Founded on mixtapes, the label has grown into a full vinyl outfit with a catalogue of releases that have focused on disco, funk and 80s electronics. Venturing into the modern age, Futur is a compilation of four artists across six tracks.
Dedicated to computer funk
Metropolises of electronic music. Berlin. Detroit. Sheffield. Düsseldorf? No question. The godfathers of machine music came out of West German city; Kraftwerk. Their robotic gene has seeped into the brick and mortar and proved fertile ground for artists and labels alike. One imprint dedicated to computer funk, and more, is Funkscapes.
Founded on mixtapes, the label has grown into a full vinyl outfit with a catalogue of releases that have focused on disco, funk and 80s electronics. Venturing into the modern age, Futur is a compilation of four artists across six tracks.
“Via Marcomanni” opens. Colkin, an sound sculptor from Wuppteral, goes deep in this acid washed work. Claps and hi-hats support elegant and understated strings in this delicate introduction. The lion’s share of the collection is given over to Eosim and Voertuig, the German and Dutch musicians offering two works each. Before diving back into electronics, Peter Seiler arrives with “Timebend.” Originally released in 1989, the track lazes, cat-like, between disco and funk. The piece is a wonderfully dreamlike work, soft filters and smoky vocals care of Sheryl Hackett conjuring images of lava lamps and late nights.
Known for their excursions in electro, Eoism adopt a funk mantle for “Ultraverse.” Inviting and slow, lounge electronics grow into an intricate work that shows another side of the duo’s sound. Voertuig explore the floor with “Cego.” Drum patterns give texture as melodies swirl above, experimentation stretching into meandering avenues in this jam. “808 Ambient Jazz” follows. Free and laid back, Voertuig leave the beats to a minimum in this smoker’s delight. Eoism close with “Even Flow.” Smooth synth-lines are brushed with beats, bleep echoing into warbling pools.
The “aspiration” for Funkscapes is “always to feature funk grooves, old and new, fresh and relevant for today”, so says the founder Benedikt Meger. Futur does just that. Traversing a series of different styles, this compilation gathers likeminded musicians to explore the warmer currents of their cold circuit boards. The Düsseldorf traditions of combining man and machine are alive and well.
Futur is available on Funkscapes. [Bandcamp]
