The Funk Sessions present their ninth Scientific Sound Asia show with Matt Abstrax. Scientific Sound Asia is an electronic music radio station, promoter and music-news platform that connects audiences across Asia and internationally.
Since 2019, the Funk Sessions crew have brought party-focused sets dedicated to all things funky to dance floors across Ho Chi Minh City. This DJ and party crew play funk classics and old-school hip hop, alongside disco, party breaks, ghetto funk and more.
The group consists of international DJs from Australia and the UK who are based primarily in Vietnam and aim to add spice to the dance music scene. Their background includes club nights, free parties and festivals, as well as supporting many figures from the underground music world.
Their style draws heavily on the pioneers of breakbeat. That influence is especially clear in the hip hop, funky breaks and ghetto funk they play, while also running through their mixes more broadly.
Funk Sessions hold regular events in Ho Chi Minh City at Broma (not a bar), TNR (your favourite dive bar), Indika and Apt852. Other past and present venues include Secret Weekend, Tempo, Arcan, Haus, Banana Mama, Piu Piu, Sky 9, Rogue Saigon, Soma and Saigon Outcast.
Resident DJ Matt Abstrax
This week one from the Funk Sessions archives, Matt Abstrax; recorded live at Aperitivo’ Saigon. A brilliant mix of Funky Breaks and Disco.
Matt Abstrax brings his usual style of mash-up with a great selection that will have you stomping along from the first beat to the last. Matt Abstrax was a key player in Australia’s house and techno scene, as promoter and resident DJ of party brand TechPhonics.
He brought to Adelaide and played alongside a massive array of acts over more than a decade, including Derrick May, Robert Hood, Octave One, Luke Slater, Ben Klock, James Zabiela, Hybrid, Jay Lumen, Funkagenda, Ian Pooley, Patrick Topping, Oliver $, Audiojack, Nick Curly, Pleasurekraft, & many more. Matt has played at major Australian music festivals including Stereosonic, Summadayze, Future Music Festival, Play Festival, Re:connect and Winter Solstice, sharing stages with Disclosure, Sven Vath, Gorgon City, Kaytranada, Laurent Garnier, and many more.
He hosted a weekly 2 hr online mix show for 5 years on Soundpond.net featuring local and international guests. In 2015 Matt travelled to Asia and hasn't looked back since, with gigs all over Vietnam and Cambodia, including clubs, bars, and festivals, with highlights including Quest Festival (Hanoi, VN), Kerfuffle NYE (Otres, Cambodia), Vibe Nation, Coracle, and Secret Weekend (all Southern VN), and Full Moon Parties (Koh Rong, Cambodia).
Since 2019 Matt has been running Funk Sessions with DJs Yushka & Gill, focusing on all things funky, from funk & soul, hip-hop and grime, disco & garage, ghetto funk & breaks, to drum'n'bass and more. Funk Sessions play weekly in HCMC and at special events, including their Boombox series!
The Funk Sessions Episode 9 opens with Ed Wizard & Disco Double Dee, Fingerman and Dave Gerrard, setting up a strong Nu Disco and funk-edit direction. Ali B & Nick Thayer, Basement Freaks and A.Skillz with Beatvandals then push the programme into Breaks, keeping the opening section rooted in cut-up drums, funk samples and club edits.
Prosper & Stabfinger, A.Skillz and Mooqee with Herbgrinder keep that breakbeat pressure intact before Nevue and Boogie Freaks bring the selection back towards disco. Mister T.’s “Mo Style” then adds a clear Funk reference, with Cold Busted describing the track through funky breaks, guitar, horns and soul organ.
Kraak & Smaak featuring Ben Westbeech, J & M Brothers and Beatvandals with A.Skillz connect the middle section through funk, soul and disco-rooted club material. Discotron then becomes a major presence in the second half, with “Disco Power,” “Gon’ Dance To It,” “My New Joint,” “60 Seconds 4 Love” and “Doin Their Own Thang” giving the programme a sustained Disco focus.
Martello, Audio Jacker, Oliver Deuerling with Alex Mallios, Ministry of Funk and Jack Le Funk keep the later stretch centred on disco-house and funk-derived material. Babert appears twice around Anabel Englund’s Purple Disco Machine remix, adding further nu-disco and House Music influence before Sebb Aston.
Dusky closes the episode with “Careless,” moving the final track firmly into Deep House. Beatport classifies the original as Deep House, while Aus Music describes the wider EP through house, techno and garage influences.
The Funk Sessions episode 9 with Matt Abstrax
Ed Wizard & Disco Double Dee - Dance Voyage [Editorial Records]
Fingerman - Boogie Beatdown [Chopshop]
Dave Gerrard - Drop The Pieces [Chopshop]
Ali B & Nick Thayer - N E Way [Bombstrikes]
Basement Freaks - Going Out Tonight [Timewarp Music]
A.Skillz vs Beatvandals - Blowin Up [Bombstrikes]
Prosper & Stabfinger - Mista Funkmaster [Bombstrikes]
A.Skillz - 7-Day Weekend [Westwood Recordings]
Mooqee & Herbgrinder - Sound Around Town [Bombstrikes]
Nevue - Heaven is in the Backseat (Edit) [Groove Democracy]
Boogie Freaks - Go Go Disco [Tasty Recordings]
Mister T. - Mo Style [Cold Busted]
Kraak & Smaak ft. Ben Westbeech - Squeeze Me [Jalapeno Records]
J & M Brothers - You Got Me [Good Stuff Recordings]
Beatvandals vs A.Skillz - Sunshine [Bombstrikes]
Discotron - Disco Power [Tasty Recordings]
Martello - Believe (Discotron Remix) [Soul City Digital]
Discotron - Gon' Dance To It [Tasty Recordings]
Discotron - My New Joint [Tasty Recordings]
Audio Jacker - Come On Baby [Tasty Recordings]
Oliver Deuerling & Alex Mallios - The Streets [Springbok Records]
Discotron - 60 Seconds 4 Love [Tasty Recordings]
Discotron - Doin Their Own Thang [Tasty Recordings]
Ministry of Funk - Superheavy Funk [Soulman Music]
Jack Le Funk - As The Days Go By [Tasty Recordings]
Babert - Fresh [Solid State Disco]
Anabel Englund - London Headache (Purple Disco Machine Remix) [Defected]
Babert - Let's Get Down (Bassline Remix) [Disco Revenge]
Sebb Aston - 4 The Luv [Reflective Music]
Dusky - Careless [Aus Music ]
Listen on Mixcloud here.