DJ FORMAT (feat. Sureshot La Rock): Mr DJ/ Dope Pusher – 2011

DJ FORMAT (feat. Sureshot La Rock): Mr DJ/ Dope Pusher – 2011
Bloody hell it’s been a while – and yet DJ Format has not forgotten that his people need him for lo – he returns bearing fat beats and basslines that envelope you in their warmth like a great big friendly bear. Or something. As always, he’s hooked himself up with a rhyme scientist in the shape of Sureshot La Rock (crate digger extraordinaire!) who…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

HERO 7/ MASH & MUNKEE: Keeping It Real/ Keep On Moving - 2011

HERO 7/ MASH & MUNKEE: Keeping It Real/ Keep On Moving - 2011
…And the quality just keeps on coming. Hero 7 and Mash & Munkee have a dancefloor breaks battle amongst themselves on this fresh little slice of wax b-boy action. It’s not just your ordinary A vs. B face off though. No. To change things up a bit each lot has handed over their funky little baby to other for a reworking. Now there’s trust. It’s tricky deciding who’s got the bigger breaks but in the dancefloor stampede that dropping either of these will occasion it’s a moot point since when these beats are bumpin’ the crowd will most definitely be jumping. I hope…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

FLOYD LAWSON: ‘Roof Top Sugar’ b/w ‘I Ain’t Going Nowhere’ 45 – 2011

FLOYD LAWSON: ‘Roof Top Sugar’ b/w ‘I Ain’t Going Nowhere’ 45 – 2011
It’s always nice to have break isn’t it - you know, crafty fag, cup of tea and some digestives? Former Motown soul singer Floyd Lawson certainly likes one anyway – he’s just returned from a thirty-five year skive. Thirty-five years!!! That must have been one epic cup of tea! As we all know, while Olympic-level break-taker Floyd had his feet up, it’s all been going on: sampling, punk, hip-hop/rnb took over world, the rise and fall of CDs, the rise of the digital age, the advent of wobbly basslines and Simon Cowell’s cheese factory. Unconcerned, the man saunters back into the studio and discovers that, er – actually quite a few people still like (and make) northern soul. Cue his forthcoming single on Record Kicks demonstrating…READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

MAX SEDGLEY: Superstrong – 2011

MAX SEDGLEY: Superstrong – 2011
Mr Sedgely comes through with a big tune here, rich in nu-disco stylings, a fat synth bassline and diva vocals courtesy of Tasita D’Amour. Not really the monkey’s kind of thing, admittedly, but you’d have to be deaf not to recognise it as dancefloor catnip and the ladies’ choice. Remix duties come courtesy of Ghettofunk don Basement Freaks who emphasises the break and electronic disco heads Faze Action who do something nasty and house-y – the original cut is still the best though. One to pull out of your bag (or, increasingly, your laptop) if your funk 45s/ hip-hop 12”s night inexplicably pulls in a couple of hen parties and a crowd who wanted something ‘a bit more Ibiza mate.’ We’ve all been there……READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

SAVANT: Make Your Move – 2011 – Video & free download

SAVANT: Make Your Move – 2011 – Video & free download
Monkeyboxing favourite Savant is on a bit of a roll at the minute having just dropped both his Crash Course: Leak Series and appeared on Monkeyboxing mixtape Filthy Rhythm, Dirty Soul. The heads-up for Make Your Move came courtesy of OHHLA.com (Original Hip Hop Lyrics Archive) and I think you’ll agree that Savant’s lyrical skills are beyond reproach. Check the producer too – Luke Vibert – like it says on the vid – ‘the beat knocks’ as Vibert goes for a crisp and minimal rolling break. …WATCH VIDEO/ FREE DOWNLOAD/ READ FULL POST @ MONKEYBOXING.COM

HOUSE OF PAIN: Reunion tour - 2011

HOUSE OF PAIN: Reunion tour - 2011
Fifteen years after they split up, the ‘Irish’ (by which I mean American) hip-hop crew House Of Pain return to celebrate the band’s genesis twenty years ago which will no doubt involve a bit of jumping around. Or at least bending the legs rhythmically – you’ve gotta watch your knees past forty apparently. Admittedly, this post will be of little use if you don’t live in the USA but if you do, or are going to be in one of the states they’re visiting – it might be worth a look…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

