Exploding onto the scene in 2004, UK-based Bomb Strikes wears the medal of honour for funk, broken beats, breaks and bass. Releasing tracks from Krafty Kuts, Tom Booze, A. Skillz, Nick Thayer, KW Griff, Featurecast, Pimpsoul and more, label leaders Beatvandals and Mooqee push a superb genre-bashing musical agenda fit for the dancefloor. Bomb Strikes has received global recognition and has been described as ‘predictably amazing’ by DJ Yoda.
It's crazy to think how much the label has grown and now works with artists and partners from around the globe. Alongside individual artist releases Bombstrike is also home to the much loved Funk n' Beats, Disco Funkin' and Bass Funk compilation series, with guest curators helping the listener discover new music or unearth forgotten classics.
We continue to push things forward with everything we do, whether it is releases, festival stages or club nights.... We always do it with our same founding ideals and will continue to do what we do best. Watch this space.
Review: Taken from the oustanding Bombstrikes compilation - Bass Funk Vol. 6 curated by the enigmatic Tom Booze, 'Ghetto Rave' is a new and exclusive track from the man himself. Just a small taste of what can be expected from the full release, this is just one track of many exclusives from the album, which also features music from heavyweights such as Thys (Noisia) & Two Fingers (AKA Amon Tobin), Opiuo, KOAN Sound, Krafty Kuts & PAV4N, The Funk Hunters & Kotek, Fort Knox 5 & Lazy Syrup Orchestra, A.Skillz, and Nick Thayer. As you would expect from Mr. Booze's releases, the assembled track listing is a perfectly curated collection of forward-thinking and groundbreaking Bass Funk.
Review: Back in July, Bombstrikes regulars The Nice Guys delivered a suitably summery, life-affirming chunk of accessible soulful house that had us purring with delight. This rapid follow-up, featuring the strong, diva-style vocals of Justina Lee Brown, retains the house beats while showcasing their soul and funk roots. The original mix - all crisp guitar licks, rubbery bass, disco horns and sing-along choruses - comes backed with a more tooled-up, all-action house re-wire from the Niceguys and solo bonus cut 'Travel'. This is a drowsy, thickset, synth-heavy, P-funk flecked, 'French Touch' style house workout that tips a wink to the likes of Cassius and Daft Punk.
The Niceguys - "City!" (How U Feel) - (5:44) 118 BPM
Review: A three-way team-up here as Bomb Strikes regulars The Niceguys join forces with genre-bending Canadian duo PINEO & LOEB and Jamaican vocalist Jah'Mila, the daughter of Wailers guitarist Earl 'Chinna' Smith. Together they've come up with 'Soul Is High', an uplifting, pop-tinged soulful houser that wouldn't have sounded out of place on one of Hed Kandi's 'Beach House' comps back in the day, while The Niceguys go it alone to bring us the pure 90s house vibes of 'City! (How U Feel)', which recalls podium classics like Blast's 'Crazy Man' or Tony Di Bart's 'The Real Thing'. Arms will be raised aloft for sure!
Review: There's not a huge amount we can tell you about Tom Booze, except that he has a clutch of previous EPs for Bomb Strikes under his belt and describes his music as "one part moonshine, one part hip-hop and a dash of electronica". This latest outing kicks off with the mid-paced synthy throbber that is 'Overdrive' itself, before dropping the tempo for the far funkier and sleazier 'Junk The Funk', while the slo-mo electronic chug of 'Fight Night' completes the EP. Solid stuff all round, but it's 'Junk The Funk' that takes the gold for this writer.
Review: What a funkadelic way to start the weekend as X-Ray Ted lands once again on Bomb Strikes for a vibrant display of breaksy bounce with two sizzling originals, jam-packed with colourful sampling and in-depth flare. First up, 'Doin' My Thing' delivers a shuffling waltz through northern-soul style vocals and horn lines, atop a shimmering plate of breaks-inspired drum work to create a dancefloor-ready shuffler. On the flip, 'Tribute To The Original Artform' combines groovy bassline action with colourful percussive drives and cowbell-infused melody, providing a wicked b-side and keeping the energy levels high as we round this one off.
Review: Collections of contemporary disco, funk and boogie grooves seem to be one of the very few consumer items NOT currently experiencing "supply chain issues" in this post-pandemic world of ours - there's no shortage of them around, is there? This Bomb Strikes comp, though, stands out from the herd for its sheer stylistic breadth. The album kicks off at the hip-hop-, funk- and soul-infused end of the spectrum, with cuts from the likes of Ivo Fitzroy and The Allergies, and slowly works its way up, via some more straight-up disco stompers in the mid-section, into uptempo disco-house territory. Possibly the only place you'll find Natasha Kitty Kat rubbing shoulders with The Hot 8 Brass Band, it's a pleasingly varied set that, as such, should find favour with a wide range of buyers.
