The modern funk ambassador charts the future of the genre.
Los Angeles native Damon G. Riddick, AKA Dâm-Funk, has dedicated his career to keeping funk alive. His DJ sessions are a thrilling education, with Riddick shouting out track names and colorful label histories before charging into the crowd with his keytar. And his full-band live shows reveal Riddick as a natural (if capricious) frontman. On his latest LP, Invite The Light, Riddick embraced positivity—perhaps due to a well-deserved, meteoric rise following the release of his massive 2006 debut, Toeachizown. Since then, he's formed a creative alliance with Snoop Dogg, and Invite The Light includes appearances from Riddick's forbears Leon Sylvers III and Steve Arrington as well as Ariel Pink and Q-Tip, artists who approach modern funk from radically different perspectives. Critically, Riddick has become the focal point for a new generation of LinnDrum obsessives after toiling in obscurity for most of the '90s. Matt McDermott spoke to Dâm on the triumphs and roadblocks he's faced over his 30-year career and how he's pushing the genre forward.
Thanks to Sonos Studio in Los Angeles for use of their studio.
Tracklist /
Dâm-Funk - Surveillance Escape
Dâm-Funk - I Wanna Thank You For (Steppin Into My Life)