DJ-Kicks: DaM-FunK (2LP) [!K7]

DaM-FunK is the kind of person who seems like he’d be great company: laid-back, affable, easy-going. But to truly know him, to truly understand him, you have to grasp his profound love of music, like no other. Dam’s contribution to the DJ-Kicks series gives you a chance to do just that. It’s a snapshot look into the mind of the Modern-Funk pioneer… DJ-Kicks invites you to meet the man behind the shades.

Dam maps out a lifetime of exploring and absorbing music that feels as breezy as the Santa Ana winds. Years ago, he coined the term "Modern Funk" to give context to his music. The elements of the synth-heavy, multi-layered style are gloriously showcased on DJ-Kicks. "Modern-Funk is a combination of all the sounds in the mix," he explains. "Funk, Boogie, Electro, House, Modern-Soul, Ambient tones... a mixture between nostalgia and progress…"

With 19 well-chosen tracks, DâM-FunK’s DJ-Kicks lets the beats breathe. It's a mix to happily get lost in; a document of ambience. Unexpected contemporary tracks are mixed with lost gems from improbable places. DâM-FunK's exclusive production, "Believer," makes its debut on DJ-Kicks, an extensive instrumental composition that alone could only be classified as authentic Modern-Funk. The mix also includes Dam's excellent collaboration with Nite Jewel, under the name 'Nite-Funk,' in "Can U Read Me?"