Review: In all honesty, we're not quite clear on exactly what genre the Washington trio of Thunderball really specialise in, but we love that about their catalogue. From breaks through to jungle, disco and house, the group never leave you wanting more. This latest release, a heavily packed remix LP of their Declassified album, literally touches upon every style of dance-oriented music, which is something that perfectly encapsulates their diversity in terms of approach. You got peeps like Thievery Corporation, Boca 45, Avatars of Dub, and many others laying down the utter truth. Jazzy, disco-tinged, funked-out and capable of winning over even the most timid of dancers. Big shot moves...
Review: Thunderball, the self-proclaimed "ambassadors of style" are a Washington, DC based trio (Rob Myers, Steve Raskin and Sid Barcelona) have made a worldwide name for themselves with their own unique brand of cinematic dub. Released on Fort Knox, Cinescope is their latest long player and it features 12 sizzling new cuts with appearances from pals like Miss Johnna M, Mustafa Akbar, 'reggae shamans' See-I and even hip-hop legend Afrika Bambaataa. Highlights include the sitar-laced, Bollywood referencing opener "Road To Benares", the tough, breaky 70s funk of "Thunder In The Jungle" and retro Latin fun of the kitschy "Chicachiquita".
Review: Washington DC's Fort Knox Five released the Pressurize The Cabin LP about 18 months ago, and since then they've toured every corner of the globe, releasing many remixes along the way too. Now they've had time to collect all these reworks onto one album and it's a biggie - 20 tunes strong in fact. Some of the many highlights include All Good Funk Allianance's staccato-synth sing-along version of "Fire In My Belly", The Funk Hunters' cut-up electro version of "Whatcha Gonna Do" and the DJ Dan/Mike Balance acid-funk remix of "Keep It Poppin". Something for everyone here.
Review: For dubbed-out space cadets, See-I, their Knowledge Shine Bright album is the groovy gift that keeps on giving. Throughout last year we were treated to a slew of EPs featuring reworked versions of the album's various tracks. Now they present a kind of best of these remix EPs, with the whole album represented in reworked form. There are 13 tunes to enjoy, highlights including the stormin' electro-breaks sizzler "Queen Of Sheeba", Astronaut Jones' shimmering chill-out version of "Rebel In Blue" and Mikkim's DnB meets rocksteady remix of "Real Steel".
Review: Another busty bounty of rubs from the Fort Knox family... Repurposing See I's sun-skanked and dub-drenched originals into heavier club-ready jams, they've invited a motley band of remixers for the second version collection; Sammy Senior steps up with a swaggering nu-funk twist on "Real Steel", Thunderball slap down a nippy D&B roller on "Never Give Up", Lack Jemmon rips up "Queen Of Sheba" into a glitch-meets-moombah slo-mo stamper while Palletz injects "Rudeboy Razor" with sirens and Glitch Mob style mid-tempo breaks. Complete with instrumentals, Fort Knox have catered for all tastes right here.
Review: Washington funksters Fort Knox Five have played a major role in the party breaks scene with such confidence and consistency it feels like they've been around for much longer than 10 years. Here we find their explorative, far-reaching range under the knife of their finest peers. 15 tracks in total, each one highlighting a different aspect of the FKF's repertoire: Krafty Kuts and Skillz add a UK booty-bass twist to "Radio Free DC", Rodney Hunter adds a sense of Vandross-level disco silk to "Uptown Tricks", Badboe emphasises the raw organic soul swing of "What Make Ya Dance" while Featurecast ramps up "Killa Soundboy" with P-funk naughtiness. And that's just the tip of this funky iceberg. A consummate celebration of a decade of bona fide party artistry, here's to the next 10 years.
Review: Two originals, ten versions - Fort Knox celebrate QDUP's first original release on their label with a huge package that guarantees something for everyone. Both "Rock On" and "Let's Go" bump and flex with chubby p-funk mischief. Heavy on the hip-hop frontage, they're instant hip-strutters that nod heavily at US hip-hop's west coast heritage. Remix-wise you can take your pick; Basement Freaks goes for the sleazy slo-mo breakbeats, Nynfus Corporation get their swagger on with some heavy emphasis on the live drum feeling while DJ Love ramps up the tempo for something a little more evangelistic. With instrumentals thrown in for good measure, all DJ scenarios are catered for right here.
Review: Wow, what an epic remix package this is. It's impossible to feel short changed here as Fort Knox present not one, not two, no not even three, but eight remixes (including instrumentals) of the ever-popular Nappy Riddem cuts "Angle It" and "DTA". First up is DJ Wood who draws out the funky, vocal-driven element with dribbling melodies and trumpet-tooting fun. Next is K Sabroso's re-lick which is much more stripped back, with booming bass and amplified urban spoken lyrics adding a sense of menace. After this comes the Stickybuds' D&B remix of "DTA" which is full of punchy 175bpm madness; then the dub Architect remix which is all swaggering sauciness and shimmying dancefloor vibes for the duration. As if that wasn't enough, there are also instrumentals of all of the above.
Review: Now here's an interesting concept. All Good Funk Alliance follow up their fourth album release with an instrumental version. At first it seems superfluous, but give it a listen and you realise their beats have just as much raw funk power as stand alone instrumentals as they do vocal party jams. It's a daring move - with acts like the AGFA, it's often the vocals that really gives the tracks character, but they've got the confidence to show just how musically adept they are. Tracks that really shine in their new-found naked state include the bouncy, bumpy bass jam "Mr Hipnoid", the superfly slap bass space session "Speaker Sweat" and the squidgy/sexy/borderline absurd synth anthem "RTA (Respect To Arcadion)".
Review: Primed with party power and whacked out on some seriously spacey synths, the All Good Funk Alliance update their already impressive repertoire with a fourth studio album. Sounding more polished and developed than ever before, this is a rare breed of album that works well as a collection of individual DJ bombs and a slick cohesive listening experience. Naturally, highlights abound and range in rich flavours from the gritty, KRS-One-meets-Plump DJs style booty shaker "Time To Get Loose" to the classic Danny Breaks style block-rocking bass and timbale fusion "Throw Down". Littered with slippery disco, raw instrumental funk and vibrant breakbeats, these cats aren't jacks at all -they're party masters.
Review: Rex Riddem and Mustafa Akbar - aka Nappy Riddem - drop this killer 10-track set entitled One World Sovereignty on Washington based funk 'n breaks label Fort Knox. As with the duo's previous outings on Fort Knox, there's an insouciant blend of breaks, funk, hip-hop and smooth soul on offer. There are highlights aplenty, including the sultry "Angle It", dubby b-boy riddim "Ease Up", reggae-influenced "DTA", the killer title track and funk-fuelled "Shango".
We use cookies to personalise content and ads, to provide social media features and to analyse our traffic. We also share information about your use of our site with our social media, advertising and analytics partners who may combine it with other information that you've provided to them or that they've collected from your use of their services.