Early Impact of Electro on Future Electro
The impact of Electro Funk and early Electro is huge on the world of evolving Breaks! So much is sampled, remixed, or covered. For me, this is very close to my heart, since Electro in the early 1980s was the first style of music I ever became obsessed with. It was where I lost my musical virginity. Now I’m a whore for good music! Although I do love a wide range of music, I’m particularly slutty for Breaks and Electro!
What Is Electro?
The journey of syncopated beats, called Breaks, is a tale that goes back to the very first modern popularized underground music. That is Jazz. The beat patterns of Jazz repeat to make a regular rhythm with an irregular pattern. They call this beat pattern a “Break”. This tradition was picked up by Funk, where the basslines were increased. Then in the early 1980s, the torch was handed to a new generation of sound. That sound was Electro Funk and Electro Boogie, or simply Electro.
It blends the beats of Jazz, the bass of Funk, and the inorganic tones of synthesizers and drum machines. There’s also commonly robotic voices rapping or sampling over it. The sound it introduces is something that is still being made today, essentially unchanged. There are basically two iterations of Electro that continue into today. One is from Electro Funk and is very synthetic and sharp. The other is based on Electro Boogie, a subset of early Electro that has a groovier, more organic sound. We’ll listen to an example of each style, because each style leads to a slightly different future!
The sound and formula for the music evolves but is never far from the original innovations of the early 1980s, when Breakdancers ruled the dancefloor! I was one of those Breakdancers! 13 years old and unstoppable… I was a Breakdancer not because I originally got into the dancing, but rather I became a Breakdancer because of the music! The sharp boing and tick of Electro rhythms and beats definitely gets me moving. It is rhythmic in a “funky” way. Add to that the highly synthetic sound of the music and some robot singing, and I can’t think of anything better!
Impact of Electro On EDM
In this episode we are going to just take a couple of the innumerable songs influenced by early Electro. There’s so many examples it is actually hard to spend any time listening to the broader category of Breaks without hearing impact of Electro from the originals. We’ll listen to the early 80s original and the future version that samples, covers, or remixes it!
Let’s explore two of the examples. The 1st one is Electro Boogie and the 2nd one is Electro Funk. That way you can see the progression and impact of each style. There are similarities and differences which will be easy for you to tell.
Impact of Electro – Song 1
“Nunk” by Warp 9
Here is the link to buy the 12″ single on Discogs.
https://www.discogs.com/release/50073-Warp-9-Nunk
As far as I know, there’s 2 albums by Warp 9. There’s also around 10 singles including “Nunk”. “Nunk” is a standout track that shows how much a song’s remix or sampling can stand up to the test of time. It is a great example of early Electro that transfers well to modern Breaks. This is the one we are exploring that comes from the tradition of Boogie, or Electro Boogie!
The original classic has a great, bouncy, dubby Electro beat. However, it is very unique for the time. It does not sound like “Jam On It” by Newcleus or “Freak-a-Zoid” by Midnight Star! It has almost a pre-Industrial vibe. The beat is catchy and fun. That’s one thing I like about Electro Boogie – it’s really fun! There is an organic element to the sounds used in Boogie.
Reuse of “Nunk”
Below is the link for a vinyl copy of the song on Discogs!
https://www.discogs.com/master/146048-Freq-Nasty-Freqazoid
“Nunk” is sampled in a few songs, but it sounds like a Big Beat Break and certainly is known as a unique record to emulate. The use of the song we are looking at is the sampling of the beat in a Freq Nasty song. Veteran Breaks badass, Freq Nasty, beefs up the “Nunk” beat and blends it with samples from other Electro Funk classics. It really works and has a great grooviness to it.
Impact of Electro – Song 2
“Looking For The Perfect Beat” by Afrika Bambaataa & Soulsonic Force
Here is the link to purchase the song on vinyl at Discogs:
https://www.discogs.com/release/27104-Afrika-Bambaataa-Soulsonic-Force-Looking-For-The-Perfect-Beat
“Looking For The Perfect Beat” is a huge classic with Breakdancing history. Bambaataa is largely considered the father of Electro Funk, and he was instrumental in its success and evolution. He is responsible for other iconic Electro Funk songs like “Planet Rock”. Afrika Bambaataa is noteworthy because he, “seamlessly blended electronic sounds, drum machines, and futuristic synthesizers with traditional funk and hip-hop elements”. (online bio)
Bambaataa was one of the very first DJs playing Hip Hop and Electro. He became famous for the parties he threw in the late 1970s and early 1980s. The parties become showcases for new music, new sounds, dance culture, and advancements in the DJing artform.
He certainly accomplishes much with “Looking For The Perfect Beat”. It has a pumping Electro beat that is sharp and poppin. It includes some fancy keyboard work and has some nice sing/rap vocals. It’s a great example of the early origins of Electro. I have a copy of the 12″ single on vinyl myself.
Reuse of “Looking For The Perfect Beat”
This particular mix is available on the double pack with remixes for a measly $10 at Discogs!
https://www.discogs.com/release/4115210-Link-E621-Antacid
When Jedi Knights are “Looking For The Perfect Beat”, they find it with their use of the original in their remix of “Antacid”! There is everything a perfect Electro song should have! Jedi Knights are a prolific music production team that uses a wide array of monikers. They produce as Jedi Knights, Wish Mountain, Global Communication, Secret Ingredients, and more…
They do the original of the song we are looking at under the name, Link & E621, another one of their pseudonyms. The actual title is “Antacid (Jedi Knights Remix)” by Link & E621. It’s a beautiful example of Electro that shows where the genre went, but also remembers its roots.
The song samples multiple early Electro Funk songs, including “Looking For The Perfect Beat”. It uses the basic beat pattern from the Bambaataa song. The tune is very recognizable. It beefs it up with chunky sub-bass and tight synth stabs with a cool vocoder voice sample and scratching.
Conclusion
The impact of Electro can still be heard in new releases by artists releasing today. There’s a strong Electro and Breaks culture right now that still embraces much of the early draw of Electro in the early 1980s. The sound is there in the music, breakdancers still form circles to show off their skills, and there are still parties that focus only on Electro and its companion, Breaks! It can even be argues the Electro is the grandfather of Drum & Bass and Jungle.
I think it’s fun to realize those early Electro sounds took two different but related paths moving forward. Electro Funk transitions to Electro, Electro Techno, Dark Electro, etc, while Electro Boogie transitions into Big Beat, Breaks, Nu Skool, and more. I like that Breaks has a shared culture with several musical traditions. It feels nice to see there is a linear history to the rise of Breaks and Electro.
I hope you have had some fun with this episode. I love Breaks and hope you have enough interest to explore it a bit. There’s lots of Breaks and Electro coming out now by artists like Dawl, BufoBufo, Andy Page, Moy, and many more! I enjoyed researching and writing this episode. Share the site with your friends and be sure you subscribe for updates on new episodes and content!
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Thanks for the information and research you did on this music. It’s always interesting to see how the music evolves. A lot of times people lose track where the music comes from or how it started, especially if you or one was not there to witness the evolution. Great job of reminding us or letting us understand. I love the fact that all of this extends from the music that some hated and try to kill, and now dominats the world! Like I always say, the Past is the Future & the Future is the Past!