Review: Jiggy Joe is known for his breaky electro-swing style party jams, but here with pal Skeewiff he explores more of the 'ghetto Latin' style peddled by the latter over the last couple of years. It's a move that generally works a treat with "Shake It" being a jaunty cumbia shuffle full of Miami in 40s pizzazz. Ursula 1000 adds some bleepy b-boy electro into the mix too whilst Rory Hoy goes for a more straight up 4/4 remix. Elsewhere Joe hooks up with Jazz K Lippa for the tougher electro-hop of "Welcome" and Rayna MC on the dubby skank of "My Town". All bases covered on this party mix of an EP.
Review: Samplemeister and swing-hopper extraordinaire, Skeewiff, dropped his Latin-tinged LP Ghetto Latin & Broken Ballroom to great acclaim back in 2013. Now it's back and spruced up with a slew of remixes. It's an ambitious package featuring loads of different styles, and especially on the D&B-tinged "Rumba Style (Swingrowers mix)", the lazy brass-fest "Making Those Changes (Minimatic mix)" and Latin-tech of "Tango De La Destruction (Jayl Funk mix)", it definitely succeeds.
Review: One of the scene's most consistent and unabashed funkers Skeewiff follow up their 'sensually inspired' EP with a sweaty clutch of respectful remixes. It's a vibrantly international affair too as Fab Samperi polishes up the sexy French tones of "Mr Debonair" and Omegaman turns his Cuban heels into a pair of Cuban stilts on "No Puede Esperar". Elsewhere we find Jiggyjoe giving "Heatwave" go-faster stripes and Skeewiff going head-to-head with Shawn Lee on a live, organic D&B slammer rub of "I Got Soul". Unleash the animal in you and grab this today!
Review: Spy chase-obsessed breaks/loungecore mash-up merchants Skeewiff come firmly under the "veteran" category, having peddled their particular brand of funtime groovery since the tail end of the 1990s. Here, they drop their tenth album, and for the most part, it's business as usual. Fans will surely lap-up Man Turns Animal's cheeky blend of funk-fuelled breakbeat fun, tongue-in-cheek '60s kitsch ("The Happy Whomp"), scratch-happy break digging ("Man Turns Animal"), party-hearty Latin fun ("No Puede Esparar", "Moomba Mamba"), head-nodding soul ("Mr Debonair") and downtempo curiosities ("Bull In A China Shop"). There's also a sprinkling of bona fide floorfillers ("Heatwave", "Sizzle Chest") for those seeking instant gratification.
Review: Calling all samba soundhounds, polka party people, rumba revellers and bossa bandits! Sample-smashing instrumentalist Skeewiff returns with another incredible album, this time exploring the bountiful creative pastures of Latin America. Highlights abound across the 13 track selection, including the horn-blazed sizzling sunset showdown of "Burro Magico", the accordion-squeezing, bass-burping cumbia stomper "Fritada De Cumbia" and the frenetic future bossa nova "Meu Amor". Skeewiff never disappoints, and this is no exception.
Review: A true party patriot, Skeewiff's been involved in UK dance music for almost 20 years and is one of the founding members of Jalapeno's unique funk movement. With albums racking up into the teens, he knows how these things work... Consistency, clarity, cool collaborations and a powerful party message. Each box ticked, highlights include Ashley Slater's syrupy tones on "Slam Your Funky Funk Funk", the outrageous badman bass glitch fury on "Setting It Off", the dainty piano sprinkles and woozy horn magic of "Dr Groove" and the car-chase jazz boogie power of "Snakeweed" with original rare groove champions the Brand New Heavies. If you know Skeewiff's work, you'll already know this is a bonafide funk odyssey. If you're new to his work then here's your chance to get acquainted. Fo shizzle.
Review: Now over 20 years into their career, Latin-funk-big beat fusionists Skeewiff return with an album that touches on multiple music bases. The album opens with 'Starsky & June', an energetic slice of car chase funk that owes a considerable debt of inspiration to Isaac Hayes' classic 'Theme From Shaft'. Elsewhere, rapper Baby Bam guests on three tracks that will keep the hip-hop lovers happy, while jazzier flavas can be found on another trio of cuts featuring acid jazz survivors Brand New Heavies. One of these latter three, 'Cosmic Space Jam', is a particular standout, as is the rambunctious, 1920s-inspired 'Cheeky Charlie'.
Review: Veteran UK retro breaks duo Skeewiff (aka Alex Rizzo and Elliot Ireland) recently caused a splash with the release of their first album in ages, Skeewiff In Wonderland. Now they're back again, this time with a new, non-LP single. "Coming Home Baby" appears here in three versions: an acapella (or 'Wiffapella") a single edit and the full length version. Out favourite is the latter where you get nearly eight whole minutes of searing DnB beats fuelling a shimmy-tastic 50s/60s-style swing-along. Also included is the Austin Powers-meets-The-Spencer-Davis-Group Hammond heavy romp, "Triumph Stag". Groovy, baby!
Review: Exclusive to us here at Juno Download, we present the new full length by Legendary British duo Alex Rizzo and Elliot Ireland aka Skeewiff. TheIr block rocking beats have made them stalwarts of the Jalapeno label as well as appearing regularly for Rambling and out of Japan and their own Pedigree Cuts imprint. Their cut and paste 'cinerama' is twisted and transported via five dimensions throughout the album and perfectly encapsulated on this thrilling soundtrack to a departure. Highlights include the liquid drum and bass of dynamic opener "Down The Rabbit Hole", the uplifting 'soul-step' of "Pig & Pepper" (that has the Hospital Records kinda sound) as well as "Who Stole The Tarts" which goes for glitchy and bleepin' beats and bass shenanigans.
