Review: For their latest statement of intent, Bristol's nu-funk troubadours The Allergies have found a new home at Goodgroove. They've consummated the relationship in fine style too, going a whopping four times in the process. "Special People" is a roaring breaky funker that could easily be mid-70s O'Jays. Elsewhere we get daisy age hip hop jam "React", vintage Stax-style stomper "As We Do Our Thing" and guitar-led rap "Feel Alright". We're glad they're back!
Review: Those searching for formidable, funk-fuelled party fodder should be well aware of the Riddim Fruit label, one of the more reliable sources of mash-up madness. This EP from The Allergies - complete with heavy beats, scratches, borrowed rap vocals and funk breaks aplenty - should cause carnage in those clubs that still rock the breakbeat vibe. Lead cut "Heartbreaker" sets the tone by revisiting a little known funk stomper, while "Club Spillage" fuses bottom-heavy boom-bap beats with quality raps and slick Hammond organ licks. "Seven Days" spices up a string-laden funk-soul jam with some weighty breakbeat pressure, while "Ever Live" slows the tempo for some sweet soul-hop bumpiness. Predictably solid.
Review: With all the amazing dubstep and D&B coming from the city, you could be fooled into thinking bass is Bristol's only fashion. Well it's not; there's also a thriving nu funk scene, and each of the four cats on this generous EP are leading the charge. The Allergies lay down an authentic Dap Kings style vibe on, Parker drops the tempo for a slow, sludgy and remarkably sexy bass bust-up, Mr 50 pays homage to one of the sweetest chocolates on the planet by way of shivering 8-bit bleepery, swampy bass and nifty accordion squeezes and Frenic completes the set with a crisp, dramatic ode to the big beat glory days. Call the fashion police, this shizzle is hot!
Review: The second in Booty Fruit's "Proper Produce" series sees four new funk-propelled mash ups hitting the virtual shelves this week. Among the highlights, Beastie Boys fans will certainly appreciate El Bomba & Hidden Riddim's "Dr Fluteski", which uses the same sample source as the NYC legends' "Flute Loop", while The Allergies give Blueboy's "Remember Me" an '80s soul rerub.
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: The Allergies seem to have settled into a routine with their releases lately - one retro-tastic 'new old' funk/soul jam with a sung vocal, plus one slice of funked-up hip-hop - and so it is again here. 'Felony' is all dusty horn parps, live drums and soulful male vocal, while the accompanying 'Ride 'Em Up' finds the Bristolian crew at their most Stereos-esque while a guest rap from Andy Cooper alternates with a sultry female soul vocal. There's nothing especially groundbreaking going on, but if your toes aren't tapping you might want to double-check that you remembered to put your feet on this morning...
Review: The Allergies are duo (DJ Moneyshot and Rackabeat) who hail from Bristol. However unlike many a fellow Bristolian, these guys don't produce bone-rattling bass productions, instead they opt for the 'feel-good, energetic ear candy' of mashed-up funk, soul, disco and breaks. Their album, As We Do Our Thing, is out now, and here we have two tracks culled from it. First up, "Love's Supposed To Be" fuses twangy, Fatboy Slim/Wiseguys-style '90s big beat with a soaring soul vocal, whilst on the digital flipside the album's title track is all about loose '60s R&B/soul loops - pure party (guilty) pleasures!
Review: Bristol's The Allergies (aka Moneyshot and Rackabeat) blew people's minds with their debut LP, As We Do Our Thing and now they are back with follow up, Push On. We're used to the pair effortlessly fusing funk, Northern soul and big beats but this time round they've expanded their horizons to also feature hip-hop, with UK MC veteran, Dr Syntax (The Mouse Outfit, Foreign Beggars) joining the fray. Some of the many highlights include the retro soul stomp of "Entitled To That", the Fatboy-goes-back-to-sixties Southern soul of "Since You've Been Gone" and the clavinet-driven funk of "Get Down On You".
