DāM-FunK
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Damon 'DaM-FunK' Riddick is the epitome of funk.
Ever since debuting with Stones Throw in 2008, DaM-FunK has
become one of the genres most passionate proselytizers, out to save it
from devilish depictions of cartoonish caricature. To Dam, funk
is a way of living, "a feeling of struggle and staying cool through
it all." In 2013, he released his celebrated partnership with
hip-hop's Snoop Dogg titled '7 Days of Funk'. Fresh for '15, Dam
returns with a solo project nearly six years in the making: 'Invite the
Light'.
DaM-FunK grew up in the Los Angeles city/suburb of Pasadena. A
'70s baby, he came of age in the era of the Uncle Jamm's Army parties,
of electro-pharaoh Egyptian Lover, of Prince's purple reign. His parents
nurtured his musical talents as a child and by his teens, he mastered
the drums, then the drum machine. A chance encounter led to an
apprenticeship under funk songwriter / producer Leon Sylvers III (SOLAR
Records) and by the mid-90s G-Funk era in hip-hop, Dam found his
musical skills in high demand by rappers such as Mack 10 and MC Eiht.
"Everybody was trying to do the live instrumentation thing, so then
you got cats like me playing on records," Dam explains.
Sideman status wasn't enough though. Dam remembers "watching gold plaques hitting the wall" for everyone but him and he decided to go "full-funk" and make a do-or-die try to become an artist on his own terms. In 2006, DaM-Funk and a few friends launched the popular Funkmosphere party in L.A., bringing the boogie back. It's around then that Dam drew the attention of Stones Throw and both label and artist related to Dam's insistence that "funk is not just a Jheri Curl. There was more than that."
Dam's partnership with Stones Throw has now included everything from his 2009 LP 'Toeachizown', to an anthology of early productions, 'Adolescent Funk' (2010), to 2013's 'Higher' and '7 Days of Funk'. 'Invite the Light' isn't just Dam's first solo full-length since '09, he thinks of it as his first fully-realized effort, a "concise, beginning-to-end vision" that's resulted in a loosely autobiographical concept album inspired by the trials and tribulations of his personal and professional life of the last six years.
As always, Dam flexes his multi-instrumentalist talents by handling all the production but still makes time for guests including rapper Q-Tip, the father-son duo of Leon Sylvers III & IV, and funk giant Junie Morrison of the Ohio Players, who opens and closes the album with dire warnings of what could happen in a world without funk. Rest assured, Dam is here to make sure that never comes to pass. As he puts it, "funk is the underdog, the black sheep of black music," and if that's true, DaM-FunK is its shepherd.

DaM FunK
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19 Nov, 2020
Dâm-Funk to release new LP under his “Garrett” alias; featured in Vinyl Factory
Full article here: https://thevinylfactory.com/news/dam-funk-garrett-private-life-music-from-memory-vinyl/
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23 Jan, 2019
Lost Village Festival 2019
The Lost Village festival takes place in Lincolnshire, from 22nd-25th August and features the following Primary Talent & Decked Out artists:
...ALASKALASKA
...Charlotte Adigéry
...DāM-FunK
...Red Axes
...박혜진 park hye jin
...Todd EdwardsTickets will go on sale on Friday.
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06 Dec, 2018
Primavera Sound 2019
The Primavera Sound festival in Barcelona from 30th May - 1st June 2019, has announced it's extensive line-up, which includes Primary Talent artists:
...Neneh Cherry
...DaM-FunK
...Mykki Blanco
...Kate Tempest
...Loyle Carner
...Danny L Harle
...Nilufer Yanya
...Ama Lou -
26 Nov, 2018
DāM-FunK: Featured In DJ Mag
DaM-FunK is the subject of a major interview in DJ Mag.
www.djmag.com/content/hot-seat-d%C4%81m-funk
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06 Jul, 2018
DāM-FunK: Featured In Resident Advisor
DaM-FunK's 3.5 hour all vinyl mix for the Dekmantel podcast is featured in Resident Advisor.
www.residentadvisor.net/feed/106433
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04 Jul, 2016
DaM-FunK: 'Nite-Funk' EP With Nite Jewel
DaM-FunK collaborates with Nite Jewel on the new 'Nite-Funk' EP, from which 'Let Me Be' is Pitchfork's 'Best New Track'.
www.pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/18411-nite-funk-let-me-be-me
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28 May, 2016
DaM-FunK: New 'DJ Kicks' Album Is Released Today
DaM-FunK's new 'DJ Kicks' album is released today on !K7.
www.media.k7-de.com/mails/26052016.html
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15 Apr, 2016
DaM-FunK: New 'DJ Kicks' Compilation
DaM-FunK, has compiled & mixed the new 'DJ Kicks' album for K7 Records for release on 27th May. It comes as a CD, 2 X Vinyl, Download & with a limited 10" single.
www.media.k7-de.com/mails/k7newsletter_14042016.html
Previewed in OkayPLayer
www.okayplayer.com/news/dam-funk-dj-kicks-mix-announcement.html
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16 Oct, 2015
DaM-FunK: 'Invite The Light' Tour
DaM-FunK presents his 'Invite The Light', Fall Tour for Europe, see his artist page for full details.
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23 Sep, 2015
DaM-FunK: At Catch Festival, Utrecht
DaM-FunK will appear at Catch in Utrecht, NL on 30th October.