''Freek Funk'' is a studio album by British
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
producer
Luke Slater
Luke Slater (born 12 June 1968, Reading, Berkshire, England) is an English electronic musician, DJ and record producer, who has concentrated on techno since the beginning of the 1990s. He achieved break through commercial success with his trac ...
, released in October 1997 by
Novamute Records
Novamute Records is the electronic dance music subsidiary of Mute Records, which was started in 1992.Larkin, Colin (1999) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 243 The label's staff included Mick Paterson (promotions), ...
as his first album for the label and his first for a major label. The album was among Slater's most personal works to date, and his intention for the album was to record music that went beyond the
four-to-the-floor
Four-on-the-floor (or four-to-the-floor) is a rhythm pattern used primarily in dance genres such as disco and electronic dance music. It is a steady, uniformly accented beat in time in which the bass drum is hit on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4)."T ...
nature of techno and push the genre's barriers, resulting in an eclectic,
minimal album that also incorporates
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
,
acid techno
Acid techno, sometimes known generally as "acid", is a genre of techno that was derived from acid house and developed in Europe in the late 1980s to early 1990s. It saw younger artists apply the "squelching" synthesizer sound of Chicago acid hou ...
and
electro styles. The album varies in tone, with aggressive techno tracks and softer, less upbeat material.
The album was promoted by the single "Freek Funk," and was also Slater's first release in the United States. The producer supported the record with a live tour. Upon release, ''Freek Funk'' received critical acclaim and helped popularise Slater's music. It went on to influence many techno and
breakbeat
Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...
producers, and is today hailed as an ambitious album. In 2017, ''
Mixmag
''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights.
History
The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...
'' named it the fifth greatest techno album of the 1990s.
Background and production
Throughout the 1990s, Slater built up a reputation as an influential British
techno
Techno is a genre of electronic dance music (EDM) which is generally produced for use in a continuous DJ set, with tempo often varying between 120 and 150 beats per minute (bpm). The central rhythm is typically in common time (4/4) and often ch ...
producer, taking influence from
Detroit techno
Detroit techno is a type of techno music that generally includes the first techno productions by Detroit-based artists during the 1980s and early 1990s. Prominent Detroit techno artists include Juan Atkins, Eddie Fowlkes, Derrick May, Jeff Mil ...
in particular and releasing material under the name Planetary Assault Systems. In 1996, he signed to
Peacefrog Records
Peacefrog Records is a British independent record label based in London, England. The label produces releases in many different styles of electronic music, as well as branching out into folk and indie artists such as José González, Nouvelle ...
for the second time in his career, on which he released the first Planetary Assault Systems album,
''The Electric Funk Machine'' (1997), which featured alterations in suctioned percussion and bass. Follow-up album ''The Drone Sector'' was also released by Peacefrog Records later that year.
Following these releases, Slater signed to
NovaMute Records
Novamute Records is the electronic dance music subsidiary of Mute Records, which was started in 1992.Larkin, Colin (1999) ''The Virgin Encyclopedia of Dance Music'', Virgin Books, , p. 243 The label's staff included Mick Paterson (promotions), ...
, a techno label owned by
Mute Records
Mute Records is a British independent record label owned and founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller. It has featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Depeche Mode, Erasure, Einstürzende Neubauten, Fad Gadget, Goldfrapp, Grinderm ...
home to fellow producers
Speedy J and
Richie Hawtin
Richard "Richie" Hawtin (born June 4, 1970) is a British-Canadian electronic musician and DJ. He became involved with Detroit techno's second wave in the early 1990s, and has been a leading exponent of minimal techno since the mid-1990s. He becam ...
.
While on the label, Slater began releasing his most personal work.
His first album for the label, and first major label record,
''Freek Funk'' was written and produced by Slater, with the "delicious talents" of Hulal aiding the recording.
Slater's plan for ''Freek Funk'' was to write music that was not necessarily techno of a
four-to-the-floor
Four-on-the-floor (or four-to-the-floor) is a rhythm pattern used primarily in dance genres such as disco and electronic dance music. It is a steady, uniformly accented beat in time in which the bass drum is hit on every beat (1, 2, 3, 4)."T ...
nature, and as a result "wrote the tracks I wanted and it ended up quite varied," as he told an interviewer. He elaborated: "I didn't want to what people expected, but on the other hand I didn't want to purposefully not do it. I might be born of perversion but the album's not."
