About Me
Over the last 10 years Functional Records has gone from a small label to one of the world’s leading purveyors of breakbeat funk. Delivering a selection of cuts from talented local artists, Beatz & Bobz residents and some of the biggest players on the scene.
It's taken nearly 6 months to come together and on the 15th May Functional completed the signing of the mighty Überzone for the release of his new album “Ideology†and singles for the UK and Europe! The first release, FB051, will be the double A side ‘Satisfaction’ with the flip ‘FUBAR’ released on July 2nd 2007 on vinyl and digital. This will be accompanied by some digital only mixes of Satisfaction. Uberzone will also be releasing his back catalogue digitally during the summer. There will be a second single released with mixes to coincide with the album release in September.
Uberzone has returned from his five-year hiatus and, ahead of the long awaited album 'Ideology', drops the massive single '4 Bit' on Functional this October.
The second single to be taken from the album is a pulsating, tech-driven slice of breaks, which has been picking up fans from its very first spin. The original caught the ears of Swansea's finest breakbeat purveyors - Hybrid - who took it into their studio for a bit of a re-rub. The pair have dropped undulating guitars and their trademark tribal touches into the mix, to add a more progressive feel to the original. While their time spent working on film scores translates into an almost epic edge weaving into the latter half of the track.
Also included in the single package is Uberzone's original, a robotic vocalled, energetic dancefloor workout, which highlights his love of the technical world. Taking every bit of kit he has and throwing a piece of it into the mix, it's plain to see why the Southern California native has gained himself the nickname Q, for his love of gadgets. But rather than end up a showcase for the equipment, '4 Bit' instead shows the skill and control Q has developed over the past five years in the studios, adding lush layers and dimensions to his dancefloor friendly sound.
Q first burst onto the scene in his Uberzone guise in the mid-1990's, releasing a series of sought after singles, including 'Botz', 'The Freaks' and '2Kool4Skool', on the City Of Angels label and immediately stamping his own unique trademark on the scene. A slew of remix requests followed as well as a collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa and a high profile tour with The Crystal Method. Carving himself an identity as one of the scenes innovators, his debut album featured collaborations with artists from Beenie Man to Rennie Pilgrem and spawned Uberzone's dynamic live show. Featuring the talents of scratch DJ Davey Dave, the Uber-live experience has taken in crowds the world over including audiences at this year's Glastonbury and Glade.
"This shows where breaks should be…you can have fantastic production without losing the funk" IDJ
"Next level shit!" DJ
A. 4 Bit (Uberzone 2bit Downgrade Mix)
B. 4 Bit (Hybrid "The Back To The Analogue Mix")
Uberzone is the musical alter-ago of Southern California native Q (named after the gizmo-loving James Bond character.) Having won an army of fans with his debut album 'Faith In The Future', the past five years have seen him criss-cross the globe with his dynamic live show.
Finally finding time to get back in the studio, in between mixing albums for the likes of Distinct'ive Records 'Y4K' series, the don of US breaks is now set to release his sophomore album 'Ideology' on Functional Records.
'Ideology' is a refreshing blend of solid song-writing, timeless melodies and upfront breaks, and the result of a lot of quality time spent in the studio 'experimenting with equipment'. "To me, the most engaging aspect of writing electronic music is the interaction with the gear," Q explains. "Whether it's a drum machine, a synthesizer or a piece of 'found sound' that I'm manipulating in Reaktor. The whole process is the part that I love the most. I love the creative building blocks of the music. The more you're involved with every single facet of the music, the more your identity is going to be engrained."
The glitch-funk of album opener 'Okay' is stamped with Q's personality and leads into the tech driven '4 Bit'; a future single that has already caught the ears of Hybrid, who are currently working on a remix. The pulsating atmosphere of first single 'Satisfaction' provides a rough energetic dancefloor workout, while the charismatic 'FUBAR' oozes infectious breaks appeal. Title track 'Ideology' is a mellower affair and, alongside 'M87' and 'Blackhole' provides some of the album's more laid-back moments, perfectly showcasing the melodious side of Uberzone.
Q first burst onto the scene in his Uberzone guise in the mid-1990's, releasing a series of sought after singles, including 'Botz', 'The Freaks' and '2Kool4Skool', on the City Of Angels label and immediately stamping his own unique trademark on the scene. A slew of remix requests followed as well as a collaboration with Afrika Bambaataa and a high profile tour with The Crystal Method. Carving himself an identity as one of the scenes innovators, his debut album featured collaborations with artists from Beenie Man to Rennie Pilgrem and spawned Uberzone's dynamic live show. Featuring the talents of scratch DJ Davey Dave and drummer Alex Rosson, the Uber-live experience has taken in crowds the world over and is heading to the UK this summer for special performances at Glastonbury and Glade.
Tracklisting / Clips
01. Okay
02. 4 Bit
03. Vibrate
04. Satisfaction
05. Ideology
06. FUBAR
07. Alphawave
08. Germs
09. Geisha
10. Funny Noise
11. Inner Space
12. M87
13. Black Hole
14. Yes
Buy Me
Fun Shop | Juno
2007 is a landmark year for the Functional / Beatz & Bobz family, as the West Country club night approaches its tenth anniversary. Starting life as a party in Exeter's Cavern Club, the night has since grown into a breakbeat establishment showcasing local talent, and bringing big name DJs to the monthly shindig.
