BACKTRACKING FORWARD: DAPTONE RECORDS AND THE RETURN OF FUNK
posted in: Features
During the late 1960s into the mid 1970s, funk music reached its peak in terms of creativity and mainstream attention. Artists like James Brown, George Clinton and Sly Stone were just a few of the established musicians who carried the genre, though the heaviest grooves came from smaller groups who recorded singles that are now highly sought after collectibles. By the time disco emerged onto the scene and the foundational instruments of funk were replaced with synthesizers, the flame of getting down to a raw and gritty beat was extinguished. Funk had lost its way and its natural, hard hitting sound became murky and diluted. Only the true enthusiasts kept the spirit going through local and unknown bands and DJs who collected vinyl.
Enter Daptone Records and Mr. Gabriel Roth, the label’s co-founder and a serious collector of rare funk and soul 45’s. Believing that he was not alone in his desire to resurrect funk from its grave, he started Desco Records in the mid 1990s and recorded bare bone sessions with unknown musicians, releasing everything on seven inch singles. Financial troubles saw the demise of Desco in the late 1990s but this entrepreneur persevered, and with the help of Neil Sugarman, Daptone Records was born. With this act, these two vinyl junkies provided a home for an orphaned genre of music.
Daptone Records
What makes Daptone Records so unique in this day in age is their strong connection to the past. This connection is heard not just in the quality of music they release, but is seen by how they run their label. Everything they record is done with analog reel-to-reel tape, resulting in a sound that has been missing from music for decades. Every session they produce is followed by a proper 12 LP release, with a slew of seven inch singles highlighting the top tracks on the album. Roth and Daptone have been believers of the vinyl medium long before the recent resurgence sweeping the globe. In an entertaining MTV interview, Roth and Sugarman claim the label has sold over 30,000 seven inches since its inception, helping to fund the quest for vintage recording equipment and essentially maintaining the operations of an independent label in a cutthroat industry.
Sharon Jones and The Dap-Kings
The crí¨me of their catalog, and the reason for their commercial success, is the dynamic Sharon Jones and the label’s backing band, The Dap-Kings. Their stage presence, wardrobe and funky horn arrangements owe much to James Brown and his dynamic JB’s and just like the Godfather of Funk, Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings know how to play for a crowd. To see them live is truly a mind-blowing experience. Witnessing an eight piece band packed into a club with a sold out crowd dancing until their sweat glands have bled dry is what funk is all about it.
Daptone is essentially resurrecting the sound that gave birth to funk music and exposing the genre to a fresh new audience. But instead of pigeonholing themselves, the label is spreading their reach further into the world of gospel, soul, R&B and world rhythms as well. Everything they record is available on seven inch, twelve inch and compact disc, making their discography enjoyable by DJs, vinyl collectors and digital music junkies alike.
Still not convinced? Check out the video for 100 Days, 100 Nights and upon its completion, fire up your turntable and unleash a groove that has been bubbling after years of dormancy.
The Bamboos Bring On The Funk
Simultaneously, on the other side of the globe, The Bamboos have been laying down hard funk grooves since 2001 with the release of their first seven inch, Eel Oil. This multi- piece outfit from Australia invokes the same ass-shaking, foot stomping beats that Daptone has prided themselves on but does so in their own contemporary style. While each member of the group contributes an incredible amount of talent in constructing brilliant funk and soul numbers, Danny Farrugia’s fast-paced rhythm behind the drum kit holds down the backbone of the combo, similar to Homer Steinweiss of the Dap-Kings and legendary Jabo Starks of the JB’s. Check out The Bamboos’ brilliant video King of the Rodeo on their OurStage page and break out your turntable because all of their recordings are available on vinyl!
Keep Digging For That Funky Wax!