Composition
''Freek Funk'' is a sleek and lush album,
and continues Slater's Detroit-influenced techno sound, but is more
experimental
An experiment is a procedure carried out to support or refute a hypothesis, or determine the efficacy or likelihood of something previously untried. Experiments provide insight into cause-and-effect by demonstrating what outcome occurs when ...
, covering a variety of styles including abrasive techno, string-laden
house
A house is a single-unit residential building. It may range in complexity from a rudimentary hut to a complex structure of wood, masonry, concrete or other material, outfitted with plumbing, electrical, and heating, ventilation, and air condi ...
and
ambient music
Ambient music is a genre of music that emphasizes tone and atmosphere over traditional musical structure or rhythm. It may lack net composition, beat, or structured melody.The Ambient Century by Mark Prendergast, Bloomsbury, London, 2003. It u ...
reminiscent of
film score
A film score is original music written specifically to accompany a film. The score comprises a number of orchestral, instrumental, or choral pieces called cues, which are timed to begin and end at specific points during the film in order to ...
s.
The album also features styles of
electronic funk and
acid techno
Acid techno, sometimes known generally as "acid", is a genre of techno that was derived from acid house and developed in Europe in the late 1980s to early 1990s. It saw younger artists apply the "squelching" synthesizer sound of Chicago acid hou ...
,
and was referred to by writer Andy Hermann as a fusion of techno, funk and
electro.
The ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' felt the album was "sinister mechanical
soul
In many religious and philosophical traditions, there is a belief that a soul is "the immaterial aspect or essence of a human being".
Etymology
The Modern English noun ''soul'' is derived from Old English ''sāwol, sāwel''. The earliest attes ...
" music that was steeped in "traditional techno manoeuvres,"
while Emma Morgan of ''
Select'' noted that the "vast and varied affair" alternates between "twinkling soundscapes and tinny floorfillers."
Dave Turner of ''
Mixmag
''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights.
History
The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...
'' felt the album was a collection of aggressive techno tracks which is nonetheless relieved with the inclusion of the calmer tracks "Zebediah" and "Walking the Line."
Writer Tim Haslett noted Slater's "kicked-drummed
minimalism
In visual arts, music and other media, minimalism is an art movement that began in post–World War II in Western art, most strongly with American visual arts in the 1960s and early 1970s. Prominent artists associated with minimalism include Don ...
" sound and felt he "
ccupiedtechno's basic structures and
urnedthem inside-out to make them fit his design."
The album's sixteen tracks are characterised by their organic percussion sounds.
Throughout the album are four numbered "Score" tracks which Morgan compared to
Vangelis
Evangelos Odysseas Papathanassiou ( el, Ευάγγελος Οδυσσέας Παπαθανασίου ; 29 March 1943 – 17 May 2022), known professionally as Vangelis ( ; el, Βαγγέλης, links=no ), was a Greek composer and arranger of ...
' ''
Blade Runner
''Blade Runner'' is a 1982 science fiction film directed by Ridley Scott, and written by Hampton Fancher and David Peoples. Starring Harrison Ford, Rutger Hauer, Sean Young, and Edward James Olmos, it is an adaptation of Philip K. Dick' ...
'' soundtrack.
The opening track "Purely" announces the album's "tough techno" sound from its first kick.
"Origin" is an intense
rave
A rave (from the verb: '' to rave'') is a dance party at a warehouse, club, or other public or private venue, typically featuring performances by DJs playing electronic dance music. The style is most associated with the early 1990s dance mus ...
track dominated by
bleep
Bleep may refer to:
* Bleep sound, a noise, generally of a single tone, often generated by a machine
** Bleep censor, the replacement of offensive language (swear words) or personal details with a beep sound
** Bleep techno, a Yorkshire-born subg ...
sounds.