Review: Last year, Bristol's successful neo funkateers, The Allergies, delivered a strong LP, As We Do Our Thing, on Jalepeno. However rather than rest on their laurels, the pair (aka Moneyshot and Rackabeats) have continued to release new material. "Entitled To That" is their latest non-LP track and it's a blinder! Furious 60s beats stomp ahead with tambourines, claps and raucous female vocals right behind - a super authentic Motown-style jam of Marthe Reeves-proportions. On the digital flipside, "Get Down To You", looks more to the 70s for inspiration, with a tight clavinet and wah-wah guitar-led funk groove that's impossible to resist.
Review: Bristol crew The Allergies present an EP that showcases the two different strands to their musical output perfectly. 'Every Trick In The Book' is a straight-up 'new old' funker with live-sounding brass, Hammonds, a suitably fat bottom-end and an absolutely scorching female vocal from the "raw and blues-y" school of thought. There's a strong late 60s/early 70s feel to this one (some 80s-ish synth licks in the middle notwithstanding), whereas the accompanying 'Nuff Respect' finds Aspects returning to their rap roots, spitting impressively fast-flowing, polysyllabic bars atop a backing of funk beats and scratches. A treat for soul boys, b-boys and backpackers alike.
Review: The Brighton based 'Jalapeno' imprint has been the life and soul of the party for the last few years now, with recent releases continuing to impress, injecting some serious soul into the south coast. This time around they bring forward The Allergies for a vibrant two track EP, kicking off with 'Can't Keep Working This Hard'. As a composition, it's funk-o-meter is unrivalled, pulling in deliciously crunchy grooves with some top draw vocal work. On the flip, Andy Cooper joins the jamboree with some smooth rap vocals layered over the rawcus composition of 'Run It Back', bringing together top draw basslines and classic drum design
Review: Bristolian duo The Allergies have long made a speciality of taking hip hop back to its funk roots, and 'When The Heat Comes Down' is no exception, with the pair's fast-flowing rap vocal underpinned by a full-phat bassline, soaring brass and some fine wukka-wukking guitar. 'Big Bad Woman' is a different kettle of fish, having something of a mod jazz vibe to its shuffling drums, boogie-woogie piano and wigged-out 60s organ flurries, all of which are topped by a full-lunged but uncredited female vocal announcing "I'm a big bad woman and I'll eat you alive". Crazy, daddio!
Review: The Bristolian duo of DJ Moneyshot and Rackabeat return with a four-track EP on their regular home of Jalapeno Records. 'Keep It Moving' itself is up first, placing a full rap vocal atop a single, looping soul sample, making it arguably one more for the hip-hoppers than the funkateers. But more organic funk pleasures can be found on the rambunctious, party-starting 'When The Heat Comes Down' and Smoove's Acid Jazz-leaning remix of 'Run It Back', both of which feature The Allergies' trademark fast flow in full effect, while female-vocalled closer 'Entitled To That' sees a change in pace and will satisfy those in search of some raw soul grooves.
Review: This is the third album in as many years from the Bristolian hip-hop/funk duo, who are also festival favourites, so there's a good chance you already have a pretty good idea what they sound like. For the uninitiated, then old school block-party hip-hop would be one obvious point of reference, Stereo MCs another - but The Allergies throw far more than just rap into the pot, with soul, funk, jazz, R&B, breakbeat and rock elements weaving in and out of Steal The Show's 13 tracks. Guests on the album include Andy Cooper, Izo FitzRoy, Skunkadelic, ASM, Uncle Frank and Dr Syntax.
Review: Having 'done their thing' so successfully last year with their debut album, Moneyshot and Rackabeats stride into 2017 with their targets set on another LP. The trip starts here with the seasonally-timed hip-swaying party jam. "Love That I'm In" purrs with sultry vocals, flexed with rippled lyricism from long-time compadre Andy Cooper and laid back funk guitar/bass groove. Silky, sunny, catchy.. The Allergies continue to deliver some serious gold.
