Hole Funk

Music evolves. The old, new, borrowed and blue are fused together and slowly new sounds are formed. In his debut album, ‘Hole Funk’ on Urbantorque, Harold Heath pays homage to some of the sounds that have influenced his musical progression, dexterously blending genres to create an album that’s both fresh and unique.

This will come as little surprise to those in the know, as, from the sublime hip-house of ‘Long Relationships’ to the magical sampling of soul queen Aretha Franklin on ‘Aretha’s Reign,’ Harold Heath’s previous productions have been diverse and distinctive. Having cut his teeth as a rare groove DJ later led astray by the acid house phenomenon, Harold moved into production in 2001. He quickly found success with a release on the well-respected Stickman Records, and gained support from the likes of Layo and Bushwacka!, Laurent Garnier, Ashley Beedle and Pete Tong. In the wake of this he has since released a string of productions on some of the finest deep and tech house labels around, including Urbantorque, Reverberations, Sensei and Sensei, and Oblong, to name but a few.

Following such success Harold’s decided to up the stakes and try his hand at producing an album, and the long-player format has allowed him the opportunity to indulge his musical passions and influences drawing together house, acid, hip hop, funk, electro and downtempo electronica. The result is an enthralling collection of rich and lovingly crafted electronic music. The record twists and turns from the groovy funk of opener ‘Hole Funk’ to the jacking hip-house of ‘Be My Friend’ onto the techy breakbeat of ‘Another Sky’ and into the laidback beats of ‘Toshiro’ and beyond. Harold’s drafted in the vocal talents of Katie Mummery and Bruce Zulu for added dimension, and tracks such as ‘Feel the Love’ are beautifully lifted by Katie’s dreamy voice. Despite the diversity, each distinct track is connected by Harold’s unfaltering commitment to the musical qualities of depth and funk, and it’s this that gives the album its continuity and flow.

Depth and funk, we like that at Urbantorque, and Harold Heath is a master at delivering both. Check this album for proof. It’s a rich blend of influences and sounds fused with a whole lot of love, depth and funk!

“I’ve yet to hear anything from Heath that hasn’t made me want to dance round the room naked.” (iDJ Magazine)