"Score Two" features a cinematic atmosphere, whereas the following track "Are You There" is an
electro track,
with an "Egyptian
boom-bap" style that writer Aaron M. Gonsher felt revealed Slater's "
vocoded
A vocoder (, a portmanteau of ''voice'' and ''encoder'') is a Speech coding#Categories, category of speech coding that analyzes and Speech synthesis, synthesizes the human voice signal for audio data compression, multiplexing, voice encryption o ...
weirdness."
"Engine One" is a relentless, intense techno piece,
while the title track is a hypnotic and complex composition,
and was described by Morgan as reminiscent of "
Talking Heads
Talking Heads were an American rock band formed in 1975 in New York City and active until 1991.[Talkin ...](_blank)
' '
Once in a Lifetime' playing from the
Voyager
Voyager may refer to:
Computing and communications
* LG Voyager, a mobile phone model manufactured by LG Electronics
* NCR Voyager, a computer platform produced by NCR Corporation
* Voyager (computer worm), a computer worm affecting Oracle ...
probe in place of
Bach
Johann Sebastian Bach (28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the late Baroque period. He is known for his orchestral music such as the '' Brandenburg Concertos''; instrumental compositions such as the Cello Suites; keyboard w ...
's '
Brandenburg Concerto No. 2'."
It opens with
choir
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which ...
samples and a metallic keyboard sequence before the serene mood is interrupted by a looped, distorted
Roland TR-808
The Roland TR-808 Rhythm Composer, commonly known as the 808, is a drum machine manufactured by the Roland Corporation between 1980 and 1983. It was one of the first drum machines to allow users to program rhythms instead of using preset patte ...
kick drum sound. Guitar noise soon appears, albeit put through many
filter
Filter, filtering or filters may refer to:
Science and technology
Computing
* Filter (higher-order function), in functional programming
* Filter (software), a computer program to process a data stream
* Filter (video), a software component tha ...
s and
effect pedal
An effects unit or effects pedal is an electronic device that alters the sound of a musical instrument or other audio source through audio signal processing.
Common effects include distortion/overdrive, often used with electric guitar in ele ...
s so that the original instrument is almost unrecognisable.
"Zebediah" is a
trip hop
Trip hop (sometimes used synonymously with "downtempo") is a musical genre that originated in the early 1990s in the United Kingdom, especially Bristol. It has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop ...
-styled track with
dub music
Dub is an electronic musical style that grew out of reggae in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is commonly considered a subgenre of reggae, though it has developed to extend beyond that style.Dub: soundscapes and shattered songs in Jamaican re ...
influences,
and is reminiscent of the "spiritual bliss" of
Orbital.
"Bless Bless" features a distressed
funk
Funk is a music genre that originated in African American communities in the mid-1960s when musicians created a rhythmic, danceable new form of music through a mixture of various music genres that were popular among African Americans in the m ...
sound,
and incorporates rattly but rigid percussion,
a drifting bassline and swirly
sample
Sample or samples may refer to:
Base meaning
* Sample (statistics), a subset of a population – complete data set
* Sample (signal), a digital discrete sample of a continuous analog signal
* Sample (material), a specimen or small quantity of s ...
bed.
By contrast, following track "Filter 2" features an
industrial
Industrial may refer to:
Industry
* Industrial archaeology, the study of the history of the industry
* Industrial engineering, engineering dealing with the optimization of complex industrial processes or systems
* Industrial city, a city dominate ...
"
sound wall
A noise barrier (also called a soundwall, noise wall, sound berm, sound barrier, or acoustical barrier) is an exterior structure designed to protect inhabitants of sensitive land use areas from noise pollution. Noise barriers are the most effecti ...
" style,
and is similar to "Option" in its "ravey whirlpool" style.
"Score Four (Black Cloud Over Zin Vortex)" is characterised by
spacey textures and "fraught atmospheres" similarly to "Zebediah."
"Time Dancer" has been described as a "peak-time head spinner."
The album is closed by the
abstract hip-hop of "Walking the Line".
Release and reception
''Freek Funk'' was released by NovaMute on 20 October 1997.
In the United States, where NovaMute also released the album, it was Slater's first release, although he had built up a following among "import fiends" in the country.
The title track was released as the album's first single.
