On The Verge

Freekbass

Cincinnati, Ohio
21st Century Funk
www.freekbass.com

Freekbass isn’t just another funk artist who regurgitates traditions. Despite growing up in the same Cincinnati/Dayton funk hotbed that produced James Brown’s pioneering King Records catalog and Bootsy Collins and the Ohio Players, he’s produced a 21st century style over the course of six releases that meshes traditional elements of funk with decidedly more modern soundscapes. “As much as I listen to Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, OutKast or George Clinton, I also listen to groove and feel groups such as Radiohead, Daft Punk, STS9 and DJ Shadow,” says Freekbass, whose current album, Junkyard Waltz, features guests like Mike Gordon, Buckethead, Bernie Worrell, Jen Durkin, and Gary “Mudbone” Cooper. “So, just like when P-Funk started and were influenced by groups like Zappa, Bowie, and The MC5, these groups of our era are what crawled into my funk.” Determined not to become a one-act show, he also plans to explore new dimensions of live electronica as a duo with turntablist Tobotius, contribute to the next Bootsy Collins record, release a third instructional DVD and develop a pilot for a children’s show.