular parties in Glasgow, Joints & Jams offers up a hugely entertaining (and largely floor-friendly) mixture of funk-fuelled hip-hop (Bastien Keb, Fort Knox Five, Andy Cooper), skanking reggae (The Nextmen and Gentlemen's Dub Club sing-along 'Done It Again'), flash-fried funk breaks (the Allergies), tropical goodness (DJ Nu-Mark's hook-up with Quantic), and various fusions of disco, boogie and funk (see the cuts from Kraak & Smaak, X-Ray Ted, Pablo & Shoey and Shaka Loves You themselves). The result is a brilliantly mixed-up collection of tried-and-tested dancefloor bombs.
Review: Taken from the forthcoming Bombstrikes compilation - Joints n' Jams Vol. 1 curated by Glasgow's funkiest Shaka Loves You, 'Cruisin' is a new and exclusive track from the duo themselves. As a small taster of what can be expected from the full release, this Disco Stomper is just one track of many exclusives from the album which spans many genres from Funk and Hip Hop to Beats and House. The full album features music from such luminaries as DJ Nu-Mark & Quantic, Kraak & Smaak, The Nextmen & Kiko Bun, Izo FitzRoy, Chali 2NA & Krafty Kuts, Andy Cooper, The Allergies and Fort Knox Five. Also not forgetting the Disco vibes of Hobbs & Ron Mexico, Birdee & Andre Espertue, Afriquoi and Art of Tones. The assembled tracklisting really does encapsulate the signature 'SLY' multi-genre ethos and sound.
Review: When it comes to fresh, party-starting fusions of disco, boogie, funk and soul, few contemporary artists are quite as competent as Bomb Strikes regulars Shaka Loves You. Further proof arrives in the shape of the outfit's second single of the year, "Let's Move". In its original form, the track is energetic and exciting, offering a contemporary take on Clavinet-and-horn-heavy disco-funk rich in prominent bass guitar, Nile Rodgers style guitar riffs, rolling beats and looped vocal samples from a well-known 1970s dancefloor workout. The accompanying "SLY Disco Rub" is even heavier and more energetic, delivering a percussion-laden, bass-heavy romp that sits somewhere between dub disco and disco-house.
Review: Bomb Strikes stalwart Shaka Loves You can usually be relied upon to bring the goods, as anyone who has heard their all-action blends of disco, funk, breaks and boogie will attest. The producers' first outing of 2020 is predictably impressive, too. Lead cut "Love Is True" is as infectious a contemporary disco cut as you're likely to find, with waves of snappy, handclap-heavy percussion, rubbery bass guitar and Chic style guitar riffs combining to create a suitably celebratory mood. "Disco Weapon 2", seemingly a tooled-up, horn-heavy re-edit of a lesser-known everything-but-the-kitchen-sink 1970s disco-funk jam, is also impressively potent.
Review: Over the last few years, disco and boogie loving funkateer Shaka Loves You has proved to be one of the most reliable artists on Bomb Strikes. Further proof arrives in the shape of "Tonight", a two-track single that's as summery as rain-soaked festivals, abandoned backyard barbeques and post-work beer garden drinking sessions. Vocalist Amunda stars on "Tonight", a unique blend of R&B, synth-driven reggae and Balearic boogie that has all the makings of a smile-inducing radio hit. If it's heavy dancefloor thrills you're after, virtual B-side "Disco Weapon" will do the trick; its' low-slung bassline, razor sharp horns, fizzing synth lines and rousing horns are tailor-made to guarantee dancefloor devastation.
Review: Bomb Strikes are back again with a potent punch as they bring forward the return of Shaka Loves You with his groovy new EP project entitled 'Boogie'. The title track is a smokey bag of grooves alongside Fullee Love, with 'Livin For Tonight' with NattySpeaks & Profit providing us with a more stripped back soulful feel. Following this, JFB joins the party for a super uplifting horn driven madness on 'So Funky', before we take a second to round the project off in style as Ant Thomaz joins the party on 'Flippin' Ya Mind', a slower soul number, driven by it's smooth vocal leads and expressive guitar riffs.
Review: As one of the most established brands within the sphere of future funk, Bomb Strikes have a real nack for presenting us with fresh, vibrant and tasteful new school breakbeat originals. Their latest drop comes courtesy of Shaka Loves You, who brings the smooth vibes of 'Boogie' to life through thick basslines, catchy drum grooves and some seriously enjoyable vocal work, making this one a instant favourite for sure!