Review: What a trip it's been for The Allergies; rolling from one killer album to the next, funk is flying from their HQ at a rate of knots. Here are two fine examples from their last LP Push On, both featuring their long-time friend and MC from Andy Cooper. Best known for his witty wordplay and character on Ugly Duckling records, here Andy gets to show off both sides to his expansive flow; "Main Event" is a chubby disco groove laced with mountains of funk, creating space for Andy's laidback-but-hypey charm. In perfect contrast "Buzzsaw" is a much sweatier funk jam allowing Cooper to get rapid and tongue-twisty in a way that only he knows how. Keep on pushing...
Review: Home to artists such as Mr Bird, Mr 50 and Funkanomics, Devon-based beat stable Riddim Fruit have developed a peachy reputation since their inception in 2010. Here we find them curating their most laidback, soulful jams on Cloud Watching. Perfect for headphones and warm-ups alike, this inaugural collection bridges the gap between glitch, triphop, downtempo and soul with true style. Highlights include the crooning horns and soft mournful vocal cries on "Cold Blooded Murder", the lolloping laidback vibes and filtered loops of "Boy Mayers" and the confident, smokey classic hip-hop badness of "Back Packers". Watch clouds for long enough and you'll start seeing shapes. This particular shape is a massive thumbs up. Riddim Fruit have smashed it on this one.
Rackabeat & Bar-Low - "Just Wanna Love You" - (3:46) 89 BPM
Skiitour - "Runnin" - (4:46) 92 BPM
Kalamari Beats - "Let It Be" - (4:14) 92 BPM
Review: Hot on the heels of the inaugural collection earlier this month, along comes an equally stunning follow up. Dedicated to the more chilled, funkier and soulful side of the breakbeat sound, the whole collection works perfectly in all situations: headphones, house parties and heady festival afternoons. Expect all manner of sunny sonics throughout the 10 track set, including shimmering skank maxing on "Think Back", somnambulant flute flurries on "Don't Feel Bad", a mesmerising blend of splashing percussion and belly-driven vocals on "Just Wanna Love You", and a whole load more. Dig deep and submit to the clouds. You'll be glad you did.
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: Featurecast flexes hard into the crates right here: digging deep over 20 years of party breaks, he's put together the definitive journey of funk with the refreshing devil may care attitude we've come to expect. His selection excavations are here for all the benefit from... The Wiseguys's lesser-spotted jam "One For The Ladies", Lack Of Afro's horn-melting "The Outsider", Max Sedgley's sugar-sweet "Happy", Flevans' Afrofunk shake-up "12 Apostles" and Featurecast and Aldo Vanucci's 2008 hoe-down stomper "Blue Grassed Devil" are just some are just some of the floor-matured classics amid the 25 cuts on offer here. And that's before we even get to awesome mix. Don't dillydally on this one.
Review: Jalapeno Records present a 17-track V/A collection of contemporary funk grooves, all of which have been given a makeover by Smoove, of Smoove & Turrell fame. There are some big names from the 'new old' funk scene represented (Haggis Horns, Nicole Willis, Smoove & Turrell themselves) but as you might expect from the label it's on, the emphasis is more on party-hearty funk breaks/funk-hop than out-and-out 60s/70s revivalism. Renegades Of Jazz's 'Fire' with its wukka-wukking geetar and guest rap vocal from The Allergies is one standout, King Bee's O'Jays-biting 'Money Gone' another, but dive on in and find your own faves...
Review: Cypress Hill getting mashed up and personal with Led Zeppelin, Biggy getting busy over The 45 Kings, an electro-skank remix of Sister Nancy... these are just three of the super-cheeky bootleg treats on offer right here. Booties can go one way or the other; poorly pitched cut n' shut or clever, witty and complementary. These definitely fall in the latter. From furry flute bliss ("Dr Fluteski") to Busta Rhymes on a major skank-up ("Kingston Bounce"), this ticks all the right party boxes.
