- Future funk made by machines from an era when robots looked like a human-assembled bricolage of black plastic, metal bits and generously sized knobs and dials. Yep. That's skweee, a genre so named because it sounded like the producers making it were squeezing the last juice out of an ailing piece of analogue music equipment. Most purveyors of skwee are indigenous to countries in Scandinavia, and that's the case here with Norwegian skwee-ists Dødpøp and their second compilation featuring an international all-star cast.
As a label and collective of artists, Dødpøp represents more of a harder hitting boom bap skweee sound than, for example, early Swedish pioneers Beem and Daniel Savio or Mesak's deeper minimal outings. This big sound is best represented on the compilation with a rework of Melkeveien and Niño's "Yo!" from the talented hands of Slugabed. Swaying around like a drunk King Kong, the track never crashes to the ground thanks to the bed of raw funk zaps. Niño flexes even more grooves on a g-funk tip with "Get On the Floor," a testament to the influence of R&B, funk and boogie has had on Spanish proponents of the sound.
Norway's Beatbully works boom bap and catchy harmonies in a collaboration with Slow Hand Motem to create a big vocal hit with "Expecting Company." With this and "RnBully" already under his belt, many are anticipating his first long player on the label, which should be dropping next year. Such is the variation of styles on this compilation, it's nearly impossible to go through each and every track. There are strong productions from Swedes Daniel Savio, Beem and Marcus Price and exciting new explorations from Spartan Lover and Coco Bryce. But, perhaps the last mention should go to Dødpøp newbie Drums, whose "Limbo" sounds like Night Slugs meets John Carpenter in an analogue shootout finale.
Tracklist01. Beatbully - RnBully
02. Niño - Get On the Floor
03. Mother North - Scanners
04. Melkeveien vs. Niño - Yo! (Slugabed remix)
05. Sprutbass - Alley Oop Es
06. Coco Bryce - Ill Yuykb
07. Spartan Lover - Illusions of Love
08. Slow Hand Motëm & Beatbully - Expecting Company
09. Beem - Manka
10. Joxaren - Järvsöfaks
11. Drums - Limbo
12. Marcus Price - Negro Cookies
13. Daniel Savio - Isla Mopho Bic
14. Rigas Den Andre - Adult Punishment
15. DU - Softness (Sprutbass remix)