Synth-Funk
Electro · 1979 · 100 to 120 BPM · also known as Synth Funk, Electro Boogie, Funk Synthetique
Synth funk is 1980s funk run entirely through machines: Zapp and the talkbox, Cameo and the Linn drum, Prince floating above it all as a free electron. Dry drum machines, slapped synth basslines, robotized voices, yet the groove stays intact throughout. It is the direct source of G funk, electro funk and boogie, and proof that a machine can sweat just as hard as a live band. Where much electronic music of the era chased coldness for its own sake, synth funk kept the swagger and the pocket of live funk playing while replacing nearly every instrument in the room with a machine.
7 reference tracks
- Slave: Just A Touch Of Love (1979)
- Zapp: More Bounce to the Ounce (1980)
- The Gap Band: Outstanding (1982)
- Midnight Star: Freak-a-Zoid (1983)
- Cameo: Word Up (1986)
- Roger Troutman: I Want To Be Your Man (1987)
- Thundercat: Dragonball Durag (2020)
At a glance
- Tempo: 100 to 120 BPM
- First appeared: around 1979
- Machines: Talkbox, LinnDrum, Minimoog, Yamaha DX7, Oberheim OB-8
- The sound: Minimoog en basse, DX7 et claviers FM, Oberheim
- Labels: Solar, Atlanta Artists, Warner Records, PPU
- Key artists: Zapp & Roger, Cameo, Midnight Star, Prince (frange), The System
Producing Synth-Funk
Synth funk is the slowest of the family, 96 to 115 BPM, More Bounce to the Ounce near 108, the only genre here with real swing: the LinnDrum's shuffle calls for 54 to 58 percent swing on the sixteenths, a heavy, laid back feel where the snare falls just after the beat. Program a kick on beat one and the and of three, a huge Linn snare on two and four doubled with a clap and gated reverb, swung closed hats opening on the and of four, several hat velocities plus ghost notes. The bass imitates slap technique on a Minimoog, two layered tones, a closed low sawtooth for the thumb and a brighter tone for the pop, in swung sixteenths. Top it with a talkbox as the genre's voice, a DX7 electric piano, and Oberheim brass in rich chords.
The full production course, in French: tempo, drums, bass, sounds, arrangement, mix, plugins and machines, and a step by step start.
Frequently asked
What is Synth-Funk?
Synth funk is 1980s funk run entirely through machines: Zapp and the talkbox, Cameo and the Linn drum, Prince floating above it all as a free electron. Dry drum machines, slapped synth basslines, robotized voices, yet the groove stays intact throughout. It is the direct source of G funk, electro…
What tempo is Synth-Funk played at?
Between 100 and 120 BPM.
Who are the key Synth-Funk artists?
Zapp & Roger, Cameo, Midnight Star, Prince (frange), The System.