To celebrate a decade in dance, the Beatz & Bobz crew have teamed up with sister label Functional to release the seventh instalment in their compilation series. Following mixes from the likes of Tayo, Atomic Hooligan and Dreadzone, they have drafted in another heavyweight of the scene, calling in Rennie Pilgrem to deliver an exclusive live mix combining the great and the good of what the breaks scene has to offer.
Recorded live at his June 1st Cavern gig, Rennie expands on the formula he first utilised over four years ago for Perfecto, when he recorded the first ever Ableton Live mix album. Incorporating live keyboards, samples and MCing, Rennie uses the experience he has gained with his TCR Allstars Band (one of the '20 Live Dance Acts You Must See' according to DJ Mag) to deliver a CD, which perfectly captures the unique atmosphere of a Beatz & Bobz night.
Opening with his own 'Nu Era', Rennie takes listeners on a journey through the bass-driven dancefloor stomp of DJ Icey's 'Gonzo Fuse', taking in the reggae-tinged funk of 'Babylon Breaks' by Ed Solo & Skool Of Thought, Uberzone's future classic 'Satisfaction' and the old school electro sampling 'Hyperspeed' by the Drumattic Twins'.
To tie in with the release of the album, and showcase what they do best, Beatz & Bobz are also taking to the road this autumn, with a series of live dates up and down the country. The 10th Anniversary tour will then culminate in two extra special parties – in London and Exeter – bringing together the best of the past decade of breaks.
Tracklisting
01. Rennie Pilgrem 'Nu Era'
02. DJ Icey 'Gonzo Fuse'
03. Tom Real vs The Rogue Element 'Feel My... (Madox Remix)'
04. JDS 'Edit'
05. Rennie Pilgrem 'Clobber (Rennie Pilgrem VIP Edit)'
06. Spoon Wizard 'Shoe Monkey (Tom Real Vs The Rogue Element Remix'
07. Baobinga & I.D. 'Hood Thang'
08. Ed Solo & Skool Of Thought 'Babylon Breaks'
09. Dreadzone 'Elevate (Roxilla Mix)'
10. Rennie Pilgrem 'Eraser (Rennie Pilgrem VIP Edit)'
11. Uberzone 'Satisfaction'
12. Backdraft 'Funk Rock'
13. Drumattic Twins 'Hyperspeed'
14. Aquasky/Crash Berlin feat Kool Keith 'Moving The Hype Track (Nick Thayer Mix)'
15. Far Too Loud 'Shredder'
16. Tim Deluxe 'Let's The Beats Roll (Rennie Pilgrem Mix)'
Rennie Pilgem / Beatz & Bobz 7 Tour Dates
12th Oct - STIR . London
19th Oct - TCR Allstars . Cargo
31st Oct or 7 Nov - Funkdabar . Cambridge TBC
Nov 2nd - Heaven
Nov 9th - Exeter
Dec 8th - Plymouth
Friday 13TH October
DUBLIN, Voodoo Bar | DREADZONE SOUNDSYSTEM
Friday 19TH October
SWINDON, 12 Bar | DREADZONE SOUNDSYSTEM
Saturday 20TH October
BRISTOL, Blue Mountain | DREADZONE SOUNDSYSTEM
Wednesday 24th October
BRISTOL, Trinity | DREADZONE LIVE
0870 44 44 400 http://www.bristolticketshop.co.uk
Thursday 25th October
SWANSEA, Sin City | DREADZONE LIVE
01792 654226 http://www.ticketwales.co.uk
Friday 26th October
NARBERTH, The Queens Hall | DREADZONE LIVE
01834 861212 http://www.thequeenshall.org.uk
Saturday 27th October
PORTSMOUTH, Wedgewood Rooms | DREADZONE LIVE
023 9286 3911 http://www.wedgewood-rooms.co.uk
Wednesday 31st October
READING, Plug N Play | DREADZONE LIVE
0118 958 1447 http://www.wegottickets.co.uk
Thursday 1st November
BRIGHTON, Barfly Club | DREADZONE LIVE
0870 907 0999 http://www.barflyclub.com
Friday 2nd November
LONDON, Heaven | DREADZONE SOUNDSYSTEM
Saturday 3rd November
ST ALBANS, The Horn | DREADZONE SOUNDSYSTEM
Friday 9th November
EXETER, Lemon Grove | DREADZONE LIVE
01392263518 http://www.exeterboxoffice.com
Saturday 10th November
FROME, Cheese and Grain | DREADZONE LIVE
01373455420 http://www.gtickets.com
Wednesday 21st November
NORWICH, Waterfront | DREADZONE LIVE
01603508050 http://www.waterfrontnorwich.com
Saturday 24th November
SHREWSBURY, The Buttermarket | DREADZONE LIVE
01743 231142 http://www.seetickets.com
Friday 30TH November
HEREFORD, Jailhouse | DREADZONE SOUNDSYSTEM
