Available on: Hyperdub 12″

The UK’s shapeshifting brand of underground house music has been in pretty rude health over the past few years, but a complaint that sometimes crops up is that of a lack of focus; that when you take a range of accessible influences as wide as we currently have, the result is an undefined sound. Personally, I’d argue that it’s more interesting and, in the long term, more valuable when artists – rather than genres – develop a defined sound of their own, but regardless. People like to bitch.

Anyway, Funkystepz to the rescue, with two tracks that are straight, unforgiving UK Funky. They’re as loop-based and lean as the best 8-bar grime, without a hint of an unnecessary sound between them – especially not the “Funkystepz!” shout which is practically spat at you, and one of the best dance music tattoos since Terror Danjah’s gremlin. Last year, this crew (with the aid of Lily McKenzie) showed they could do classic Funky vocals better than most; here they prove that their instrumental game is just as strong.

Tom Lea