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Baker's Dozen

Getting Hypnotised: John Robb Finds The Funk In Unusual Places
Julian Marszalek , July 12th, 2017 08:35

How did it take us nearly a decade to ask Brother John Robb for his Baker's Dozen choices? The Membranes frontman sits down with Julian Marszalek to discuss 13 favourite records where over the years he's dug out the most funk

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Funkadelic – 'One Nation Under A Groove'
This is the alpha funk track, in a lot of ways. Obviously, there are elements of funk before like James Brown; his stuff was very militaristic and very tight and he'd fine members of his band if they made a mistake, but George Clinton was quite different. Parliament were very well drilled but what's interesting about people making well-drilled music is when they get into interesting drugs and still have the discipline. You know, you have to be disciplined to make loose music and those kind of contradictions make the music fascinating.

But Funkadelic are also one of my favourite psychedelic bands because it's a total trip listening to this record. The thing with rock music is that the faster you play the more exciting it is, but the thing about funk is that the slower you play it the groovier it gets, and that's quite an alien language for a rocker. But it takes you to a weird place where your body moves in a slow way like a slow fuck which is a great place for your body to be.