- Despite their name, Funkystepz have been edging away from UK funky over the years. And the latest release on their Forever Live Young label leaves the slinky genre in the dust. The four-tracker expands on the maximalist textures of last year's "Mind Fuck" on Ciao Recordings, flattening their signature bounce to a trackier thump. It might lose them some old fans, but it should gain them some new ones as well.
"Gone" starts out sad before diving into a rambunctious bass section that's finished off by hissing hi-hats á la trap—it's the kind of thing that's heavy enough to go off on an EDM dance floor. "Middle Finger" and "Next Episode" both centre on hip-hop samples, the latter an assertive but chaotic house tune laced with Dr. Dre snippets and the former a detour into bassline territory (think DJ Q). "Target Man" is the unexpected highlight, a floaty number lifted by dub chords that make the nose-diving Korg riff—an otherwise rote device by now—seem all the more thrilling.
Tracklist01. Gone
02. Middle Finger
03. Next Episode
04. Target Man