With his 2004 compilation, Rio Baile Funk Favela Booty Beats, Berlin-based DJ and producer Daniel Haaksman helped introduce the world to the scything electronic/hip hop hybrid known as Baile Funk, or as it’s called in its native Brazil, Funk Carioca.
His Man Recordings label, established in 2005, has provided a home for artists such as Diplo, Schlachthofbronx, Crookers, Bert On Beats and Haaksman himself, as well as Brazilian producers such as Deize Tigrona, João Brasil, Lovefoxxx, Marina Gasolina and Edu K.
He’s collaborated with countless Brazilian artists over the years, and his latest release, Tudo, sees him tie up with Deize Tigrona, with the single backed by a remix by Afro-Portuguese artist DJ Firmeza. Tudo is out now on Nightmares on Wax’s HiyaSelf Records – more information can be found here.
For 909originals #MyRecordBag series, we asked Daniel Haaksman to share a playlist of his favourite Baile Funk belters – for those of you unfamiliar with the genre, you’re in for a treat. Over to you, Daniel!
DJ Battery Brain – ‘8 Volt Mix’ (Beatappella Mix)
“This instrumental beat, originally released in 1988 on LA ́s Techno Hop records, is the most used beat from the early days of baile funk in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when it was all about rapping over electro funk instrumentals. What the ‘Amen Break’ is for drum ‘n’ bass, Volt Mix is for baile funk. Today, it’s showing the electro funk and latin freestyle roots of baile funk.”
Grupo Geração – Rap Do Surfista
“One of the first big funk hits in Rio De Janeiro was the Surfers Rap. Its lyrics are about the urge to surf on Rio’s beautiful beaches despite the social barriers between the poor north zone of Rio and its wealthy south zone. Groups of four to five MCs were very common in the early days, i.e. 1994-1996.”
Batutinha DJ – Megamon 96
“This is a classic ‘montagem’, a medley type of track which consists of various instrumental and vocal elements. Here, a berimbau, various Miami bass and latin freestyle beats are mixed with some vocals hooklines of baile funk’s early years and all put into the MPC blender.”
Dennis DJ – Tira A Camisa
“One of the biggest tunes on my 2004 compilation Rio Baile Funk Favela Booty Beats, Tira A Camisa (‘Take Your Shirt Off’) throws all into one. It combines a Brasilian tamborzão beat with Euro-rave synth stabs and the ubiquious Volt Mix beat.”
Deize Tigrona – Injeção
“Injeção is probably one of the biggest baile funk tracks, with the sampled horns that originate from the Rocky soundtrack. Deize is singing about her fear of receiving an injection at the doctor. Injeção became internationally known when the horn section was sampled by Diplo for M.I.A.’s Bucky Done Gone.“
Daniel Haaksman – Toma Que Toma
“When I played original baile funk tracks in my sets, I noticed I needed tracks that could bridge the more 4/4 rhythms of club music in Europe with the polyrhythmic baile funk beats. So I created Toma Que Toma, one of the first baile funk-house hybrids. The music video shows scenes from late 1990s baile funk parties in Rio – yes, they had huge indoor fireworks on top these gigantic speaker walls.”
Valesca Popozuda – Beijnho No Ombro
“There are numerous female artists in baile funk. One of the leading voices since the early 2000s has been Valesca Popozuda, former head of the female group Gaiola Das Popozudas.”
MC João – Baile De Favela
“This was the biggest baile funk hit in early 2016, and came from São Paulo. By then, baile funk had already spread widely through YouTube and social media from its Rio origins to other parts of Brazil, and gathered increasing commercial success. The song caused controversy for its strong sexual lyrics and was met with criticism for objectifying women.”
MC Ysa – Baile Da Colombia
“After baile funk had spread to the whole of Brazil, with each region having their own version of funk, more funk hits from other parts of Brazil surfaced. MC Ysa ́s Baile Da Colombia was one of the biggest hits of the ‘brega funk’ genre which is prevalent in the North East part of Brazil, in cities such as Recife, in Pernambuco. It’s much slower than funk from Rio and almost has a reggaeton feeling.”
S3BZS – Montagem PR Funk
“Today, funk is a huge global music phenomenon with countless producers twisting and turning the funk around. One of the recent successes was Argentina’s S3BZS Montagem PR Funk, with its distorted sounds in which the MC voices act as an additional layer of instruments.”
Check out more #MyRecordBag playlists here.