Studio Funk

Join us on this exciting episode featuring Cool Raul, a DJ and record collector hailing from Oakland, Bay Area. Known for his keen eye for unique and rare records, Raul takes us on a thrilling journey as he unveils some hidden Gospel 45s from his prized collection. As a part of Studio Funk, we are thrilled to have him on the show, where he sits down with Aswad for an exclusive showcase of his rare finds.

These gems are not to be missed, and it's a special treat as this episode was previously available only to our loyal Studio Funk Patreon supporters. Consider it a complementary bonus episode to the Tone B. Nimble show.

A special show which was sitting in the unreleased folder until now. Towards the end of last year, Aswad caught up and sat down to talk with Pittsburgh’s finest producer — Buscrates. On the show they go to great lengths to talk about his forever growing career. Starting with the earlier days through to what’s next on the horizon. Together they take deep dives to discuss hardware and software and how Buscrates approaches his workflow when working in the lab. Alongside that they talk about other activities which keeps him busy — Twitch and Serato Kitchen.

Last show of the year and it’s a special one. Aswad sits down and catches up with Earl McKenzie and Clive Gardiner about their latest release on CQQL Records — Timestamp. The definitive edition and collection of their cherished and beloved music recorded from the early 80s. Remastered and reissued with love is how we describe it. As tradition dictates, the last show is a recap highlighting music of the year. Expect a good dose of new releases alongside favourites from the year.

Milk Talk and Aswad have discussions about sampling and how Japanese City Pop within the 80s may have been inspired by western music around that time. On the show they go through several rounds of trying to guess which music tracks influenced some of the great City Pop tracks from the 80s (which might be kind way of saying that 😅)  How good is your music knowledge? Can you guess all of the samples?

Breaking the record for having the longest running time of recording an interview — 3.5 hours! Two of Aswad's favourite people, Hair Kid and Q.I who are behind the amazing modern funk duo from Japan — Milk Talk. Their first ever interview which goes over and beyond! Over the last few years, Milk Talk have been consistently releasing incredible modern funk, synth / city pop music. On the show they go to great lengths to discuss about their chemistry and collaboration. We go behind the scenes to discuss how their records are put together, and talk about their recent tour in Tokyo. That’s just the tip of the iceberg, as there is plenty more uncovered. And knowing how much we recorded, let’s just say this is part 1 of their feature 😊

This month on Studio Funk we welcome curator, DJ, the man of leisure — Miche. Over the past years Miche has been contributing heavily to the funk and soul scene in the U.K. From being a leading music programmer of London’s number 1 listening bar Spiritland, through to working and collaborating with various artists, musicians and DJs he is now entering his next chapter — releasing his new compilation on world renown record label, Mr Bongo; With Love Vol.1. Here on Studio Funk we get an exclusive preview and insight behind the highly anticipated project.

Notoya is the brains behind Tokyo Condition, a record label and online web shop operating from within Tokyo. In the last few years, Notoya has reissued private press records and focuses on lesser known artists from the past and modern day. He recently collaborated with french label We Want Sounds, to create a compilation highlighting artists from record label Nippon Columbia, the wonderful project - Tokyo Glow. On the show we welcome back Ryan Erik Williams, who joins Aswad in conversation with Notoya to discuss the inspirations of Tokyo Condition and the current impact of City Pop within modern day. They also highlight some of the releases from Tokyo Condition and discuss the partnership with HMV Japan.

This month is all about the sounds of Japan. In these celebrations and discussions, we have founder & owner of Tokyo based label, City Baby Records — Ryan Erik Williams. Ryan has been a resident in Tokyo for the last 20 years, and has a lot of knowledge when it comes to Japanese music, whether it will be City Pop, Jazz Fusion or Kayōkyoku — he’s our guy! Together Aswad & Ryan discuss what they love and admire about 80s Japanese music, whilst sharing music from their collections.

Mr Big Happy is one the great collectors on the scene who is actively seeking under the radar, obscure and lesser known funk and soul music. He pro actively does this whilst gathering insight directly from the artists and shares behind the scenes information related to the release. On the show, Aswad and Mr Big happy talk about why it’s important to him, and what drives his passion for collecting and sharing these relics of great music. Together they recorded nearly 2 hours of conversation — so let’s just say it’s been a long time coming for them to have a good chat. As you can expect the show is curated with music, and includes a soul 45s tribute mix for our special guest = the perfect summer podcast.

One way to sum up Teddy Bryant is a very talented individual. Singer, songwriter, arranger & producer are some of the many labels which can be associated with him. In this episode, together Aswad and Teddy go to great lengths to discuss his recent and past musical events. They talk about his debut solo album, In the Beginning — which was released last year on Nothing But Net Records. An album which appeared on many 'Best of 2021' lists. They also discuss his recent efforts and collaborations with super producer, Space Ghost — The Heaven Sent EP. The show features new music from a highly talented roster, and wraps up with a tribute mix bow on top.