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| Liquid funk | |
|---|---|
 Liquicity Festival 2015 was held in Amsterdam. | |
| Stylistic origins | |
| Cultural origins | 1999,[1] United Kingdom |
Liquid funk,liquid drum & bass,liquid DnB,melodic drum & bass, or sometimes justliquid is a subgenre ofdrum and bass. While it uses similarbasslines andbar layouts to other styles, it contains fewer bar-oriented samples and more instrumental layers (bothsynthesized and natural), harmonies, melodies and ambiance, producing a sentimental atmosphere directed at home listeners as well asnightclub andrave audiences. Music genres such asjazz,soul and sometimesblues have a pivotal influence on liquid funk.[2]
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In 1999,Fabio alongside Sarah Sandy began championing a new form of drum and bass they called "liquid funk", with a compilation release of the same name on their Creative Source label.[3] This was characterized by influences fromambient,funk,disco,house andtrance music, and widespread use of vocals. Although slow to catch on at first, the style grew massively in popularity around 2003–2004, and by 2005 it was established as one of the biggest-selling subgenres in drum and bass, with labels likeGood Looking Records (although this label is strongly cross-genred withatmospheric drum and bass),Hospital Records, Liquid V, Creative Source, Shogun Limited, Fokuz Recordings, and artists likeCalibre,Netsky,LTJ Bukem,High Contrast,Logistics,London Elektricity,Nu:Tone,Shapeshifter,DJ Marky,Makoto, andSolid State among its main proponents.[4]
Liquid funk is very similar to intelligent drum and bass and atmospheric drum and bass, but has subtle differences.[5] Liquid funk has stronger influences fromsoca,Latin,jazz,disco,breakbeat, andfunk music, while intelligent D'n'B or atmospheric D'n'B creates a calmer yet more synthetic sound, using smooth synth lines, deep bass and samples in place of the organic element achieved by use of real instruments.[6]
Liquid music continued its growth from 2006 to 2009.[7] On 1 October 2007,High Contrast brought liquid funk back to the mainstream with his album,Tough Guys Don't Dance, releasing tracks such as "If We Ever" (featuringDiane Charlemagne) which made Radio 1's Dance singles chart, "Kiss Kiss Bang Bang", and "Tread Softly". This ended up"crossing over" and becoming one of the most listened to drum and bass albums of 2007.
Liquicity emerged as a YouTube channel in 2008, after 2011 gradually growing out to become a record label and events promoter for new liquid DnB artists, especially in the Netherlands, Belgium and the United Kingdom.[8]