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Touching Bass: Funkineven

Talking about chicken, barber shops and mum's cooking with Eglo Records rep, Funkineven, before he laid down this week's Touching Bass.

Skipping through the crevices of techno, funk, acid and house, we'd like to introduce Funkineven. The London-based beatsmith has been putting out stellar records for the likes of Eglo Records and his own imprint, Apron Records, over the last few years. Oh, and then there's also his side project with Kyle Hall (Funkinevil) that manufactured the Ignorant EP this year. The next entry to his discography comes in the shape of the Species EP via Julio Bashmore's Boardwalk Records label this September. Before diving headfirst into this week's mix, find out about his former life as a barber, what brings him to mum's cooking and his love for chicken.

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How have you been?

Funkineven: Not too bad, just busy travelling. I’m going to the gym after this.

Are you a regular?

Yeah, well yeah. I don’t wanna get mad heavy I just wanna keep fit.

I need to do the same actually. So how are things going with the Eglo Records family?

I’ve got a release coming with them in the next two months. That’s just a solo track.

Nice. Who is the moaniest person in the Eglo family?

I guess the boss, Alex Nut. But it’s not like he moans. He moans in a positive way to get things rolling and keep people on their toes.

Do you remember the first time you met up with Fatima?

Yeah, it was probably at a club back in the day. Plastic People or Gramophone in east London. My mate introduced me to her and said that she sings. Just hooked up with her like that.

Are you guys planning on working together again soon?

She’s working on her album and we were meant to submit a track together. She’s not in a rush but she needs to finish her album ASAP but the track that we worked on, it can’t be rushed. It might be another release outside of the album.

Keeping things collaboration based, are you and Kyle Hall known as Funkinevil or Fuckinevil?

It’s pronounced "Fuckin" but we don’t want to be vulgar or have our parents cussing us.

Lulz. How long have you been working together now then?

A year and a half. Almost two years now.

Oh so quite a bit then. Moving on to the EP, it’s sounding really Spartan-like.

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It just developed naturally. One of the tracks on there is actually over ten years old but it’s still very cohesive and still sounds fresh. That was made at my mum’s back in the day and all the other tracks were made at the studio where I’m at now in east London.

You must miss mum’s cooking though, right?

The other day I was thinking I haven’t had any dumplings in over a year. I went to my mum’s house and was just on the dumplings.

While we’re on food. Is chicken the route to a man’s heart (unless you’re a veggie)?

One of my last Instagram captions was ‘chicken is a black man’s best friend’ and I'm in Nando’s with a whole chicken on my plate.

Says it all really. Where are your favourite spots in London?

To chill out, I like anywhere along the south bank, Tower Bridge, St. Katharine Docks. Just anywhere south or any gallery spot near there really.

And which places haven’t you been to that you really wanna visit?

San Fran, Chicago, LA. Everywhere in the States apart from NY because I've been there. I've been to Japan, I've been to Australia.

Onto equipment. What hardware bits and bobs have you been using for this latest project?

The Roland Juno, 202, 303, 606, 707, 808. Drum packs, MPC 1000, MPC 2000. All the best toys. I’ve got too much equipment to be honest. It’s because I first got into it through hardware.

On a random tip, I read elsewhere that you were a barber in a past life. Do you keep your afro comb on your person at all times?

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I’ve got two and I've got about four customers left out of the mad clientele that I had. It was like crack, they wouldn’t leave me alone. Once you find a good barber, it’s for life as they say.

I couldn't agree more.

Funkineven plays at the Hydra alongside 3 Chairs, Moodymann, Theo Parrish and Boddika at Fire, Vauxhall. For infromation, check here.

Follow Errol on Twitter @errol_and

TRACKLIST
Seven Davis Jr - Celebrations
KMFH - Need Sum
Steven Julien - Untitled
Greg Beato - Who's The Lincho In Charge Ovaa Heree
Funkineven & Delroy Edwards - XX
Funkineven - Reficul
Funkineven - Adjowa, Red Leather (remix)
Delroy Edwards - B1 Untitled
Seven Davis Jr feat. Mezmawho - P.A.R.T.Y
Greg Beato - Dreamin
The Human League/The Future - 4JG
Funkineven - 13 The Winds Have Passed (remix)

Read more editions of Touching Bass here:

ouching Bass: Knxwledge

Touching Bass: Synkro

Touching Bass: B Traits