Dystopian Dance Party

Tag: dayton

  • Jheri Curl June: Dayton’s “Krackity-Krack”

    Two years ago, we admitted that Bootsy Collins is probably not the first name that comes to mind when thinking about Jheri Curl Music. And while that may still be true, in the early 80s he definitely dipped an entire platform boot into the jheri curl juice. Here, he joins fellow Ohio funkateers Dayton on this Jheri Jam from 1982, “Krackity-Krack.”

    Though still sounding very much like a P-funk groove thanks to Bootsy’s inclusion, “Krackity-Krack”’s whiny synths and hard robotic beat coat this heavy groove in a chrome plating that smoothes out the hard edges of its ’70s funk influence. It’s a hint of things to come: a year later, Dayton would fully embrace the Jheri Curl (in every sense of the word) with this smooth jam, complete with a Roger Troutman-style talkbox:

    Remember to follow along on Spotify as we continue to update this year’s playlist. See you tomorrow!

    https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37nM5CZk77bC5rGY75gtIZ?si=ewRMapvZTkCjYu4BYkxVMw

  • Dystopian Book Club Podcast, Jheri Curl June Edition: The Memoirs of Rick James

    It didn’t take a stroke of genius to come up with the idea for this year’s Jheri Curl June podcast. Rick James may be the most important architect of the genre we call Jheri Curl Music who we hadn’t already commemorated with a long-term feature. He also has a hell of a story: one he told in not one, but two posthumous memoirs–2007’s Confessions of Rick James: Memoirs of a Superfreak and 2014’s Glow–which makes him a perfect candidate for the Dystopian Book Club. A “habitual line-stepper” in both life and art, James was vital in bridging the gap between 1970s P-Funk and 1980s Jheri Curl; his later decline into drug addiction and imprisonment was unfortunate, but could only somewhat dampen his boundless talent and charisma. So join us on this most sacred of occasions as we celebrate Mr. Cold Blooded himself: a man whose artistic potential was the only thing bigger than his larger-than-life personality and appetites. Gimme some ganja!

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  • Jheri Curl June: Lakeside’s “Turn the Music Up”

    Best known for their 1980 pop-funk hit “Fantastic Voyage,” Dayton, Ohio’s Lakeside were full-blown Jheri Curl by the release of 1983’s Untouchables, which included the single “Turn the Music Up.” There was even a music video expanding on the theme of the album artwork: members of Lakeside as 1920s Chicago gangsters, complete with tommy guns, in a speakeasy/disco that looks more like someone’s cool dad’s wood panel basement than either of those establishments.

    Regardless of where this party is supposed to be taking place, however, it’s definitely a party I would want to attend. We’ve got bathtub moonshine, people busting out of cakes, and even the cop who came over (probably due to a noise complaint) is seduced by the atmosphere. Although I wish that the members of Lakeside would quit recklessly waving those guns around. Guys, please. You’re gonna hurt somebody.

    Spotify/YouTube playlists below:

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