It contained the B-side "Stomp", a techno track incorporating
broken beat
Broken beat (sometimes referred to as "bruk") is an electronic dance music genre characterized by syncopated beats and tense rhythms, including staggered or punctuated snare beats and/or hand claps. It has been heavily influenced by styles such a ...
s. Upon release, ''Freek Funk'' was critically acclaimed,
and according to writer Justin Kleinfeld, it put Slater "on top of the electronic music circuit."
Dave Hoffman of ''
PopMatters
''PopMatters'' is an international online magazine of cultural criticism that covers aspects of popular culture. ''PopMatters'' publishes reviews, interviews, and essays on cultural products and expressions in areas such as music, television, fi ...
'' reflected that the album "was popular on dancefloors all over the world."
The album also was a relative commercial success in that it topped the dance charts.
In a favourable review, Emma Morgan of ''
Select'' wrote: "As palatable to technoheads as to anyone kicked into touch by
Daft Punk
Daft Punk were a French electronic music duo formed in 1993 in Paris by Thomas Bangalter and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo. Widely regarded as one of the most influential acts in dance music history, they achieved popularity in the late 1990s as p ...
's recent triumphs, ''Freek Funk'' is a momentarily unifying force as dance music continues to divide and regenerate at light speed."
''
Option'' called the album "an enjoyable collection. It sputters by smoothly and coherently, a 75-minute set of logical progressions." They praised Slater for creating a unified album "suitable for solitary consumption," feeling this was unlike many techno producers who the writer felt would make "healfhearted" albums instead. Praise was given to the title track for being intricate without seeming "fussy or overwrought," and for "Bless Bless" for being "outstanding."
Vincent Brunner of ''
Les Inrockuptibles
''Les Inrockuptibles'' () is a French cultural magazine. Started as a monthly magazine in 1986, it became weekly in 1995. Now it is a monthly again, since 2021. In the beginning, rock music was the magazine's primary focus, though every issue in ...
'' felt that the album is "as much for dancers as for dreamers, provided they do not have short breath and low vision." He complimented the variety of styles and the music's "human" feel, and felt that Slater was "moving forward", describing the record as "a veritable kaleidoscope of techno."
Andy Crysell of ''
NME
''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...
'' hailed the album for reminding listeners of techno's "fantastical" sound.
In their year-end lists of the best albums of 1997, ''
Muzik
''Muzik'' was a British dance music magazine published by IPC Media from June 1995 to August 2003.
''Muzik'' was created by two former ''Melody Maker'' journalists, Push and Ben Turner. Push was the editor of ''Muzik'' from its launch until he ...
'' ranked the album 18th,
''
Nojesguiden'' ranked it 19th, and ''
OOR
''OOR'' is the oldest currently published music magazine in the Netherlands. ''Oor'' is the Dutch word for ear. Until 1984 it was published as ''Muziekkrant Oor''.
History
The magazine was first published on 1 April 1971, being founded by Ba ...
'' ranked it 33rd. Tim Haslett of ''
CMJ New Music Monthly
CMJ Holdings Corp. is a music events and online media company, originally founded in 1978, which ran a website, hosted an annual festival in New York City, and published two magazines, ''CMJ New Music Monthly'' and ''CMJ New Music Report''. Th ...
'' wrote in December 1997 that ''Freek Funk'' was a "treat" and commented: "No wonder he counts people like
Robert Hood
Robert Hood (born 1965 in Detroit, Michigan) is an American electronic music producer and DJ. He is a founding member of the group Underground Resistance as a 'Minister of Information' with Mad Mike Banks and Jeff Mills. He is often conside ...
and
Carl Craig
Carl Craig (born May 22, 1969) is an American electronic music producer, DJ, and founder of the record label Planet E Communications. He is known as a leading figure and pioneer in the second wave of Detroit techno artists during the late 1980s ...
among his followers."
He felt the album's "effect" was "similar to that of reaching a difficulty level in a video game that the game's designers hadn't planned for."