Review: Taken from the forthcoming Bombstrikes compilation - Joints n' Jams Vol. 2, which is once again curated by Glasgow's funkiest Shaka Loves You. 'In My Arms' is a new and exclusive disco heater delivered by the duo themselves, showcasing why they can count Mighty Mouse, Spiller and Craig Charles amongst the ever-growing army of fans. This is just a little taste of what the full album has in store, with the assembled tracklist covering Disco to House, with Beats and Funk along the way, to truly capture the Shaka Loves You multi genre sound. Look out for music from the likes of Natasha Kitty Katt, Young Pulse, Hot 8 Brass Band, Opolopo, Birdee, The Allergies, and Izo Fitzroy to name a few.
Review: The Niceguys and Bobby Saint join forces on an upbeat, summery lil' groover that sits somewhere between His Purpleness circa 'Sexy MF' and the more pop-tastic likes of 'Uptown Funk'. Accessible enough for commercial floors but credible enough to be played, too, to more discerning audiences, with a following wind behind it 'Irie' could go all the way to the Top 40. Natasha Kitty Katt gives the track a competent housed-up makeover, while Flevans gives it a polish for the more soul-oriented floors: neither does anything particularly dramatic or radical but the two rerubs will help broaden its appeal for sure.
Review: With a very succesful 2021 now tucked into the belt, The Bomb Strikes crew look to kick off their new year campaign with a bang, welcoming ElectroGorilla inside for a colourful display of futuristic breakbeat strength. We begin this fabulous two-track display with 'Nothing' a heavily manipulated display of vocal precision and unpredictable percussive perusing, give the whole track a sneaky yet groovy feel, topped off with sweeping horn lines for good measure. On the flip, we jump into a much more electronic sounding design on 'Drop', a smorgasbord of digital delight, from the well timed scratches, to the intense horn slides and everything in between. This is a great way for the team to kick off their year!
Review: Bristol beatsmith X-Ray Ted teams up with the legendary Nathaniel Hall (aka Baby Bam of Jungle Brothers) to unleash this funk-fuelled jam on Bomb Strikes. Deep minded lyricism is accompanied by the best block rockin' beats to close out the year on "Get Out The House" (Dirty version) while for those of you thinking the original was a bit NSFW, never fear, the clean version is here and featured for your radio play pleasure.
Review: A simple two-tracker here from Glasgow duo Shaka Loves You, coming on Mooqee and Beatvandals' long-running Bomb Strikes label. 'Just A Little Time' is a fairly smooth-rollling contemporary disco jam given an energy boost in the mid-section via the injection of some ruff-edged Todd Terry-esque stabs, before the accompanying 'Gonna Work Out Fine' picks up that mid-90s disco-house ball and REALLY runs with it. Cosmic/Italo enthusiasts of the serious, chin-stroking variety may be left cold, but if it's energetic, unpretentious Saturday night fun and frolics you're after, step right on in - either of these cuts should serve your needs nicely.
Review: Featuring 22 full-length cuts plus a 42-minute mixed version, there's no faulting the VFM on offer from this Jim Sharp-helmed Bomb Strikes comp. Featuring tracks and mixes from the likes of The Allergies, The Nextmen, Ugly Duckling, Alice Russell, Lack Of Afro and Sam Krats, the emphasis here is on the kind of dusty funk/soul grooves that sit well alongside hip-hop and breaks - as opposed to the stack-heeled, silver-jumpsuited kind that goes better with disco - with standouts for this writer including Sly5thAve's moody, cinematic 'Shiznit' (think Shaft staring broodily out of a rain-streaked diner window) and Skill's 'Break It Down', a stuttery, stop-start gift for the jazz-dancers.
Review: We have come to expect naught but top quality from the Bomb Strikes Crew, who luck out big-time here with these two party-starting singalongs from X-Ray Ted. We begin with the title track 'Get It Started', which through some fierce sampling work explores the wicked combinations of slapping metallic drum sounds and groovy horn riffs, inspiring some serious dance floor energy. Secondly, 'Oh My Gee' applies an extra level of funkadelic groove as the heavily reverberated horn-lines take the lead role atop powerful subs and crunchy drums below. Fabulous stuff!
Review: Two contrasting but complementary cuts here from Glasgow duo and Craig Charles faves Shaka Loves You. 'Hangin' Out' comes on like a cross between authentically 70s-sounding 'new old' funk and hi-octane filter disco, but with the emphasis on the former; 'Stomp', meanwhile, is another fusion of similar elements but this time with the disco side of the equation firmly to the fore. Both will keep bodies moving on dancefloors for sure, but 'Stomp' is perhaps a little more immediate thanks to the sampled 'n' looped female "ha ha, get down" vocal that emerges around the halfway mark.
