Neurofunk
| Neurofunk | |
|---|---|
| Stylistic origins | Drum and Bass, Funk, Techstep, House, Jazz, Techno, Dark ambient |
| Cultural origins | late 1990s, London, Scotland, Europe, eastern United States |
| Typical instruments | Synthesizer - Drum machine - Sequencer - Keyboard - Sampler - Laptop - Desktop |
| Subgenres | |
| none (complete list) | |
| Other topics | |
| Drum and bass artists, Drum and bass record labels | |
Neurofunk (commonly abbreviated neuro) is a sub-genre of drum and bass pioneered by producers Ed Rush, Optical and Matrix,[1][2] during the periods of 1997 & 1998 in London, England as a progression of techstep.[3] It was further developed by juxtaposed elements of heavier and darker forms of funk with multiple influences ranging from techno, house and jazz, characterized by consecutive stabs over the bassline and rhythmically structured by razor-sharp backbeats where highly nuanced, dark ambient atmospheric production is prominent.[4] The prototype sound of the early evolution of neurofunk - diverging from its techstep counterpart - at its most creative period which defined the style, can be heard on Ed Rush & Optical's debut album, Wormhole, released on Virus Recordings in 1998.
Overview
Since the early experimental stages of neurofunk when Optical originated the sub-genre with his seminal track, "To shape the Future" (Metalheadz/1997), Konflict advanced the overall sound and structure of the style into a harsher, more stripped-down form with a stronger techno influence at the forefront of their tracks such as "The Beckoning" (Renegade Hardware/1999) setting a certain standard for 21st century producers to follow suit. In 2001, Sinthetix, Cause 4 Concern, and Silent Witness & Break took Konflict's edgy, minimalist approach to production giving emphasis to colder, precision beat engineering, harder stabs over the bassline and sharper mixdowns - another influence on some subtle changes of sound over the years, were the continuous developments of music production software and recording studio equipment - with new dimensions of performance between 2002 and 2007 by underground artists such as Rob F, Impulse, Kiko, Mayhem, Gridlok, Fierce, Optiv, Noisia, Chris Su, Mindscape, Phace, Vicious Circle, Misanthrop, The Upbeats, Jade & Matt U, Desimal, Telemetrik, Glitch, and Dose.
Gridlok however, mainly focused on complex, big band horn arrangements in jazz during his period on Violence Recordings yet maintained the crucial elements of classic neurofunk consonance and minimalism in his music having returned to the more basic, rough edged sound of his earliest tracks for his debut album, "Break the System", released on his own Project 51 label as PT1 in 2006 and PT2 in 2007.
Lyrical content
As an MC and lyricist, Ryme Tyme personalized the essence of neurofunk as an integral member of Ed Rush & Optical's DJ sets. His abstract lyrical flow and fiery, apocalyptic manifestations can be heard on "Resurrection" and "Fastlane" (produced by Ed Rush & Optical), "Yes" (co-produced by Trace), and "Don't hold back" (co-produced by Gridlok). His emphasis on lyrical futurism was influential on neurofunk's second-wave MC's, most notable on ex-Sinthetix, MC Mecha's spoken word roundabout drawing parallels to Ryme Tyme's assonance and aesthetics. As a producer, Ryme Tyme's musical skills and progressive techniques in the recording studio are most evident on his set-genre track "We Enter" (Optical Remixes) which further composed neurofunk as an entity to drum and bass along with "White Lightning" (co-produced by Optical), "Abyss Remix" (co-produced by Nasis), "Payback PT1 & PT2" and "Judgement Day" (solo productions), "Lightsleeper" (co-produced by Matrix & Fierce), "Fever" (co-produced by Younghead), and "Dose" (co-produced by Gridlok).
Origin
One of the first mentions of "Neurofunk" as a buzzword in the drum and bass scene, was in the book Energy Flash by English music critic Simon Reynolds, a history of rave and dance music culture. According to Simon Reynolds' perspective, "Neurofunk is the fun-free culmination of jungle's strategy of cultural resistance: the eroticization of anxiety." [5]
Besides neurofunk being a divergent of techstep, some of it's origins and influences can be traced back to the late 1960's to mid 1970's period of trumpeter Miles Davis: his blending of jazz, rock and funk genres; his concept of switching his trumpet on to marshall stacks and wah-wah pedals as a new method of expression for his distinctive modes and phrasing; originating a new, cutting edge sound and style based on African American musical traditions such as call and response. His drummers during this period - Tony Williams, Billy Cobham, Jack DeJohnette, and Al Foster - made use of polyrhythmic, upfront playing techniques in interaction with a dynamic system of sharp trumpet modes and riff driven walls of sound of heavy rock guitar rhythmic patterns, improvised jazz solos, and deep funk basslines, paving the way for new electronic, trance induced, instrumental dance music of the 1980's and 1990's. Miles Davis' seminal albums from this period, In a Silent Way (1969) - stated by Matrix as an influence on his work - Bitches Brew (1970), On The Corner (1972), and Get Up With It (1975) were some of the breeding ground for contemporary, experimental funk music and influential on early neurofunk tracks such as "Bluesy Baby" (Ed Rush & Optical Remix) by Ram Jam World, "Syringe" by Ed Rush & Optical, and "Serum" (Matrix Remix) by Outfit (pseudonym for Ed Rush & Optical).
Neurofunk's most distinguished feature is the use of an opening and closing filter on a funk influenced bassline, giving a similar effect to a wah-wah pedal on a guitar. This concept of funk infused, distortion on brass, bass, and guitar instrumentation was innovated by Miles Davis during the late 1960's after listening to Jimi Hendrix and Sly & the Family Stone, becoming an essential element in the making of jazz fusion and most future funk styles of sub-genres in contemporary urban music. Some of the tracks by Miles Davis which can best translate his influence on early neuro is the stop-time driven beats of "Black Satin" from On The Corner and the dark ambient, perpetual drone assault of "Rated X" from Get Up With It.
Another influence on the early neurofunk sound of Virus Recordings, stated by Optical, was visionary record producer George Clinton's complex recording studio techniques for Parliament and Funkadelic during their early to late 1970's period when Clinton redefined funk as an advanced, conceptual form of music by incorporating the skills of virtuosic musicians such as Bernie Worrell and Eddie Hazel while developing long range instrumentals as tools for his progressive, psychedelic music influenced arrangements. Pioneering P-Funk bassist, Bootsy Collins used the bass as a lead instrument rather than as standard back up for guitar and drums, creating an original, reverberating, heavy low-end bass sound highly influential on the emergence of hip hop, detroit techno, chicago house, electro funk, and by a far extension, the early foundations of neurofunk.
Media
Notes
- ^ Interview with Noisia from dnbforum.nl (Retrieved June 2007)
- ^ Interview with Phace in Mixmag, January 2007)
- ^ Energy Flash
- ^ Energy Flash
- ^ No U-Turn Records
References
- Simon Reynolds "Energy Flash" Picador, (ISBN 0-330-35056-0) - excerpt.