Weekly Release Spotlight: Dam-Funk

Posted on 1/11/2010

Dam-Funk

Toeachizown

[Stones Throw]

With his pressed, slicked-back ponytail, neon sunglasses and bright sneakers, it's no surprise that Dam-Funk (né Damon Riddick) is from Los Angeles. And just like L.A., Riddick's music is a sprawling collection of distinctive but cohesive elements. His official debut full-length, Toeachizown, literally sprawls at 139 minutes (it's available on two CDs or five LPs). It's music that doesn't just recall the City of Angels; Dam-Funk and L.A. are one and the same, an inseparable pair.

First and foremost a DJ, Riddick made a name for himself through his weekly "Funkmosphere" parties, where he spins the finest and rarest in boogie and electro-funk records. He was "discovered" and brought into the Stones Throw fold by none other than label founder Peanut Butter Wolf (who, after his discoveries of Madlib, Dam-Funk and Mayer Hawthorne may soon become the independent electronic and hip hop scene's Dr. Dre equivalent). Toeachizown, which is largely instrumental, seems to be just as influenced by the California air Riddick breathes as it is by the records he spins every Monday night. Songs like "Mirrors" and "Keep Lookin 2 The Sky" audibly shimmer with Riddick's layers of vintage synth and sly drum machine goodness.

Riddick now sits comfortably - with Animal Collective as die-hard fans - as Stone Throw's newest master of musical mise-en-scene, creating downtempo, expansive songs influenced not just by boogie and funk, but by house and hip hop (Riddick has said he's highly influenced by another L.A. tradition, gangsta rap) that enter your brain via your ears and whisk you away to ocean breezes, sunshine and endless miles of beaches and pavement. Whether that's Riddick's intention or not, listening to Toeachizown is a mini-vacation that we all could use.

Written by Dana Raidt, Radio K volunteer.