Ed Rush & Optical – Funktion / Naked Lunch

I first heard 'Funktion' from Dara and then on his Full Cycle DJ mix. There was something so raw, with the growling bassline that seems to always live right outside the space between my ears, combined with the grainy stabs and blues guitar. How all this stuff blended together, I haven't the foggiest, but this track remains one of the greatest secret weapons of the genre. Mix it with a Kemet label track and thank me later.

I heard Jumpin Jack Frost play "Funktion" in his DJ set after Reprazent had wrapped up their live performance at Toronto's Industry nightclub. Wow, what a tune. This was when Ed Rush and Optical seemed to be everywhere, releasing of material and making their mark on the scene. "Naked Lunch" is a very cool tune also, listen to it on a great set of speakers and enjoy, it's quite unique.

Naked Lunch is the track on here for me. So creepy, jazzy and from a different planet than anything else. Its sheer dry clinical nature just creates a vibe that, again, can not be found in any other corners of music history. Making this took true confidence to do something different, to say the least.

This record never leaves my bag and hasn't since it was released as it is an absolutely massive tune and dare I say the beginning of the "neuro" sound? I cannot think of another tune before this that had the sound that so many others copied after it was released. Before this Jump-up was king with Aphrodite, the Dream Team etc... smashing dance floors all over then this came out and things were never the same. Jump-up quickly died off and Virus Records came around the rest, as they say, is history.

April 1999 and Ed Rush comes to Vancouver, BC. He started his set with Funktion, the MC predictably hollas "Ed Rush is in town! Errbody get down!" then a technical miracle occured and either someone shut off his input or told him to stfu because that was it for the annoying MC and we got to HEAR Ed mix a proper dark & dirty two hour set, with only a reload on Alien Girl because holy shieeeeeeeet did that ever explode the floor four or five tunes into his set.

It was a small bar, Ed mingled before the show which was cool. I was the head with the too large spliff, err sorry bout that, but I was embarassed to meet THE MAN himself and have nothing to say but "love your tunes". XD

Double A side 12". You should own this d&b kids. Clarence used to play Naked Lunch with John B's Sax Therapy for maximum screeching. Still a class mix.

Ok I have to say this and I am a true Junglist at heart but THIS tune is my ALL TIME FAVOURITE! IT IS MY NO.1 for SO MANY REASONS.

I followed Ed's and Optical's career progression from day 1. The revolution in the scene they have caused with there music had created a genre in its own right! The birth of neurofunk and Noisia.

When you know there's a tune that's stayed in your bag continually to drop its this for me. The build up, the funk, the darkness of ed's rollin bass and flex and funk of optical's beats, every sample, snare, hithat, synth all perfect. Guys sorry but you'll NEVER beat this with anything else you produce!!! You created a monster here! This is the Lord Of The Rings, Tolken's masterpiece. You can never beat this.

and a much ignored but superb flipside that comes into its own when played really loud

This was the first collaboration of the mighty Ed Rush & Optical, they started banging them out after this, in what was a very exciting time in the emerging movement of D'n'B. I remember this one and Alien Girl smashing up the V night at Bar Rumba on Thursdays. It was a very different crowd back then. You'd have a room full of guys with hoods up, arms folded nodding to this stuff. If there was a girl or two on the dance floor it was a big event, the last D'n"B event I went to there seemed to be lots of girls in heels and guys trying to chat them up. Back in those days it really was all about the music, listening and taping shows. Only the emergence of Technology can produce this kind of excitement within music, much like the electric guitar did for rock back in the 60's. For me the period of emergence of D'nB ended when Metalheadz moved from the Blue Note in Hoxton. It would have had to end at some stage and for me that was it.

Repress coming up - https://vrecordings.databeats.com/vinyl/v026ltd

A classic tune from 1998. -Later remixed for the 1999 'Planet V' compilation.

This is a subtle and deep tune when compared with most of the unsophistocated 'darkside' releases around that time.

'Funktion' is a real creeper of a track with a long slow build and deep dubby subs... (Deceptively pacey when you come to mix it though)