mp3: EDU-K funkeiro blue
mov: EDU-K sex-o-matic (edit)
baile funk is gaining ground month on month, with increased exposure outside of the favelas and the fash-mag / blog in-crowd. whilst the initial furore focussed on compilations and mix-tapes, a mark of its growing acceptance is the inevitable and long-overdue launch of artist albums.
germany’s man recordings has a small but top-notch back catalogue that already features the ‘nao wave’ brazilian post-punk collection as well as a few baile funk releases. top of their release list is ‘frenetiko’ from porto alegre’s edu-k – the former head of punk band de falla (seven albums under their belt in their homeland) who scored a huge local hit in 2000 with his track ‘popozuda rock’n’roll’, from the album ‘miami rock 2000’. [if that track title seems oddly familiar, you might well recall that mr britney spears borrowed it wholesale for his venture into baile funk last year.]
edu-k’s ‘frenetiko’ is billed as the ‘first baile funk inspired artist album ever to be released outside of brazil’ and seeks to prove the point that edu-k’s DIY punk philosophy is alive and well (arguably reborn?) in baile funk. it’s an interesting analogy – transpose three chords and an angry rant for three samples and a hyped mc. certainly, baile funk – like punk – has divided the musical cognoscenti in the same way; with the means of production so transparent and accessible, many critics are apparently finding it hard to give the genre any credence. but then, they’re probably the kind of people whose idea of a party is a glass of warm red wine and a copy of the new arcade fire album.
but whereas punk sought to destroy, baile funk really does just want to put its ass in the air and give it a damn hard booty shake. if you’re in need of a party starter, ‘frenetiko’ is a surefire winner. part baile funk, part reggaeton-electro-punk, the album also includes the recent man recordings single release, ‘sex-o-matic’ with vocals by deize tigrona.
for edu-k’s next release, ‘illegal’, he’s opted to drop a bastard pop baile funk mash; we hear deize vs ac/dc, slices of michael jackson, the specials, the arthur baker-produced ‘i.o.u’ by freeez and a remix from bonde do role that can’t help but bring a chuckle to your face – if you enjoy some of the more rave-inspired moments that crop up across the genre, you’ll appreciate bonde do role’s wholesale steal of zombie nation‘s kernkraft 400. my highlight is the seamless meld of ‘funkerio blue’ that finally proves that the white stripes were truly born to funk. now if only we could just try and forget that whole loretta lynn episode…
after ‘illegal’ (this boy sure is busy), edu-k drops ‘hot mama’ as a single with another remix from bonde do role, plus a rerub from the excellent sinden. man recordings are also planning 12s from dj sandrinho, deize tigrona and another 80s post punk compile, from tel aviv. a solid schedule, and all worth chasing.
order ‘illegal’ at soul seduction
thanks to man recordings. the above mp3 will be available until 20th june.