Yes I'd say Ill Blu's sound peaked in late 2010 (though I liked the XLR8R mix) whereas Funkystepz appear to be still peaking.
One of the issues being that Ill Blu are much more within the orbit of that more masculinist post-dubstep-and-dutch-house kinda vibe characterised by Marco Del Horno / Shox (ironically given the above) / the kind-of-funky-Marcus-now-plays*, both sonically and socially and in terms of their own listening habits (e.g. the sorts of tunes they post to youtube) which is pulling them away from that galloping rrrrushiness they had previously perfected.
OTOH I'm not sure where you'd really take that sound after e.g. the "Green Light" remix on the one hand and "Monsta" on the other so I don't really think of Ill Blu as having fallen off (except in the lack-of-releases sense) so much as necessarily having reached the end of a chapter.
* Pantha / X5 Dubs / Kry Wolf et. al. I should probably address my mixed feelings re this stuff at some point.
Whereas I think the Funkystepz aesthetic was much hazier and more ill-defined for a long time and has really only snapped into focus in early 2011, as much as I adore many of their tunes from prior to that time (indeed since their very first widely-played tune).
― Tim F, Monday, 25 June 2012 00:10 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah, I noticed the last time I listened to Ill Blu's radio show that they were playing mostly "wobbly Funky" or whatever you call it, Their XLR8R mix had a lot of that same overly aggressive, glum, dour vibe. Funkystepz's recent work, otoh, while being plenty heavy, has a much more fun, colorful vibe to it. Ill Blu are obviously very talented producers though, so hopefully they can apply their talent in a new, more fruitful, and most of all, more fun direction.
― Astrochimp32, Monday, 25 June 2012 00:32 (twelve years ago) link
It's worth noting though that Ill Blu's own recent productions (as per the XLR8R mix) are basically "wobbly funky" at its very best. Basically Ill Blu >> Pantha >> everyone else.
― Tim F, Monday, 25 June 2012 00:42 (twelve years ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f3PDaDc5WmQ
― Tim F, Thursday, 28 June 2012 11:07 (twelve years ago) link
I'm not really feeling the Amira from Eastenders remix, Funkystepz contribution is great but it would be much better without the watery diffident vocal.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 28 June 2012 11:08 (twelve years ago) link
Kind of agree about Ill Blu's more recent direction but at their best (most of that Mistajam mix from last year) they're only 'dark' in cartoonish shoot-em-up way.
― Matt DC, Thursday, 28 June 2012 11:10 (twelve years ago) link
Yeah that's what saves them - and the Mistajam mix is amazing front to back.
― Tim F, Thursday, 28 June 2012 11:17 (twelve years ago) link
Hope that new Funkystepz instrumental EP has 4 tracks on it, like the Royal Rumble EP, they have so many good tunes they could release. I'm going to give the Ill Blu XLR8R mix another chance- I absolutely love their Mistajam mix, I may have let my antipathy of the whole Redlight/Pantha wobbly Funky and lack of lighter vocal tracks in their radio sets prejudice my view. OTOH, maybe Funkystepz (and Champion as well) are simply better at making heavy instrumental bangers at this point?
― Astrochimp32, Thursday, 28 June 2012 20:25 (twelve years ago) link
I'm definitely more excited about Champion than Ill Blu at this point.
― The Reverend, Thursday, 28 June 2012 22:01 (twelve years ago) link
http://soundcloud.com/scrufizzer/back-on-my-ball
that's more like it, just throw stuff at him
― r|t|c, Friday, 6 July 2012 13:35 (twelve years ago) link
Funkystepz with a preview of their next four-track instrumental EP of ultra bangers, the Dirty Fluxx EP:http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/funkystepz-dirty-fluxx-ep#Maybe not a track on there quite as devastating as Royal Rumble, but all those sound incredible, Belter lives up to its name.
― Astrochimp32, Tuesday, 17 July 2012 06:06 (twelve years ago) link
If you haven't already, everyone should get their new EP. It's really amazing how their sound has progressed from their early Funky House tracks into this intricate, space-age sci-fi, dirty dutch meets grime/Funky business. I don't know what genre they fit into, honestly.
― Astrochimp32, Tuesday, 28 August 2012 21:39 (twelve years ago) link
http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/2-chainz-birthday-song-feat
are we just not gonna talk about this then
so insanely relentless it's borderline frightening, like not only is it actually trying to chase you down but it's gaining on youuuu
― r|t|c, Monday, 15 October 2012 13:47 (eleven years ago) link
http://i.imgur.com/AFKxq.gif
OMG
― Tim F, Monday, 15 October 2012 14:33 (eleven years ago) link
already listened to this ten times today. Thanks for the heads up rtc
― Number None, Monday, 15 October 2012 16:42 (eleven years ago) link
This is amazing.
― Matt DC, Monday, 15 October 2012 19:33 (eleven years ago) link
Incredible, aren't they? The new Missy Elliot and Kanye West remixes are great, too, as is this one, just put up yesterday: http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/those-that-know-arise.
― Astrochimp32, Monday, 15 October 2012 19:36 (eleven years ago) link
This guest mix of theirs on Da Movelt Nasty show is worth repeated listens, it starts an hour and twelve minutes in: http://soundcloud.com/moveltraxx/da-movelt-nasty-show-nasty-9. There's loads of new Funkystepz instrumentals and hip hop remixes, including two neck-breaking Fresh Prince/DJ Jazzy Jeff remixes. It ends with a brand new vocal track, 'Bring me Back'.
