I love Dam Funk! The stuff he plays sounds like the 70s/80s funk influenced by the 70s space disco/italo/analog synth stuff Lindstrom and Prins Thomas spin in their DJ mixes, the 70s/80s funk that inspired Daft Punk’s Discovery (especially the 80s synth funk of songs like Short Circuit and Something About us)–some of it sounds like the Metro Area album and some stuff on Micheal Jackson’s Thriller album–it’s that late 70s early 80s funk, the kind made by Prince, Slave, the Gap Band, the Dazz Band, etc. Stuff that has fallen through the cracks pretty much and you wouldn’t hear on the radio for the most part, I guess it’s referred to by some people as “boogie music.” If you like any of this, you will likely love the music and mixes of Dam-Funk.
From a LA Times interview:
There’s been a revival of the boogie, post-disco and early electro sound in recent years. What do you think it is about the music that’s allowed it to sustain such longevity?
People just want funky bass lines and synthesizers in their listening experience, with really melodic chords. Over the years, dance-related urban culture got harder, with hip-hop’s influence being predominant, but as time goes around people want to hear interesting chords with the beats.
I was influenced a lot by Slave, Aurra, early Prince, anything on Prelude Records, the stuff that tended to get ignored once hip-hop came in, and crate-diggers started to look for harder, James Brown-type funk breaks. For a long time, the ’80s sound was considered cheesy, and it’s nice to see it regaining credibility. At one time, it was deemed unlistenable. Now with the rise of Daft Punk and Kanye, everyone wants to do it.
Here’s one of his mixes on BBC via Stones Throw and another from Stussy:
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Dam Funk–BBC1-May 2009 (mp3)
- Dam Funk–Stussy Mix (mp3)
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