Having kept themselves busy and us entertained with a string of edits and remixes of Rihanna, Ester Dean and Usher the last couple of months, prolific London trio Funkystepz get set to finally drop their highly anticipated “Royal Rumble” EP next week on F.L.Y Recordings. Now these four tracks have been doing the rounds on the DJ circuit for a relatively long time so it’s great to see them finally seeing the light of day. Hyperdub’s main man Kode 9 has been a huge supporter of the trio, having been plugging the tracks on a regular basis and inviting them to play on his Boiler Room label night. Flying the flag high still for UK Funky whilst drawing in other influences, Funkystepz dish out some of their best varied work to date.
Opening the EP up with “Warrior”, Funkystepz build up the track with a layer of piano stabs, punchy percussion and a catchy lead that the trio are so famous for effortlessly making. The lead is complimented wonderfully with another well produced melodic synth line and big brazen bass hits. It’s an incredibly addictive song that no doubt will cement itself into the mind of many listeners and club goers. Following up with a more house orientated approach the trio opt for a promising four by four vibe on “Class A” for a classy little roller. Third track on the EP “Jigga” bares a similar resemblance to the opening track in the sense of creating an absolute party veered lead but manages to reach bigger heights with the added usage of taking parts of Jay-Z’s Timbaland produced “Jigga What, Jigga Who” and combining them for a tightly wound hitter. Title track “Royal Rumble” finishes off the EP and whilst we don’t necessarily want to call this the standout of the EP it’s the track that no doubt will get the biggest response in clubs. Rapid fire drums set the mood for a rapturous collection of drops and whilst the recognisable Michael Buffer sample may be a little bit too tongue-in-cheek for some it in no way affects the overall enjoyment of the track. Overall, Funkystepz have managed to produce one of their most accomplished releases to date that should continue to roll and be played out well into festival season this summer.
Funkystepz – Royal Rumble EP is out digitally on the 2nd April on F.L.Y