TRAMP RECORDS: Contemporary Afro Beat – 2011 – LP details + tracklist

TRAMP RECORDS: Contemporary Afro Beat – 2011 – LP details + tracklist
Hot on the heels of their superb compilation of the back catalogue of original Texan funkers Soul Bros. Inc.and the release of the hot debut by mod-beat outfit The Qualitons, Tramp Records label boss Tobias Kirmayer continues in his quest to cover all funk/ soul bases with this comprehensive overview of the contemporary afro-beat scene…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

MONKEYBOXING PRESENTS: ‘Filthy Rhythm, Dirty Soul’ Mixtape – Free download

MONKEYBOXING PRESENTS: ‘Filthy Rhythm, Dirty Soul’ Mixtape – Free download
Massive free download mixtape album of funk, soul, hip-hop, nufunk/ ghettofunk, and reggae featuring Smoove, Aldo Vanucci, Featurecast, Tha Liks, J Star, The Hawk and more...
…DOWNLOAD/ LISTEN/ READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

JOHNNYPLUSE: Dole Dance – 2011

JOHNNYPLUSE: Dole Dance – 2011
Here’s a track guaranteed to be played at the beggarman’s disco as Irish funky breaks merchant Johnnypluse brings the Dole Dance. JP’s original goes for a nice organic, old school, breakbeat instrumental sound with a big snare that wouldn’t have sounded out of place in an early Coldcut set while remixes come courtesy of Hayz and Bside. Hayz gets his squelchy electro on for those who laugh in the face of anything that even faintly resembles an organic sound while Bside does what I’d have done, liberating the piano-based middle eight to become the basis of the track (rather than it’s interlude) and wobbling up the b-line – hey - it’s…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

SPEEDOMETER: This Is Speedometer: Vol 1 & 2 - 2011

SPEEDOMETER: This Is Speedometer: Vol 1 & 2 - 2011
The kings of espresso-funk get all retrospective on your ass with this gigantic double album consisting of Speedometer’s first two LPs in their entirety. While they always spend far too much time flirting with the jazzy dark side for me, they still can’t help getting down and dirty every now and then so my previous lack of investigation meant that instrumentals like Mullet and vocal cut The Best You Can came as something of a surprise. A lesson then, if it were needed, that you should never underestimate the redemptive power of a good funk. It hasn’t escaped the monkey’s attention, however, that the sound formerly known as ‘acid jazz’…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

SAVANT: ‘Crash Course’ Leak Series – 2011 – Free download

SAVANT: ‘Crash Course’ Leak Series – 2011 – Free download
In which Tucson-via-El Paso-via-Chicago (he gets around) emcee Savant does what he does best…or fresh flows over fresh beats to you. For those who needs a reference point Savant rocks it like early Mos Def, drops rhymes like “My heat brings more screams than rough sex scenes” and unlike more than a few rappers has a keen ear for a good beat – often dripping with soul…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

SAVAGES & UNIFAIRFLY: Blow Up Your Box/ Mean Streets – 2011

SAVAGES & UNIFAIRFLY: Blow Up Your Box/ Mean Streets – 2011
MB regulars will already know David Hanke from his classy ‘northern’ jazz breakbeat releases under his Renegades Of Jazz alter ego and be aware that he also trades as one half of funky breakbeaters Mash & Munkee, so it will probably not come as a surprise that he has yet another iron in the fire nor that it smoulders with quality…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

CLASSIC HIP-ROCK: Classic Hip Rock presents Coachella Valley Syndrome - 2011

CLASSIC HIP-ROCK: Classic Hip Rock presents Coachella Valley Syndrome - 2011
Zappa-esque hip-hop straight outta the desert...…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

DIRTY DUBSTERS – Dirty Swingers EP - 2011

DIRTY DUBSTERS – Dirty Swingers EP - 2011
Dubliners Dirty Dubsters get all nufunk/ ghettofunk on the in-sound of 1940...
…LISTEN/ READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

TOTALCULT: Street Sounds EP – 2011 + Free download: The Funktuary – ‘Sister Stand Up’ (tOtALcULt remix)

