The Crew That Knew

The Jonzun Crew Impact on EDM

In the late 1970s and early 1980s a new sound was coming to dancefloors. A host of talented artists, including Afrika Bambaata, Egyptian Lover, Newcleus, Jonzun Crew, as well as others, made a form of dance music called Electro-Funk, or Boogie, or simply “Breakdance music”. Whatever you call it, the stuff is magnificent! Even Kraftwerk made songs popular with Electro-Funk enthusiasts! The Jonzun Crew was one of the groups in the early 1980s that made the music and helped set the stage for the future of Electro Breaks music! The Jonzun Crew impact on EDM came in the form of their innovation and groundbreaking sounds. I’m a huge fan of Electro-Funk. When it comes to Electro-Funk, my favorite band is the Jonzun Crew. I’ve been diligent in collecting every vinyl they ever released from their hayday.

Electro-Funk is the sound associated with Breakdancing. It’s perfect for popping or locking or elaborate floor routines. The sharp snap of the kicks and high hats allow for quick, pinpoint movements that lends itself to the dance art of the B-Boy. For me, Electro-Funk was the first form of music that really caught my attention in 1982 and 1983. It is the height of the Breakdancing phenomenon.

Breakdancing as an artform has maintained relevance on the dancefloor. Its moves are still seen by dancers on the dancefloor today. Today and through the 90s it is called “Liquid” when people use elements from the tradition of popping and locking. Alongside the continued love of the dancing, a love for Electro Breaks, or simply Electro, has persisted. Honestly, the Jonzun Crew helped make that happen.

Who Are The Jonzun Crew?

The Jonzun Crew impact on EDM and dance music in general comes both from their music and their work as producers in the music world. Their music is substantial, but they also founded and produced New Edition and New Kids on the Block, starting the “boy band” craze!

Jonzun Crew was founded in 1981 in Boston by Michael Jonzun, his brothers Maurice Starr and Soni Jonzun, and Carl (Captain Fingers). Michael acts as frontman and is a skilled musician. He plays over 50 instruments. This helped enormously in the performance of their music. Most Electro-Funk bands were already using sequencers to plot the music, but Jonzun Crew played the synthesizers and drums live, which gives their music a strong organic feel.

The group’s most famous tracks, “Pack Jam (Look out for the OVC),” “Space is the Place,” and “Space Cowboy” are on the group’s debut album, Lost in Space (1983). Other notable tracks included “We Are the Jonzun Crew” and “Ground Control.” We’ll take a closer look at “Pack Jam” and “Space is the Place”. Both of those songs have samples in several electronic songs. Songs like these helped influence the future sound of Electro, which we’ll play some samples of as well!

Additionally, if you want to learn more about the Jonzun Crew, follow the link below to read an interview with Michael Jonzun!

http://www.thafoundation.com/jonzun.htm

Jonzun Crew Impact Through Its Music

“Pack Jam (Look Out for the OVC)”

Let’s take a look at the music of Jonzun Crew. Their music is a prime example of Electro and specifically Electro-Funk. Electro has strong, repetitive kicks and highs in a syncopated pattern. That leads to a fun, irregular rhythm. To keep it tight and rolling well, almost all Electro and Electro-Funk artists use a sequencer to keep the irregular sounds perfectly regular. Jonzun Crew doesn’t do that. This is one area they differ, in that everything is played by humans rather than organized by machines. The drumming is live, although they often used electronic drums. The synthesizer music is played live. That creates a very “groovy” or “funky” feel to their Electro.

Try to listen for a more organic repetition in the music. It sometimes feels like it comes and goes slightly. The first song we will listen to is their hit, “Pack Jam”. The song uses strong Electro beats to drive it forward. There’s impressive keyboard work on the synthesizer music. Also, it has really cool vocoder vocals. When you combine these elements, you end up with a spectacular dance song! It was hugely popular with Breakdancers. It is tied for my favorite Electro-Funk ever! Take a listen!

“Pack Jam” has a great Electro feel! The sound being exceptional is recognized by other producers. “Pack Jam” was sampled in a total of 7 other songs. The song below uses the drums in a sped up fashion. It is by veteran Drum N Bass producer, Hyper On Experience. The song is called “Half Stepper”. Take a listen!

