(Tech House, Progressive House) VA - Toolroom Knights - Mixed By Funkagenda (Toolroom Records [TOOL084]) WEB - 2009, MP3 (tracks / image), 320 kbps

If you haven’t heard of Funkagenda then where have you been hiding? Over the last 3 years, Adam has become a name synonymous with quality House music. A regular on prominent labels including TOOLROOM, POSITIVA, DEFECTED, AZULI, MINISTRY OF SOUND, SIZE, BIG LOVE & SUBLIMINAL. His production and remix skills are highly sought after Worldwide, and have seen him remix for BASEMENT JAXX, MOBY and write a track on the new BLACK EYED PEAS album. Add to this 3 Beatport Number 1’s (2 with Toolroom label boss Mark Knight), and DJ support from PETE TONG, AXWELL, DIRTY SOUTH, STEVE ANGELLO, SEBASTIAN INGROSSO & ARMIN VAN BURREN, its easy to see why Funkagenda has become a serious driving force in shaping House music today.

And production is not the only string to his bow... His DJ talents are also a permanent fixture in clubs around the globe, with 2009 seeing him travelling to AMERICA, CANADA, RUSSIA, SOUTH AMERICA, ROMANIA, POLAND, SPAIN, FRANCE, ISREAL, SERBIA, GREECE to name but a few. Always re-editing and remixing tracks into his own production style, his DJ sets have a unique sound and began to catch the ears of many promoters around him, add to this the fact that his tracks are the flavour of the moment it’s no wonder he won best newcomer and best tune of the summer at last year’s Ibiza DJ Awards. Funkagenda’s creative spin on DJing creates a unique and engaging experience that has become a regular fixture at Toolroom Knight’s events. Because of all these elements, Funkagenda seemed an obvious choice for the next compilation.

With a career in Music that started in his early teens Funkagenda became a slave to the home studio, burning the midnight oil, crafting early Drum & Bass and Techno works. Later embracing the arrival of the Pioneer CDJ into clubs worldwide, Funkagenda could finally start weaving his own productions and edits into his DJ sets. Something that was previously hard to do, unless you had limitless funds to press Dub Plates. This fusion of Producer & DJ is a hard act to get right, but Funkagenda has the raw DJ talent combined with an exceptional Studio background. This is reflected in his second DJ compilation to date; Toolroom Knights.

So onto the mix. With a staggering 36 individual tracks and 2 full length DJ mixes, Funkagenda seamlessly blends big hitters from D Ramirez, Mark Knight, D Nox & Beckers, Crazy P, Matteo DiMarr, BT, Lützenkirchen, Sebo K, & Jimpster, working the edit and utilising accapellas from Defected’s DJ Gregory, Mutiny, Kirsty Hawkshaw & Nadia Ali. Be sure to check Kirsty Hawkshaw’s ‘Face To Face’ vocal over Ritkam & Bansi’s ‘Bass Master Zorro’, and Nadia Ali’s legendary ‘Rapture’ over Adam Shaw’s ‘Far Cry’, recreating the massive booty championed by Pete Tong. Both CDs build both groove and pace from the more ‘straight up’ Housier outings to Dancefloor Tech House & Techno bullets. Included in the mix is Mark Knight & Funkagenda’s recent smash ‘Good Times’, Funkagenda’s recent remix of the classic ‘Zoe’ by Paganini Traxx, and 3 exclusive tracks written exclusively for the compilation. The excellent ‘Zomg’ and ‘Lmaoblade’ appear here for the first time alongside the massive groove induced Kim Fai collaboration: ‘Gayfest’…. A definite highlight on DJ Mix 1. Also included in the digital bundle is the unreleased Matt Lange Remix of Kirsty Hawkshaw’s ‘Face To Face’.