When you think of the intersection between Electronic music and Funk, few names are as fitting as Electro Funk. From running one of the pioneering labels of the UK rave scene to producing chart-topping hits, Electro Funk has had a hand in shaping the sound and spirit of the dancefloors for decades. Now, with projects like Synthesis on the horizon and a back catalogue of experience to draw from, they’re continuing to innovate and push the boundaries of their sound. We caught up with Ronnie, one of the members of the duo, to discuss his journey into Electronic music, the evolution of his sound, and the future of his musical endeavors. In this conversation, we dive deeper into his origins, influences, and what lies ahead.
Hi, how are you?
I am well and doing good, basking in the sun in the tropical paradise of Sri Lanka at the moment, where I own some luxury hotels.
To start, tell us, how did you first get involved in music? What was your journey into Electronic Music?
I was fortunate enough to get into music just as the ‘rave’ scene started. This opened up an opportunity to start off my own label Big Giant which was one of the pioneering ‘rave’ labels of its day and we scored a massive UK Dance No 1 track fairly early on with The Ratpack, which I also produced. Unfortunately, Suzanne Vega’s lawyers did not appreciate us using her melody line and we had to put the brakes on, otherwise it would have pretty much charted and gone Top 5. After all that, I was signed as a producer, writer and artist for Fresh Records along with The Freestylers and 1st Avenue Management (home of Eternal and Louise) and then with Warner Brothers.
What inspired you to choose the name “Electro Funk”?
Well, it’s Electronic music first and foremost and the Funk element comes from our love of Hip Hop, Disco, Soul and 90s R&B that we try to incorporate into our tracks.
Can you describe the early influences that shaped your sound? Are there any particular artists that have been inspirational to you?
Yes, I really grew up with the sounds of American influenced Soul starting with Philly and Disco as well as Soul Dance records of the mid-1980s. When Prince came along everything he touched turned to gold for a time, until troubles with his record company and lack of quality control took its toll. But he was a genius. ‘Adore’ by Prince is one of the greatest tracks of all time. The Brits of course also have a unique talent for taking all this stuff from across the water and coming up with gems too. I just love ‘You to Me Are Everything’ by The Real Thing where they took the ‘philly’ sound and made a track every bit as good as anything that came out of Philadelphia.
My producer and musical partner Marcin is all about Reggae. He is in fact the guitar player for Junior Marvin’s live band. Junior was in Bob Marley’s band and co-wrote many classic hits like ‘Could You Be Loved’ and ‘Waiting In Vain’.
How would you define your sound, and what genres do you draw the most from?
The tracks we are doing now under the brand name of Synthesis are pretty much House based where our inspiration is drawn from on our love of 1970s Disco and 1980s Soul Dancem while referencing those lovely soaring vocal House tracks of the 90s.
The Electronic Music scene is constantly evolving. How do you stay inspired and innovative in such a fast-moving industry?
I have been listening to Dance music for some time, on and off, and as much as it is fast moving and innovative, there are what I call repetitive cycles every few years and at the end of the day, it’s all about hooks and melodies, no matter what genre of Dance music you are talking about. However, I just hate it when people say ‘songs are not as good these days as in the 90s or 2000s’ or whatever. That’s just people getting old and moving on with their lives. Anyone who loves music will understand that Dance music is still as good today as it always was.
Can you tell us about any upcoming projects or releases that we should keep an eye out for?
Yes, we are doing a unique cover of ‘Going Back To My Roots’, based on the version by Richie Havens that many people identify as the first ever ‘piano House’ track (1980). And to that we are adding an ‘Afrobeat’ breakdown with the African vocals that were added later by Odyssey on their version of the song released in 1981!
Tell us about your creative process; how do you go about producing a track?
There has to be an initial inspiration. Very rarely does any creative musical idea come from ‘thin air’. We can be in front of a keyboard and might try to play along with a great track or listen to an old track in the studio and come across an obscure sample. There is nothing wrong with taking ideas from other musicians as long as they are credited somewhere down the line. The Beatles did this all the time and are still considered as the greatest songwriters ever!
If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
The past is the past, so as much as we love artists of yesteryear like Prince, Stevie Wonder and even ABBA, it is much better to think forward and look at the new generations of artists that are always coming through.
Artists that are around at the moment that I rate highly and would love to work with would include Tyla, Ella Mai and H.E.R simply because I did a lot of producing for British R&B female vocal groups back in the day and there are again some great vocalists out there which is pretty fantastic.
Finally, looking ahead, what do you hope to achieve in the next few years as Electro Funk? What are your ultimate goals in music?
I am fortunately in a unique position where I don’t need music to ‘pay the bills’ so I can take my time and don’t have to rush to get any tracks out there. With the Synthesis project that I am now doing with my producer Marcin we are going to continue to develop more vocal House-Funk type Dance tracks moving forward.
As our conversation winds down, we thank Electro Funk for his time, as out conversation showed that his passion for Electronic music remains unwavering. With a deep understanding of the roots of the genres he draws from, he’s always looking forward and continuing to innovate without losing sight of where he started. Whether it’s through unique remixes and productions or the upcoming projects with Synthesis, there’s no doubt that Electro Funk will keep contributing to the rich world of Electronic music.