― Astrochimp32, Monday, 15 October 2012 19:49 (eleven years ago) link
that 2 chainz remix O_O
― lex pretend, Monday, 15 October 2012 20:01 (eleven years ago) link
OH MY FUCKING GOD THIS MIIIIIIIIIX
― r|t|c, Monday, 15 October 2012 20:36 (eleven years ago) link
i think i may have just pulled faces i have never pulled before
― r|t|c, Monday, 15 October 2012 20:37 (eleven years ago) link
everyone stop whatever you're doing right now and listen to this shit
cat in a tree, let it burn, it'll understand
― r|t|c, Monday, 15 October 2012 20:40 (eleven years ago) link
i'm just cracking up sitting here listening to this "birthday song" remix
― lil dirk (J0rdan S.), Monday, 15 October 2012 20:53 (eleven years ago) link
blinding mix again. I think Maxsins a wicked DJ actually.
Can't believe I still haven't got round to getting the Dirty Flux ep yet, what have I been doing?
― Benny B, Monday, 15 October 2012 21:19 (eleven years ago) link
http://www13.zippyshare.com/v/20813848/file.html
mix just on its tod for keeps
― r|t|c, Monday, 15 October 2012 22:29 (eleven years ago) link
these fresh prince refixes are just... is it too soon for space battle jackin
― r|t|c, Monday, 15 October 2012 22:33 (eleven years ago) link
this mix kills, ty rtc
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 00:40 (eleven years ago) link
THIS MIX.
I will never be the same.
― Tim F, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 20:28 (eleven years ago) link
The transition into the "We Found Love" remix is just O_O
― Tim F, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 20:32 (eleven years ago) link
xp hah by the end of last night i had p much concluded that funkystepz had solved the whole music question and the world's populace should retire en masse to appreciate fine porcelains or something instead
come the morning i awoke with the usual morbid zombie appetite unfortunately
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 21:10 (eleven years ago) link
transition out of 'we found love' is just as bonkers in truth
like what manner of robotech laser clown car music even is that riddim seriously
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 21:18 (eleven years ago) link
O_OThis mix is too much.
― etc, Tuesday, 16 October 2012 21:53 (eleven years ago) link
Whatever tune it is that comes in around 12:30 just blew my tiny little mind.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 17:02 (eleven years ago) link
Haha okay now I get the Rihanna thing.
― Matt DC, Wednesday, 17 October 2012 17:05 (eleven years ago) link
New Funkystepz 'vice versa' at around 50:30 in this showhttp://www.mixcloud.com/ShyOneBeats/shy-one_nasty-fm_dva-music-show_161112_podcast/
― Benny B, Monday, 3 December 2012 22:34 (eleven years ago) link
http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/funkystepz-backlog-ep
A new nine-track EP is imminent, great news.
― boxedjoy, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 20:48 (eleven years ago) link
a funkystepz track called "fizzy" doesn't even seem fair
― J0rdan S., Tuesday, 4 December 2012 20:49 (eleven years ago) link
'jumanji' is the least fair one imo
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 21:35 (eleven years ago) link
ah 'xtc', how could i have forgotten your utter magnificence
Even just in memory I can immediately summon the utter magnificence of "XTC" to mind.
OTOH how dare they release a "Backlog" EP and leave off "Lovers".
― Tim F, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 22:11 (eleven years ago) link
Despite bingeing heavily in Funkystepz instrumental bangers a while back they always feel like they're missing something on their own. Because you hear them piled on top of one another so regularly I've come to view the individual EP tracks as components of some ridiculous mecha-banger that can be slotted together in a load of different ways. Their EPs are more consistently great then pretty much anyone else's at the moment and still they suffer in comparison to their mixes.
― Matt DC, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 22:26 (eleven years ago) link
yes that is true, and I think it prevents a lot of people from recognising their greatest material, which was always designed to be listened to in the mix
― Tim F, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 22:40 (eleven years ago) link
http://soundcloud.com/funkystepzuk/rude-kid-get-busy-funkystepz-1
i am compelled to stan for this again, being as it is the anomalous godhead that can stand majestically on its own two feet
best rmx of '12 in truth imo
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 23:26 (eleven years ago) link
be sure to save that soundcloud btw as a bowdlerised version was only ever eventually officially released :(
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 23:27 (eleven years ago) link
as ever with garage remixes you fight back the temptation to post the original load of shit just to fully make clear the magnitude of alchemy wrought
but seriously - what. a. ting.
― r|t|c, Tuesday, 4 December 2012 23:33 (eleven years ago) link
It just made my day to see "XTC" is getting a release. I doubt "Lovers" will ever see the light of day, though, Tim, unless they include it in their annual Christmas giveaway, it just sounds so much different than what they put out over the last year and a half. On the bright side, that new vocal track "Bring Me Back" of theirs sounds sick!
― Astrochimp32, Wednesday, 5 December 2012 23:42 (eleven years ago) link
yeah, difficult to make a big deal of it at the time at the end of that breathtaking mix but 'bring me back' sounded fucking fantastic
― r|t|c, Wednesday, 5 December 2012 23:51 (eleven years ago) link
Oh I'm sure yr right Astrochimp, in some ways if it actually came to light now it would tarnish the holy grail status it has earned in my head.
― Tim F, Thursday, 6 December 2012 00:04 (eleven years ago) link
Tim, you can download 'Lovers' here: http://www.louisewmusic.com/#!music/c22j5. Enjoy!
― Astrochimp32, Sunday, 23 December 2012 23:45 (eleven years ago) link