Under The Influence with...Future Funk Squad

Introducing the new series from CubikMusik which we hope will appeal to our readers out there.

'Under The Influence with.....' aims to looks behind the music of all kinds of artsists/bands/prodcuers to hear about the tunes that influence them in their musical expression. I for one am always curious about the tunes that people grew up listening to, currently tickling their fancy and the tunes that just hit the spot every time they hear them (Cubik's pick: Fingathing-You Fly Me).
We hope that this series will also allow musicians to gain some additional exposure while giving readers a new view on the music that is out there today.

So-with 'Under The Influence with....' CubikMusik is inviting all musician types out there to put pen/finger to paper/keyboard and send us your influential tunes. We will post these along with one of your own production so that we can see/hear the tunes that influence you and the resulting sounds.

To start us off I am delighted to have Glen from Future Funk Squad. With an impressive remix list (Moloko, SIA, Stanton Warriors, Mint Royale...) Glen delivers an interesting mix of sounds as his influences that I for one can certainly hear in his tunes (hear below). These tunes definitely focus on production and performance-key elements in Glen's work with Future Funk Squad.

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Under The Influence with...Future Funk Squad

'Dont Stop Til You Get Enough' - Michael Jackson (produced by Quincy Jones)
Quincy Jones has always been a massive inspiration to me, mainly because of his great production sounds and technique.  His sound was so crisp and clean, the way he produced live percussion and made it sound as punchy and sharp as a drum machine was rather incredible, plus the space and depth in the mixes where incredible too.  'Dont Stop Til You Get Enough' is a prime example of a great dancefloor track produced decades ago that still rocks the floor today.
Download 02_dont_stop_til_you_get_enough.mp3

'Enjoy The Silence' - Depeche Mode
This is hands down an absolute classic piece of pop perfection but also oozes class and credibility. Not as dark as their usual material but such a well written song and produced in a dance way to cater for both audiences.  The uplifting chords and choir-like sounds in the chorus work so well, and of course there is the classic guitar riff that everyone knows.
Download 01_enjoy_the_silence.mp3

'Smack My Bitch Up' - The Prodigy
Liam Howlett is a massive inspiration to my production techniques and dancefloor approach.  The breaks that he uses always seem to have heaps of funk and drive, plus his rumble sub basslines that drive the tracks along are a stroke of genius.  'Smack my bitch up' in particular is a very cleverly crafted piece of work.  The breakdown and mad noises all add to the suspense and impact of the track, and I try to apply this when doing a big club remix or track as everytime myself or someone else has played this track it has never failed to rip the place apart and have people dancing around like complete loons.
Download 03_smack_my_bitch_up.mp3

'Absolution' - Muse
Muse are at the other end of the inspirational spectrum for me, more the live, raw end of things.  The melodies and bass and guitar riffs are second to none and the vocal performance and harmony structure is always very catchy and well crafted. The production on this track (and the whole album) is outstanding too as they have used many obscure recording techniques to get the desired sound they were after.  Experimenting with bog standard sounds is a big part of my creative process in the studio so I can totally relate to this band.

*There is no tune posted for this as I am unsure if Glen is writing about 'Sing for Absolution'. Once I get this clarified I will post the tune. :-)

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Artist: Future Funk Squad
Tune: Towards The Sun (FFS Radio Mix)
Check out the review here.
Download 01_towards_the_sun_ffs_radio_mix.mp3

Upcoming 'Under The Influence with...' include Taylormade Sounds.
Please submit your 'Under The Influence' playlist to cubikmusik@gmail.com

Cheers,
Cubik