TOTALCULT: Street Sounds EP – 2011 + Free download: The Funktuary – ‘Sister Stand Up’ (tOtALcULt remix)
Totalcult gets his sunshine on with a new nufunk/ ghettofunk EP and free downloady goodness for y'all!…DOWNLOAD/ READ MORE AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

DJ MONEYSHOT: The Stunt Cock EP – 2010

DJ MONEYSHOT: The Stunt Cock EP – 2011
RATING: 5/5
Think I know who might win the prize for the best name for a release (no pun intended) this year - for here is sometime Parker cohort, Moneyshot with his Stunt Cock EP. Something tells me that with a ‘vinegar stroke’–related nom de guerrre like his, he wasn’t envisaging a daredevil rooster when he came (no pun intended) up with that title. All that shenanigans aside, what Moneyshot delivers here is a three track gem showcasing his canny knack for…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

BASEMENT FREAKS: Something Freaky – Radio Edit – Free download

BASEMENT FREAKS: Something Freaky – Radio Edit – Free download
Just in case you didn’t know that Basement Freaks’ debut LP was out at the end of this month here’s a free reminder from Mr Basement Freaks (that’ll be ‘Big’ George Fotiadis) himself in the shape of this free download of the radio edit of the album’s title track and recent single. Fotiadis has been promoting his own brand of nufunk/ghettofunk for the last few years and, with the establishment of his label, Bombastic Jam, quite a large number of other people’s brands too. For those who haven’t kept up with the times this means you’ll be hearing a melting pot of funk, hip-hop, disco and breakbeat with, especially recently, the rise of the wobbly bassline. It’s all about the dancefloor see? Cop that bump after the jump innit!…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

FROOTFUL: Fish In The Sea – 2010

FROOTFUL: Fish In The Sea – 2010
In which we find a record label (Freestyle) more typically known for their funk output delve slightly further back into the past with their championing of Frootful whose Fish In The Sea channels original stomping early-sixties’ rnb with convincing proficiency. I’m not suggesting for a minute that ‘funk fatigue’ has set in at Freestyle Towers – we all know where that leads - that’s right – rockabilly- er - I mean jump blues (stand up Keb Darge, Andy Smith and Cut Chemist)…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

RAEKWON: London, HMV Forum, 18 March 2010

RAEKWON: London, HMV Forum, 18 March 2010
Yeah, that’s right - the chef will be cooking up some Tang-y (see what I did there?) delights for your aural consumption in the UK in March. I guess you could look at it as kind of like a live course between his last serving Only Built For Cuban Linx Part II and the forthcoming Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang. Yes, you did read that correctly - Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang will appear on the public’s table in only two months time and feature Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, GZA, Method Man, Raheem DeVaughn, The Roots’ Black Thought, Jim Jones, Rick Ross and Nas. Blimey. On the other hand we are talking hip-hop time here so…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

MALCOLM & MARTIN: DJ Revolution presents Malcom & Martin ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’ LP + ‘Movement Music’ – free download

MALCOLM & MARTIN: DJ Revolution presents Malcom & Martin ‘Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’ LP + ‘Movement Music’ – free download
It says here that Malcolm and Martin are one of the ‘first genuine new rap groups to emerge for a generation.’ I’m not normally one to believe the hype but in this case press release hyperbole might not be so hyperbolic if the debut single off the forthcoming ‘DJ Revolution presents: Life Doesn’t Frighten Me’ LP…READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

CHART - Jan. 2011

CHART - Jan. 2011
1. (NEW) 1. (NEW) Capitol 1212 – Good Feelin’
Big posse cut from Scots duo featuring Mike G and Dizzy Dustin…LISTEN/ READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM

EWAN HOOZAMI- Free mashup madness!

EWAN HOOZAMI- Free mashup madness!
Bristol beatmonger Hoozami, gets in on the end of year/ start of new year free download craziness with some of his own. That’s right – not ‘one’ – ‘some.’ Clearly not a man to be outdone, the rising producer (whose debut breaks and beat-fest LP Wildebeats recently dropped on Pig Balls Records`) here conjures up no less than four mashups as he fiendishly engages in splicing experiments with the efforts of the good and the great culminating in the hybrid brilliance of…DOWNLOAD/ READ THE REST AT MONKEYBOXING.COM