Review: Skeewif is one of the many breakbeat editors who knows his craft and, most importantly, knows how to get people moving and onto the floor. Back on the bustling Japaleno imprint, he drops the funkiness of "Mexican Flyer" all over fast-moving jazz drums, sampled and re-shaped to a 4/4 sort of stance - an excellent, party-rocking bombshell. "Delta", on the other hand, is all about the soulfulness, dropping organs, breaks and glam vocals over a tight drum groove - sounding a little choral and gospel-like. Oh, Lord!
Review: Rather than simply bask in the adulation from their recent 'best of' compilation, this Italian duo are back at work, this time delivering "Skeewiff In Brazil", a 14 track collection of 'bozza novas, sambas and Latin beats". With explanations like this there's no prizes for guessing what it sounds like (fuss-free Latin tinged party fare), but they still throw in some surprises including the dubstep-influenced "Like A Bossa" and the hip-hop of "Blame It On Rio".
Review: Swing-hop hero Skeewiff was off gallivanting around Brazil recently, producing all kinds of Latin-tinged gems. Now he's back on home ground with the equally popular Shawn Lee for seven collaborative rejigs of some tasty vintage nuggets. We get a whole selection of different retro styles here, but our faves include the cowbell, hammond and big, lazy beats of "Cramp", the total Austin Powers-style wig out of "Teen Beat" and the odd analogue electro romp of "Groovin".
Skeewiff & Syd Dale - "The Quick Brown Foxtrot" - (3:55)
Review: Funky break veterans Skeewiff are back (having apparently won 'Best Electro-Swing Producers Of The Year 2012 award), this time with a bumper packed collection of their remixes of cult 1970s British library music (one of their favourite sources of breaks). There's lots of loungey exotic action to choose from including the sassy, brassy "Scarper", the trippy "Hyper Hippo", the driving, clenched teeth disco rock of "Jet Propelled" and the many collabs with original bandleader Syd Dale (the best of which being the kitschy D&B of "Supermarket Hustle").
Review: Two months have passed since their inaugural volume and Beatnik City return with another chop-walloping, swash-buckling party frenzy. Their emphasis remains fully focused on the big beat vibe as each of the contributors boil down myriad genres from blues to rock to roots to classic b-boy hip-hop and recode them around swinging mid tempo breakbeats. Each cut will massage any gathering you perform to, but stand out cuts include The Captain's Toots-tweaked skank-slammer "Feel Alright", the slower, almost Todd Terje style blues stomp of "Beatbox Baby" and the unabashed sing-along feels of Rory Hoy's "Runaway Again". Unfettered booty business aimed directly at the cheeriest parties.
Review: A little funk sensibility can be the best of remedies to sooth your winter chills, and this new 20-track compilation from JalapeNo is the perfect remedy. The imprint has it down when it comes to releasing contemporary soul-dance, and peeps like the Ephemerals, Basement Freaks, and Izo Fitzroy are all revelations in of themselves. Just to give you a little flavour of this steaming hotpot of sounds and grooves, there's a little tribal disco slaying on Soopasoul's "Hustlin'", vintage Motown soul with The Allergies and "Since Youave Been Gone", and contemporary r&b vibes through the vocal talent of Alexia Coley and her "Jekyll & Hyde" tune. There's something in here for all walks of life, so be sure to flick through this baby to find your kink.
Review: Two albums for the price of one... Not only is this a fantastic showcase of Pimpsoul's mixing ability, DJ dynamics and selection skills, but, as individual tracks, Funk N Beats Volume 1 also acts as a great nu-funk collection. Joining the dots between formative genre-setters (Breakestra's "Cramp Your Style" and Skeewiff's "Feelin' Fine") to modern day dancefloor bangers (Rory Lyon's "I Got 5 On It" and Mr No Hands' "Feeling Fine") this touches every corner of the party-loving dancefloors. Nu-funk is riddled with label compilations but very few albums that reach further than in-house output. Big props to both Pimpsoul and Bombstrikes.
Review: From their recent online musings, it seems that the award-winning Scour Records seem to be as equally fond of the other type of swinging as they are the style of music they've done so well at releasing thus far. Thankfully here we're only about the music and what a lot of it there is on Scoured Swing Vol 1. Here label owner DJ Spinforth selects eight of the best new jams around. Highlights include the classy, laid back opener "About Me" by The Fritz, the dubstep-meets-Charleston vibes of "Swingers" by Father Funk and the epic electro-swing monster "Cufflinks & Caviar" by Tuxedo Junction.
Review: Thanks to his BBC 6Music show, self-styled "complete package" - comic, actor, radio presenter, DJ and stand-up poet - Craig Charles has become the UK's best-known funk and soul enthusiast. It's perhaps unsurprising, then, that his annual Funk & Soul Club compilations are extremely popular. This third collection is every bit as potent as predecessors, featuring as it does a riotous mix of heavy funk, horn-totin' soul revivalism, dancefloor-friendly funk breaks (Skeewiff and Stephen Gray), cheeky brass band workouts (Hot 8 Brass Band's famous cover of "Sexual Healing") and a dash of smooth soul (the effortless Omar). With all bases covered and some killer material, it should be essential listening for all those of a soul and funk persuasion.