Get To Know - "Love Is The Answer" - (6:14) 120 BPM
Various - "Disco Funkin' Vol. 4" (continuous DJ mix by Birdee) - (1:11:43) 120 BPM
Review: Birdee is a rising star of the nu-disco and re-edit scenes, so it makes perfect sense that Bomb Strikes has recruited him to curate and mix the latest volume in their excellent Disco Funkin' compilation series. As you'd expect, it's a thoroughly and joyous affair, rich in colourful synth sounds, funky disco basslines and beats that flit between housed-up heaviness and more organic-sounding, less pumped-up grooves. There are tons of essential cuts amongst the 25 unmixed tracks on show, with highlights including the sun-bright rush of Pete Herbert's remix of Da Chick's 'Chick a Boom', the crunchy Clavinet-sporting disco-funk of Shaka Loves You's 'Let's Move (SLY Disco Rub)', the slick French Touch style warmth of Birdee's own 'Thinking About You' and Ray Mang's celebratory revision of Smoove & Turrell's 'Do It'.
Review: Following fine outings from Fort Knox Five, the Allergies, Smoove and Marc Hype, amongst others, Bomb Strikes' reliable Funk N' Beats compilation series returns with rising star X-Ray Ted at the controls. In keeping with the series' heavyweight, funk-fuelled style, the Bristol-based DJ and beat-maker has gathered together a killer collection of soul, hip-hop and funk club cuts, with a smattering of more laidback numbers to keep things fresh. Highlights are plentiful throughout, with our picks including the boom-bap brilliance is Aldo Vanucci's tidy remix of 'All Down' by Mr Doris and D-Funk, the dancefloor jazz heaviness of Nostalgia 77's 'Changes', the cut-and-paste craziness of Double Dee & Steinski's 'Jazz' and the disco-funk masterclass that is X-Ray Ted's own 'Party Time'.
Review: Taken form the forthcoming Bombstrikes compilation - Funk N' Beats Vol. 8, curated by Bristol DJ and Beat Smith X-Ray Ted, 'Party Time' is available digitally for the first time. Originally available on a limited run of vinyl, the release sold out within a matter of days. This one has already picked up some serious heat with support from DJ Koco, Krafty Kuts, and Craig Charles on his BBC Radio 2 show.
Review: A most loved artist within the Bomb Strikes arsenal is Ali B who's supplied a stream of music for the imprint over recent years, taking in collaborations with The Jungle Brothers, Nick Thayer and vocalists like Baby Bam, and now Afika NX. Turning in a bass heavy, 808 inspired jazz twist in the title-track, it's full of Atlanta hip hop attitudes - to broken beat and funk elements in the Fort Knox remix - "Swing It" goes as good in the club as it does your turbo charged whip.
Review: Seven months after their last outing for the popular Bomb Strikes imprint, label regulars Proper & Stabfinger return to action with another typically on-point three-tracker. We're particularly enjoying title track 'Body in Flexion', where mind-altering synthesizer arpeggio lines, Clavinet style riffs and cut-up female hip-hop vocal snippets ride filthy bass and the bounciest of electro beats. Everyman lends a hand on 'Boogie To The Disco', a revivalist nu-disco stomper full of Chic-style guitar riffs, weighty drums, walking bass and sweeping synth-strings, while 'Bounce With Me' is a similarly funk-fuelled vocal number that would no doubt be tearing up clubs right now if any were actually open.
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: 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: Introducing Mr.Doris & D-Funk who make their debut on Bombstrikes. Known for sets and residencies at Glitterbox, Space and Pacha, the Ibiza-based Mr.Doris hooks up with Sydney selector D-Funk to wheel in a fusion of explosive soul, hip hop and house grooves with touches of vocal class from N'Fa Jones and Cantaloop. Led by suave and waxed lyrics sung with jazzy tropes alongside warm rhodes, broken beat rhythms and a hot chorus to boot, Aldo Vanucci turns up the horns in his remix while adding weight to the drums and that all-famous 'turn it up' vocal. Word.
Review: Since the start of the year, Jet Boot Jack has remixed a classic Nightwriters track and released a mixture of re-edits and original productions on Sundries Digital, Rare Wiri, Hot Digits, Dubplate Disco and Midnight Riot. Here the fast-rising producer continues his seemingly unstoppable ascent via a tasty two-tracker on Bomb Strikes. Lead cut 'Straight to My Head' is a punchy and potent chunk of celebratory disco-house bounce heavy in weighty bass, swirling special effects, cut-up vocal snippets and sampled 1970s instrumentation. He ups the tempo and intensity on 'Straight to My Feet', a surging and stomping slab of peak-time disco-house heaviness that makes great use of Latin-style horn blasts, elongated build-ups and the kind of razor-sharp guitar licks more often associated with Chic's Nile Rodgers.
