Neurofunk

Neurofunk
Neurofunk
Stylistic origins	Drum and Bass, Funk, Techstep, House, Jazz, Techno, Dark ambient
Cultural origins	late-1990s, London, Scotland, Europe, eastern United States
Typical instruments	Synthesizer - Drum machine - Sequencer - Keyboard - Sampler - Laptop - Desktop
Subgenres
	none; (complete list)
Other topics
	Drum and bass artists, Drum and bass record labels

Neurofunk (commonly abbreviated neuro) is a subgenre of drum and bass pioneered by producers Ed Rush, Optical and Matrix circa 1997/1998 as a progression of techstep.

It was further developed by juxtaposed elements of heavier and darker forms of funk, characterized by consecutive stabs over the bass line and rhythmically structured by razor-sharp back beats where overall dark ambient atmospheric production is prominent. The prototype sound of the early evolution of Neurofunk - in transition from techstep - at it´s most creative period which defined the style, can be heard on the essential live mix by Ed Rush & Optical for Radio 1 (1998).

Future Progression

Since it´s rise during the late 90´s, Neurofunk took a faster paced minimal techno approach in 2002 when it came under the influence of colder and more precise beat engineering and mixdowns with harder stabs over the bass line by second and third-wave producers such as Sinthetix, Cause 4 Concern, Silent Witness & Break, Noisia, Mayhem, Phace, Gridlok, The Upbeats, Codex, Misanthrop and Destruct.

Lyrical Content

As a producer/MC, Rymetyme personalized Neurofunk as an integral member of Ed Rush & Optical's live sets and studio productions. His abstract lyrical flow and futurist manifestations - in contrast to his progressive production skills - can be heard on Neurofunk classics such as "Resurrection" (co-produced with Ed Rush & Optical), and "Fastlane" (by Ed Rush & Optical), as co-producer on the instrumentals "Lightsleeper" (with Matrix & Fierce), "Fever" (with Younghead), and "Dose" (with Gridlok). Rymetyme´s original lyrical style was influential on Neurofunk´s second-wave MC´s, most notable on MC Mecha´s (ex-Sinthetix), chopped-up spoken word roundabout drawing parallels to Rymetyme´s poetic impact.

Roots

No one truly knows where the term "Neurofunk" originated but one first reference is a mention in the book Energy Flash by British music critic Simon Reynolds (ISBN 0-330-35056-0), a history of rave and dance music culture. According to Simon Reynolds' perspective, "Neurofunk is the fun-free culmination of jungle´s strategy of 'cultural resistance': the eroticization of anxiety."

The roots of Neurofunk can be traced back to the late 60s to mid 70s period of Miles Davis when he fused jazz, rock and funk rhythms while switching his trumpet on to marshall stacks and wah-wah pedals giving an intense and distorted sound effect to it. His drummers often used the technique of advancing and delaying the back beats simultaneously in interaction with a dynamic system of dark trumpet modes and riff driven walls of sound of heavy rock guitar rhythmic patterns, improvised jazz solos and thick funk bass lines, pioneering a new form of electric trance induced instrumental dance music.

Miles Davis' seminal albums from this period "In a Silent Way" (1969), stated by Matrix as an influence on his work, "On The Corner" (1972), and "Get Up With It" (1975) were the breeding ground for drum and bass driven Neurofunk. Some of the tracks by Miles Davis which can best translate the foundations of early Neurofunk are "Black Satin" from "On The Corner" and "Rated X" from "Get Up With It".

Another influence on the early Neurofunk sound of Virus Recordings stated by Optical, was producer George Clinton's highly technical studio experimentations for Funkadelic during their early to mid 70's period when he shaped funk into a heavier, darker style of psychedelic dance music by using long range instrumentals as tools for incorporating powerful, reverberating low end driven bass lines on the forefront of his mixes rather than as standard back-up for guitar and drums.

Signature Recordings (1997-2000)

To Shape the Future - Optical (Metalheadz Records/1997)
Where´s Jack the Ripper - Grooverider (co-written & produced by Optical/Sony Music/1998)
Bluesy Baby (Ed rush & Optical Remix) - Ram Jam World (Higher Education Records/1998)
Funktion - Ed rush & Optical (V Recordings/1998)
Compound - Ed Rush & Optical (Virus Recordings/1998)
Gas Mask - Ed Rush & Optical (Virus Recordings/1999)
Medicine (Matrix Remix) - Ed Rush & Optical (Virus Recordings/1999)
Serum (Matrix Remix) - Outfit (Metro Recordings/1999)
Roadblock - Konflict (Renegade Hardware/1999)
Climate - Matrix & Fierce (Metro Recordings/2000)
Phone Call (Matrix Remix) - Klute (Certificate 18 Records/2000)
Fever - Rymetyme & Younghead (1210 Recordings/2000)
Coma - Bad Company (DSCI4 Records/2000)

Signature Recordings (2001-2006)

Ressurection - Ed Rush, Optical & Rymetyme (Virus Recordings/2001)
Gateway - Sinthetix (No-U-Turn Records/2001)
Ultraviolet - Sinthetix (Cryptic Audio/2002)
Cryogenic - Sinthetix (DSCI4 Records/Spy Technologies Vol. I/2002)
Lightsleeper - Matrix, Fierce & Rymetyme (C4C Records/2002)
Vapourspace - Cause 4 Concern (Metro Recordings/2002)
Andromeda - Kiko (DSCI4 Records/2002)
Silicon - Noisia (Nerve Productions/2002)
Runaway (Stare Remix) - Noisia (Blindside Recordings/2003)
Chamber (Mindscape VIP Mix) - Mayhem & Impulse (Shadow Law Limited/2004)
Rainman - Silent Witness & Break (Commercial Suicide Records/2005)
Hot Rock - Phace (Subtitles Recordings/2005)
Facade - Noisia (Ram Records/2006)
Ghobi Ghost - The Upbeats featuring Teknik (Project 51 Recordings/2006)
Dose - Gridlok & Rymetyme (1210 Recordings/2006)
Conform - Mayhem & Codex (Full Force/2006)
Ormus (Destruct Remix) - Fission & Kaiser (Barcode Recordings/2006)

Signature Albums

Mysteries of Funk - Grooverider (co-written & produced by Optical/Sony/1998)
Wormhole - Ed Rush & Optical (Virus Recordings/1998)
The Creeps - Ed Rush & Optical (Virus Recordings/2001)
Sleepwalk - Matrix (Virus Recordings/1999)
Level 1 - Metro Recordings (Singles compilation/Metro Recordings/2000)
1210 - Rymetyme (Singles compilation/1210 Recordings/2001)
Gateway - Sinthetix (Singles Compilation/OHM Resistance/2006)

Signature Mixes

Ed Rush & Optical: essential live mix for Radio 1 (Smart Disc/Bootleg/1998)
Sinthetix: live mix for Jungle Zone Radio (09/07/2002)