Dam-Funk

Los Angeles' Dam-Funk (pronounce the first word dame) records for Stones Throw, a label best known for off-kilter hip-hop and sample-heavy funk, but he's not exactly your typical crate digger. Assuming the mantle of "Ambassador of Boogie Funk," Dam-Funk re-creates the vibe of the electronic R&B of the early '80s from the ground up, using a battery of vintage synths, sequencers and drum machines, and eschewing contemporary computer-based recording. Vocals run through vocoders and talk-boxes embellish his squelchy jams, but onstage he takes a more direct approach: he's famous for the running commentary, complete with track titles, with which he peppers his DJ sets. It's a far cry from the secrecy often associated with a collector's mindset, and that spirit of generosity comes through in his music.