Electro-Funk Music Guide: 5 Famous Electro-Funk Artists

Electro-funk is an electronic music genre that fuses elements of disco, funk, hip-hop, and electronic technology. Unlike disco and funk, which are traditionally played using live instruments, electro-funk bases its sound around synthesizers and drum machines—most notably the Roland TR-808, which debuted in 1980.

The stars of 1980s electro-funk included Afrika Bambaataa, Warp 9, Arthur Baker, Zapp & Roger, Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Tyrone Brunson, and Hashim. Electro also enjoyed rebounding popularity in the 1990s, when Anthony Rother and DJ Dave Clarke led the scene. In the 2010s, electro-funk artists like DJ Stingray and Helena Hauff gained prominence in the dance music community.

Electro-funk music debuted in the 1980s, but its origins stretch back even further.

• Inspiration from European electronic music: The roots of electro-funk stretch back to European electronic artists like Germany's Kraftwerk, who pioneered the use of keyboard synthesizers and drum programming. UK artists like the Human League and Gary Numan, who brought synthesizers to mainstream pop songs, also provided inspiration.
• The TR-808 joins the music scene: In 1980, the Japanese music giant Roland introduced the TR-808 drum machine, which would go on to form the bedrock of electro-funk music. The first group to prominently exploit the possibilities of the TR-808 was the Tokyo outfit Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO). The group's work, plus solo releases by YMO keyboardist Ryuichi Sakamoto, introduced the TR-808 to musicians around the world.
• Revolution in the Bronx: In the New York City borough of the Bronx, a nascent hip-hop scene began to experiment with electronic instruments like the TR-808. Artists like Warp 9, Afrika Bambaataa, Man Parrish, Newcleus, and Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five added electronic beats to their funky basslines and freestyle rapping. The electro-funk revolution spread beyond NYC thanks to artists like Washington, DC's Tyrone Brunson; Boston's Planet Patrol and Jonzun Crew; and Dayton, Ohio's Zapp.
• Pushing beyond hip-hop culture: As the electro-funk sound spread throughout the music world, it caught the attention of artists like Herbie Hancock, the legendary jazz pianist and composer who helped pioneer fusion music. He released the single "Rockit" with turntable artist Grand Mixer DXT (formerly Grand Mixer D.ST). The sound combined jazz-funk with the electronic textures and DJ beats of electro-funk.
• Inspiring new dance music styles: Many forms of 1980s and 1990s dance music owe a debt to the pioneering sounds of electro-funk. Juan Atkins, a key player in the Detroit techno scene, got his start in the electro group Cybotron. Miami bass (also called Miami booty) was a 1990s genre that borrowed the sonic palette of electro-funk. The twenty-first-century Nordic electronica genre skweee draws heavily on electro-funk aesthetics and is sometimes known as "Scandinavian funk."

Electro-funk stands out from similar styles of dance music thanks to a few core characteristics.

1. 1. Partial influence from 1970s boogie, funk, and disco: Many electro-funk pioneers came from the existing disco, funk, and boogie scenes in New York, Los Angeles, Boston, and Detroit.
2. 2. Equal influence from German, Japanese, and UK synth music: Electro-funk artists drew inspiration from international synth pioneers like Kraftwerk, Yellow Magic Orchestra (YMO), Gary Numan, and the Human League.
3. 3. Embrace of new technology: The core sound of the electro-funk music scene is the Roland TR-808 drum machine. The genre's musicians embrace other electronic sounds like the vocoder (which manipulates the human voice) and various keyboard synths from Yamaha, Roland, and E-MU.
4. 4. A wide array of beats: Electro-funk music uses a combination of funk beats, four-on-the-floor pulses, breakbeat sampling, and syncopation. These beats, mostly generated by the Roland TR-808, keep the music fresh and unpredictable.
5. 5. Deemphasized vocals: In many ways, electro-funk shares sonic characteristics with the boogie genre of the late 1970s. A core difference between the genres, beyond the obvious upgrades in synth and drum machine technology, is that boogie emphasizes lead vocals, and electro-funk reduces their role. Many electro-funk hits contain no lead vocals at all.

Several prominent artists have shaped the sound of electro-funk music.

1. 1. Afrika Bambaataa: Starting with the track "Planet Rock," which borrowed from Kraftwerk's "Trans-Europe Express," Afrika Bambaataa served as an important bridge between European synth pop and the electro culture of New York's hip-hop and funk scenes.
2. 2. Man Parrish: Man Parrish's 1982 song "Hip Hop, Be Bop" played a foundational role in shaping the sound of electro-funk. He later worked as a producer and mixer for Michael Jackson, the Village People, Boy George, and Gloria Gaynor—among others.
3. 3. Warp 9: NYC collective Warp 9 brought Afro-futurism and science fiction elements to electro-funk music. Their most acclaimed songs include "Nunk" (a portmanteau that combines new wave and funk), "Beat Wave," and "Light Years Away."
4. 4. Hashim: Hashim's "Al-Naafiysh (The Soul)," released in 1983, and "Primrose Path," from 1986, are electro-funk classics. Thanks to these songs and others, Hashim was invited to appear on compilations with artists like Frankie Knuckles (a pioneer of Chicago house music), Jamiroquai (acid jazz stars), and Run DMC (a lodestar for old-school rappers).
5. 5. John Robie: New Yorker John Robie helped spread the electro-funk sound beyond city boundaries. He famously collaborated with UK dance artist John Rocca on 1982's Extra Extra and with Boston groups like Jonzun Crew and Planet Patrol.

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