Review: Just over a year ago, Glaswegian party-starters Shaka Loves You joined forces with festival-friendly funk breaks imprint Goodgroove to launch the Disco Series. This belated follow-up is as on-point as its predecessor and contains four-more chunks of fun-time, disco influenced workouts smothered in live instrumentation. We're particularly enjoying the hard-wired funk guitars, rising horns and insatiable vocals of "Dance, Dance, Dance", though throaty edit-not-edit "Ridin' High" - all hard-wired synth bass, shuffling house beats and P-funk flourishes - is also superb. The bouncy, dance-until-you-drop craziness of "In My Soul" (a largely instrumental edit of a well loved early '80s disco smasher) and jaunty opener "My Love" complete a fine package.
Review: Having spent much of their nine-year existence blazing a trail for good-time party breaks and ghetto funk, the crew behind Goodgroove Records has decided to turn their attention to disco. The first Disco Series release comes from Glaswegian party-starters Shaka Loves You, whose punchy, horn-heavy take on nu-disco owes much to their funk breaks background. There's much fun to be had throughout, from the electric piano heavy, organic disco-house bump of opener "Make It Last", to the toe-tapping, 107 BPM disco-funk-meets-ragga goodness of closer "Shake". In between, they stroll further towards summery funk territory on "Turn It Loose", and layer snaking saxophone lines over a rolling groove on the tasty "If You Give".
Review: Hailing from Glasgow, where their scorching, party-hearty blend of funk, soul, hip-hop, breaks and D&B goes down a storm, Shaka Loves you are a trio of ski and snowboard instructors-turned-DJs and producers. Here, they flex their party-rocking skills with a quartet of tried-and-tested bootleg mash-ups for the Radical Mixtape crew. There's plenty of gargantuan, speaker-shaking fodder on display, from the rave pianos, heavyweight breaks and electro bass of "Get Up & Dance", to the hip-hop-to-jungle hip-hop soul madness of standout cut "I Wanna Be On You". "Got The Feeling", with its' A Skillz-esque swing, and the chunkier "Bounce", are also predictably fun (and funky).
Review: Bringing a select bevvy of the best Bombstrikes tracks the label has released in 2020, it's enjoyed an explosive year of tunes from Krafty Kuts, Jet Boot Jack, Lack Jemmon, Shaka Loves You and more! They feature here with "Blow Your Whistle", a funked-out "Let's Move" and the lowdown swing-track "I'm A Boss". Other highlights include the Cypress Hill style hip house track "Stir It Up Sister (feat K MI & KDS)" to Prosper & Stabfinger's squelchy, space bubble cruise down mainstreet: "Down In The Basement (feat Awoke)". With some tear-out bass, horns and synths coming out of Ninjulas' "You Know I Like It", check out some lo-fi and slamming funk, disco and house from X-Ray Ted's "On The Floor'' alongside The Nice Guys' Godzilla-themes "Turn It Out" and Jet Boot Jack's strings in "Straight To My Head". Boom!
Review: Bomb Strikes, the UK hip-hop/funk/soul/breaks label headed up by Mooqee & Beatvandals, celebrated their 15th birthday in 2019 with a fantastic compilation album, and to further celebrate the success of the label in 2019 they're releasing another compilation featuring 15 of their best cuts from the past 12 months. What's most impressive is the variety on offer, ranging from straight-up hip-hop from Alexander Norman Prosper & Stabfinger, to party breaks from Ali B and Krafty Kuts, to 'new old' soul from Flevans, to the fairly self-explanatory 'Disco Weapon' and 'Mirror Ballin'' (by Shaka Loves You and X-Ray Ted, respectively. Tons of fun for festive season funkateers of all ages!
Review: Danish label Breakbeat Paradise are really starting to branch out with an increasingly broader approach to the styles and sounds of their roster. This new compilation sees them veer further into disco territory than we could ever have imagined. There are 10 cuts by some big re-edit names, with highlights including Dr Packer's Rappers Delight-style glitter-boogie stomp "Rollerskating Jam", Morlack's sizzling hiNRG jam "Party Til You Broke" and the serene, stonewashed-disco and Miami Vice vibes of "Turn The Music Up" by Shaka Loves You.
Review: Welcome to the sunkissed and free world of Swing Set Sounds, a label committed to sunshine melodies and grooves. Having cleverly built interest in this, their first artist compilation, by revealing a track at a time, the album is set to put the label (and the artists!) firmly on the map. Highlights include the slow and low organic hip-hop grooves of "Imagine This" by Shimi Sonic, the big drummed funky breaks of "Watch The Man" by D-Funk and the sparse Latin grooves of "La Majeur" by The Fritz. Once you visit this world, you won't want to leave.
Review: Crate digging in the Northern Soul scene is the gift that keeps on giving - an endless quest for rarer and rarer gems. Here Beatnik present a new collection that features nine classic Motown and Northern Soul cuts which have been sensitively retouched by some contemporary talent. Highlights include the celebratory, fizzy soul jam "Soul On Fire" by Shaka Loves You (yes, the one sampled by Beyonce), a Junkie XL-style makeover of Martha & The Vandellas on "Nowhere To Go" and Mak & Mr Bristow's muscled up take on The Rascals - "Olympic Lovin".