Review: Like the proverbial rolling stone, Jalapeno Records just keeps on going. The continued quality of the long-serving British label's releases is confirmed by this tenth edition of their digital-only "Jalapeno Funk" compilation series. There's naturally plenty of party-hearty peak-time fare to be found throughout, with highlights coming quick and fast. These include Supasoul's sun-bright rework of Funkysoul's trumpet-laden "The Inside Man", the leisurely breaks, Hammond solos and rich guitars of Dr Rubberfunk's "Pressure Cooker", the bustling funk/hip-hop fusion of Smoove's revision of the Allergies' "Run It Back" and the synth-bass propelled goodness of Basement Freaks' "Bring It back (feat Kamy)". It is, though, all pretty damn hot.
Review: One of Shambhala's most revered and friendliest neighbourhoods Fractal Forest celebrate 20 years of leftcentric bassline hurly burly with another resplendent all-star cast compilation. Ranging from the snake-like sleazing and horn melting funk of Opiou's "Ginger Lizard" and the organ melting sassiness of Neighbour's "Summertime Girls" to outright Krafty Kuts classics ("We Do This") and zippy bumpers from the Stanton Warriors ("Walking") via powerful full fat funk such as Gramatik's "Future Crypto" and A Skillz almighty brass band blazing classic "Dead Ringer", this whole collection represents one of North America's wildest, warmest and vibiest parties. Here's to another 20 years of Fractal fire.
Review: The 'Jalapeno Funk' series reaches its 11th installment, which is no mean feat! As such, you should have a pretty good idea what to expect here already, and you'd be right. All the usual Jalapeno suspects - Flevans, Skeeweiff, Smoove & Turrell, Speedometer, The Allergies, Dr Rubberfunk, Aldo Vanucci - are present and correct, and while it has to be said there aren't many stylistic surprises or curveballs on offer, fans of the label's trademark funk 'n breaks sound will be more than satisfied, with highlights including Flevan's light-footed 'Speculate' and Vanucci's Hammond-toting 'Get A Hold On This'.
Review: UK purveyours of funky breaks, Bombstrikes Records, may have a controversial name but there's everything to love about their sound. The fun loving and dancefloor bothering label run by Mooqee & Beatvandals was founded in 2004 and they claim that if you have been to a club since then you will most likely have heard their releases. Well then! Starting off with the low slug funk of A Skillz's "Mooger Fooger (dub mix)", Mooqee & Beatvandals themselves appear with "Back Up" and the legendary Cut La Roc is still at it; "Sunday Morning People" (Herbgrinder remix)" proves that he's still got his finger on the pulse. Other highlights include Pimpsoul's ever soulful "Is This Love (feat Pat Fulgoni - Pimpsoul funk remix)" the street attitude of A Skillz & Beatvandals "Simply Playing (feat Real Elements)" and the legendary Martin Solveig (remixed by the equally legendary Mousse T) who appears with the James Brown sampling "I'm A Good Man".
Review: Oh Lord, the Bomb Strikes again! It's the fourth volume of the unbeatable Funk N' Beats, mixed and 'sexified' by the inimitable Fort Knox Five! The man has collected an impressive number of artists and tunes right here, featuring the likes of The Fundamentals, Basement Freaks, Kormac, BadBoE, and many more beat smiths who are utterly up for a proper showdown! If you're stuck for beats, holding out on bass, or have been missing a bit too much funkiness from your life, then hit that download button and get movin'...
Review: As ever, the Bomb Strikes imprint delivers an awesome package to us with this brand new 25 track compilation entitled 'Funk N' Beats Vol. 5', To be honest, it's exactly what it says on the tin as The Allergies head up waves and waves of funkadelic rhythms and crunchy riffs. For us the highlights have to be the futuristic drum processing and subtle percussive movements of 'Loose Gardner' from Flevans, along with the classic breakbeat fusion of 'Fire' remixed by Smoove but originally produced by the Renegades Of Jazz. With the sheer depth of the project it's easy to get lost within the tracklisting, which is always a good sign on a large scale compilation.