Among retrospective reviews, John Bush of
AllMusic
AllMusic (previously known as All Music Guide and AMG) is an American online music database. It catalogs more than three million album entries and 30 million tracks, as well as information on musicians and bands. Initiated in 1991, the databas ...
felt that the album was Slater's most precise and emotional album to date, while also noting its musical experimentation and variety. He concluded that Slater was "
e of the few British producers who seems to realize that interesting sounds aren't quite as important as investing the music with spirit," and described ''Freek Funk'' as "one of the best techno LPs of the year."
''
Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. It was established in 2001. ''RA''s editorial team provides news, musi ...
'' felt the record consolidated on previous Slater productions, such as the Al Sage collaboration "Freebase" and "important releases" released under the pseudonyms Planetary Assault System and Clementine.
Legacy
Following the album's release, Slater discussed playing the album live, and announced to ''Select'' that he was going to perform a range of songs from the album and other sources on its accompanying tour.
Since its release, ''Freek Funk'' has gone on to be considered an influential album; ''
Resident Advisor
''Resident Advisor'' (also known as ''RA'') is an online music magazine and community platform dedicated to showcasing electronic music, artists and events across the globe. It was established in 2001. ''RA''s editorial team provides news, musi ...
'' wrote that the album made an immediate, heavy impact on the techno and
breakbeat
Breakbeat is a broad type of electronic music that tends to use drum breaks sampled from early recordings of funk, jazz, and R&B. Breakbeats have been used in styles such as hip hop, jungle, drum and bass, big beat, breakbeat hardcore, and UK ...
scenes, and felt that it inspired "the next generation of
electro-tinged breaks and nu-skool techno."
Slater was surprised by the album's influence, saying: "It was a great feeling to be honest. I was trying to push the barriers of the techno thing. I was surprised."
Paul Cooper of ''
Pitchfork
A pitchfork (also a hay fork) is an agricultural tool with a long handle and two to five tines used to lift and pitch or throw loose material, such as hay, straw, manure, or leaves.
The term is also applied colloquially, but inaccurately, to th ...
'' felt the album was "ambitious and innovative."
In 1999, French magazine ''Trax'' included the album in their unordered list of "The 50 Best Techno Albums 1989-1999,"
while in 2017, ''
Mixmag
''Mixmag'' is a British electronic dance and clubbing magazine published in London. Launched in 1983 as a print magazine, it has branched into dance events, including festivals and club nights.
History
The first issue of ''Mixmag'' was prin ...
'' ranked the album at number 5 in their list of "The 10 best 90s techno albums". They said Slater delivered an "epic" album where "every track is potent to keep listeners locked in," and felt that the record "sounds like an invasion from an off-world colony of dance freaks."
That same year, they also included the album on a list of 20 notable electronic albums released in 1997, and told listeners to "revisit ''Freek Funk'' to remind yourself of the magic
later
Later may refer to:
* Future, the time after the present
Television
* ''Later'' (talk show), a 1988–2001 American talk show
* '' Later... with Jools Holland'', a British music programme since 1992
* ''The Life and Times of Eddie Roberts'', or ...
conjured up 20 years ago."
Writer
Paul Morley
Paul Robert Morley is an English music journalist. He wrote for the ''New Musical Express'' from 1977 to 1983 and has since written for a wide range of publications as well as writing his own books. He was a co-founder of the record label ZTT Re ...
included the album in a list of 100 great albums "that map out the universe as it is because of
Kraftwerk
Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...
."
Track listing
All songs written by Luke Slater
#"Purely" – 8:02
#"Score One" – 1:46
#"Origin" – 3:14
#"Score Two" – 2:06
#"Are You There?" – 4:52
#"Score Two (Message from Hulal)" – 2:20
#"Engine One" – 6:45
#"Freek Funk" – 7:51
#"Zebediah" – 6:57
#"Bless Bless" – 4:21
#"Filter 2" – 6:16
#"Time Dancer" – 6:15
#"Score Four (Black Cloud Over Zin Vortex)" – 1:06
#"Love" – 6:14
#"Black Cloud (Epilogue)" – 1:29
#"Walking the Cloud" – 5:20
Personnel
*Luke Slater – production, writing
*Hulal – recording
*House – design
*Spiros Politis – photography
References
{{Authority control
1997 debut albums
Novamute Records albums
Luke Slater albums
Instrumental albums