Review: It's a great sign of the state of music when the tenth installment of Tru Funk's Tasty Beats series, which normally features about five tunes, boasts 21 fresh new cuts! It's a veritable feast of party mash-up bangers, with something for everyone. Highlights include the funky Khia/Snoop blend of "Gangsta Lick", the cut-up electro-funk of "Golden Ass" and the hands-in-the-air Stevie Wonder madness of "Party Like We Do".
Review: Tru Funk have cooked up yet another funk feast, and there's plenty at the table for everyone. Maars kicks off proceedings with a skank-soaked ode to Biggie's "Machine Gun Funk". Chudy, meanwhile, presses the disco button with a series of well-known disco licks and piano hooks. Further on we find Shaka Loves You fusing Stevie Wonder and DJ Kool with infectious results and we get lively to Mako & Mr Bristow's firing Motown jungle flavours. Finally Warson maintains the 170 vibe for the EP climax as "Feel Good" rolls with sizzling soulful charm. Yummy.
Review: Fledgling label Funk Fusion have quickly hit the ground running - pushing their nu-funk agenda with joyous abandon. From the Sesame Street vibes of their promo pic, it's clear from the start that this label is all about having fun and their latest mash-up compilation "Fused Funk Vol 02" delivers it big time. There's 12 tough party tracks packed on here including the electro-hip-house of "Get Your Boogie On", the bleepy jump-up funk of "Hold On, I'm Comin" and the smooth retro closer "Danceflaw".
Review: A brand new label dedicated to the nu-funk crusade, Funk Fusion are launching with a serious statement of booty-shaking intent. With concentrated mid tempo party vibes littered throughout the set, there are some genuinely unique examples of creativity here... Including the harmonica and slap-bass mischief of "Seems Like A Dream", the rich crooning dancehall vocal of Waykin Bakaman on "The Scury", the haunted house-level scratchy bass on "Monster". With other highlights coming from X-Ray Ted (a discofied version of Junior Senior) Phunk Sinatra (Busta Rhymes goes Bollywood) and Rory Hoy (gritty horn heaven that nods to Exit Planet Dust), this really is a fantastic way to launch a label.
Review: Fun loving Party Breaks and Beats label Bomb Strikes serve up a retrospective collection curated by label bosses Mooqee and Beatvandals. With 31 full-length cuts plus a one-hour DJ mix, there's no faulting the VFM as we move through breaks, funk, hip-hop and the occasional gnarlier nugget. Standouts include Andy Cooper & The Allergies' rework of Run DMC's 'Mary Mary' and Beatvandals & A Skilz's 2007 cut 'Sunshine', which mashes up Roy Ayers and Indeep. But the one we keeping back to is Mooqee's 'Supacat Police' (2006), which makes devastating, ragga-fied use of chunks from a certain KRS-One classic that we won't insult your intelligence by naming!
Review: For the latest volume in their popular Disco Funkin' compilation strand, Bomb Strikes has handed over curation duties to rising star and Midnight Riot regular Natasha Kitty Katt. The Edinburgh DJ/producer's selections are undeniably addictive and on-point, moving between heavyweight re-edits (see her collaboration with Twisted Soul Collective, 'Twisted Katt', solo disco-funk tweak 'Edgarr!' and Oliver Boogie's slamming 'Dance Band'), superior nu-disco originals (Phoenix's piano-heavy 'Nature Dance', Fouk's sample-heavy 'Cat Lady' and the slick boogie revivalism of Lovebirds' 'Give Me a Sign') and loopy disco-house treats (the contributions from Shaka Loves You, Birdee, Hotmood and Mark Lower). Those looking for fresh dancefloor ammunition will find much to enjoy, while the Scottish DJ's accompanying mix is as entertaining and excitable as they come.
Review: Glasgow's Shaka Loves You has rightly earned a reputation as disco-centric duo on the rise. Because of this, it's little surprise to see them at the controls on Bomb Strikes' first foray into the disco-focused compilation market. The Scottish pair have naturally pulled out all the stops for the occasion, selecting 20 hot-to-trot cuts that aptly blur the boundaries between disco, funk, nu-disco, electro and boogie. Highlights include, but are in no way limited to, the hazy, sun-kissed soul of Lack of Afro's "Back To The Day", the thickset P-funk revivalism of Kraak & Smaak's "Dynamite" and the rubbery disco-house-meets-UK soul flex of the Reflex's remix of Omar's "Vicky's Tune". Throw in a tasty selection of the pair's productions and you have a suitably strong collection.