You can pick up a copy the the song on 10-inch single on Discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/release/33669-Hyper-On-Experience-Disturbance-Tango-Remix-Half-Stepper

“Space is the Place”

Another of my favorite songs by Jonzun Crew is “Space Is the Place”. The amazing thing about this single is that the 12-inch single has two different, equally playable mixes. The B-side is called the “Instrumental Mix”, but it still has the iconic vocoder vocals saying, “Space is the place.” Both versions feature strong Electro styled beats, fancy synth work, nice percussion, and vocoder vocals! The “Instrumental Mix” starts with a really cool count down from 10 to 1 and then a blast off sound. This version below is the “Instrumental Mix” which is a great version of the song and is the one that was sampled the most. Take a listen!

You can buy both songs on 12-inch single or the album “Lost in Space” at Discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/release/75578-Jonzun-Crew-Lost-In-Space

Hope you enjoy the sound of “Space is the Place”. If you collect vinyl, I highly recommend you pick up a copy of the album! It’s got some great Electro-Funk songs on it.

Just like “Pack Jam”, “Space is the Place” is sampled in other songs. Surprisingly, it is also sampled in a total of 7 songs. The song below is a ravey, NRG song that samples the vocal. The song is from 1998 and is done by Accuface. It is titled, “Space Is the Place”.

You can pick up a copy of this song on 12-inch single from Discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/release/169205-Accuface-Space-Is-The-Place

Jonzun Crew Impact on Electro

During the height of the Electro-Funk movement, there really was nobody as big as Jonzun Crew. Their concerts had over 80,000 people attend. Their album was the very first full album on the label Tommy Boy! These things put them in front of a host of listeners that later became producers. Some of those producers went on to mimic the sounds made popular in the early 1980s when they make Electro up until today.

Electro has been a popular, vibrant genre ever since the early 1980s. However, there really has been several spurts of activity when Electro was especially popular. First there was the Electro-Funk movement in the early 1980s with Breakdancers, then late 80s its popularity resurfaced, then mid-90s it was popular in Detroit, Florida, and the UK, and recently again Electro has experienced a resurgence!

Electro has a rich history and is still popular today, made by artists like Dawl and Sound Synthesis and others. All through the 1990s and the 2000s there has been a steady stream of incredible Electro being made. We will take a look at a couple songs that are clearly influenced by bands like the Jonzun Crew. The true importance of Jonzun Crew and their songs like “Pack Jam” and “Space is the Place” is their influence on modern style of Electro.

Example Songs

This first song is by one of my favorite Electro producers, the Jedi Knights. The Jedi Knights made exceptional Electro throughout the 1990s. Some of their music has become classics for the sound. Certainly, that is true with their song, “May the Funk Be With You”. It seriously, gives a MAJOR nod to the sound originating in the early 1980s. Sharp electronic beats, synth work, and vocoder vocals combine in a winning formula. Take a listen!

The song is available on a 12-inch single or on a double pack they released. Here’s the Discogs link to the 12-inch single. The other side of the single is also absolutely amazing!

https://www.discogs.com/release/4058-Jedi-Knights-May-The-Funk-Be-With-You

This next track is from the mid-90s and is from the movement of Florida Breaks. That being said, when you hear it, it’ll be clear that it is heavily influenced by the Breakdance music of the early 80s Electro-Funk movement. It is complete with the sharp Electro beats, cool synth work, and vocoder vocals! The artist is Jackal & Hyde, who were a prolific producer throughout the 1990s and also toured to do live shows. The wore bondage style outfits and looked decidedly Industrial in vibe. With hard, dark Electro sounds, they became very popular. This particular song is my favorite of theirs and is called “Get Down to My Technique”. Take a listen!

You can pick up a copy of this song on 12-inch single at Discogs:

https://www.discogs.com/release/33936-Jackal-Hyde-Beyond-Get-Down-To-My-Technique

Conclusion

The genre of Electro and its root sounds are some of my all-time favorites. They are great to mix with as a DJ and great to dance to as well, whether you’re popping and locking or just tearing up the dancefloor with your own style of moves! Electro is still alive and well and it regularly still gives a nod in its sound to that original sound of Electro-Funk!

I hope you’ve learned a lot and had fun doing it today! Remember the Jonzun Crew impact on Electronic Dance Music! Take what you’ve been introduced to and follow further down the rabbit hole. There’s a lot of Electro out there and exploring the original Electro-Funk music is fun too! Share what you’ve learned with your friends or people you meet at parties!

While you’re here on the site, explore the other articles and keep learning and keep your curiosity strong! I suggest the article on Kraftwerk and their song “Numbers as a great follow up episode! Here’s an easy link for you!

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