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: Bomb Strikes are back at it again with more explosive behaviour here as they continue their thoroughly enjoyable run of releases, welcoming two original smashes from Lack Jemmon. We kick off our look into this release with 'Don't Stop', which takes its place as title track for a reason as we are engulfed in a wash of sumptuous eastern melodic plucks and big room drum snaps, giving us a worldly level of production. On the flip side we take in 'I'm A Boss', another eastern inspired piece when it comes to melodic structure, this time using tooting saxophone lines over blippy drum expressions and well placed vocal samples to round the project off with a bang.
Review: The team at Bomb Strikes have been having a masterful 2020 in regards to the music they have been putting out there, a statement backed up by this blistering barrage of bass and breaks from Ninjula. The title track 'Spanish Princess' is an absolute weapon of a tune, combining catchy latin horn structures with lethal reesey synthesizer slaps to kick us off with a bang. Following this, 'You Know I Like It' takes a catchy riff alongside more potent horn lines to generate a spicy warbler, closely followed by the slower drum structures and choppy synth designs of 'What You Got' to round off an impressive selection.
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: 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: Bomb Strikes are back at it again, welcoming back the infamous sounds of Krafty Kuts for a brand new single, bringing some much needed good vibes into the world during this unusual time. Right from the off, the levels are high as we are greeted by smooth percussion based introductory rhythms, leading us rapidly towards an extremely vibrant breakdown. The drop itself consists of rapidfire synthesizer slaps, unpredictable horn lines and the occasional vocal inflection, all wrapped up within a bag of super energetic drum designs for good measure. This one is definitely a party starter!
Review: Bomb Strikes bring us two fat-assed slabs of contemporary from X-Ray Ted, a producer from Bristol, UK with the best artist name we've come across since Ken At Work! 'On The Floor' centres around a plangent six-string riff that plays throughout, augmented by two competing vocals - one male and chanted, the other a more discofied, female "get on the floor, let's rock, let's do it some more" - and underpinned, naturally, by a full-phat bassline. 'Chopsy's Groove' opens with more guitars and a Lightnin' Rod-like spoken vocal, then develops into a sax-led jazz-funker with a seriously hefty bottom end. Dancing will ensue, you mark our words.
Review: Bomb Strikes are back! Yet again they have brought some serious ammunition with them as they welcome Prosper & Stabfinger for three tracks of seriously groovy delight. We kick off with the title track 'Down In The Basement', which combines disco-like melodies with funky clav experiments and patois vocal lines for a real mashup of styles alongside Awoke. Next, 'Lucky Six' wheels into play with its jazzy horn lines and party flavours, also featuring work from Lions Pride. Finally, Fedorovski gets busy with a super experimental take on 'Boogie Bugi', smashing affected vocal lines with a potent bassline and crunchy percussive influxes. Tasty!
Review: Next up from the incredibly consistent Bomb Strikes imprint, we have Kibosh joining the party for two tracks of neurotic twisted magnificence, kicking off the title track 'Loopback'. This one unleashes a vibrant, unpredictable bass lead with writhes and evolves alongside the track, alongside super punchy drum licks and vocal additions. On the flip side, we dive into the funkadelic flex of 'Fire'. This one is seriously groovy, with catchy wah wah riffs and smooth horn lines to match. Very saucy stuff indeed from the Bomb Strikes team.
Review: Next up, from the ever-prepared Bomb Strikes, we see them welcome in a legendary selection as Krafty Kuts returns for a new collection of breakbeat goodness. We kick off with the title track 'Masterplan', alongside the rave-ready sounds of Dynamite MC, who lets loose a barrage of party starting verses with typical efficiency. Next up, the soiree intensifies as 'Boom' lands with a major impact, delivering big room synthesizer bangs and bouncy drum arrangements, before the uber groovy soul sampling of 'Superbad' sees the EP round off with a dash of serious finesse. Lovely stuff!
Review: As ever with Bomb Strikes, we are given a big room banger, this time sounding bigger than ever as The Niceguys land with a very lively creation entitled 'Turn It Out'. Through a combination of heavily sampled guitar solos, vinyl scratch wizardry and incredibly hard hitting drum designs, this one is sure to send the dancefloor into an absolute ruckus come the breakdown. To accompany the instantly impactful original, Dubra gets involved with a hard hitting D&B rethink, focusing on striking synths and sharp drum designs. Lovely stuff!
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!
