Let there be 80s electro-funk!

[Kit Taylor]

Been enjoying Herbie Hancock's 1983 album Future Shock, the one with the amazing break dancing favorite "Rockit" on.

What I've heard of Herbie's early acoustic jazz sounds a bit sterile and mechanical, which perhaps why this album works.

It was partly inspired by My Life in The Bush of Ghosts, the much greater technological sophistication making it sound more dated than that very analog sounding album. Oh the irony!

Dated, but also a sound you can't seem to get anymore, certainly not wrapped in this kind of cystalline production. All those shiny booms and crashes and synth stabs. The quality varies, the music more interesting the crisper and more minimalist and sharply defined it gets, but I think cheesier elements of certain tracks enhance them by lending a kind of gleeful innocence. If nothing else the record is vibrantly unabashed.

I know there was a lot of experimentation in this field of music, but what's the cream of the crop?

TIA

 

[darrylfunk]

try anything by arthur russell ( lets go swimming !) etc bit weird with cellos' n stuff.
alexander robotnik - love supreme . squelchy stuff.
obviously kraftwerk.
egyptian lover - from the nile.
marc moulin. jazzy.
try jean jacque perrey and gershon kingsley for twisted funky sixties kitsch .
try some new stuff like dexter - ( i dont care track.) or the wonderful band isan . on tugboat records. beautiful innocent electro melodies .
good hunting.

 

[charliem]

There's so much! And I love it all at the moment. 1982-83 is the year!

Newcleus - Jam on It
Egyptian Lover - Egypt Egypt
Kid Frost - Terminator
Electric Funk - On a Journey
Klein & MBO - Dirty Talk (Eurpoean connection instrumental) - the DON OF ALL DANCE MUSIC!
The Perfect Beats compilation
Playgroup Party Mix - loads of records mashed up into a 60 min CD
Man Parrish - Boogie Down Bronx, Hip Hop Be Bop
Rockers Revenge - Walking on Sunshine
Disco Not Disco compilations 1 and 2 - both amazing
Robot Dancing compilation
Tom Tom Club - Wordy Rapping Hood and Genius of Love
Cybrotron - Clear
Al Naafish - Hashim (wicked electro!)
Planet Rock (of course)
Alexander Robotnick - Dance Boy Dance (off his LP) and the ubiquotous Problemes
Connie Case - Get Down (wicked! I'll give it a spin tonight while palying Tempest)
Liasons Dangeruse - El Ninos
Kraftwerk - Numbers
Visage - Frequency 7
Yazoo
Peech Boys
Electra - Feels Good (vocal)
Hot on the Heels of Love - Throbbing Gristle (I think).

There's so much of it around.

 

[darrylfunk]

great stuff.
i used to get told not to play this "crap" at a certain
essex based hi fi company when doing demos even if
the customers loved it ....
i was told to stick with joe cocker or jazz at the pawnshop ,
or anything on linn records ....ooops.
try out the new benny blanko lp. 8ft in the air on playhouse.
also
nuspirit helsinki - orson on guidance / jcr
execptional records new compilation
anthony rothers stuff great new skool electro.
also the labels kompakt and my current rave fave.
rewind 4 on ubiquity records outta san fran.
great stuff.