For the past three decades, iconic producer and event impresario Destructo has consistently shaped the state of electronic music. The LA-based artist (né Gary Richards) founded influential dance music festival brand HARD, and currently heads up his own production company All My Friends which throws celebrated events including the sailing music festival Friendship.
As a DJ and producer, Destructo made a name for himself in the 90s for his hard-techno sets and collaborations with the likes of Basement Jaxx. He then continued to evolve into the 2010s, fusing electro-house and hip-hop with prominent rappers such as YG, Ty Dolla $ign, E-40, iLoveMakonnen, Kevin Gates, and Denzel Curry, and lending his skills to high-stakes remixes (such as his remix of Dolly Parton’s legendary ‘Jolene’).
Now, for his first EP since 2017’s ‘Renegade’, Destructo releases the ‘Future Funk’ EP, a four-track package that pays homage to 80s nightclub music. With a litany of dynamite collaborators, Destructo recontextualizes that era’s sound through a modern lens, crafting a nostalgic yet futuristic vibe that once again shows the producer pushing electronic music into new directions.
To celebrate the release of ‘Future Funk’, Destructo shares 10 tracks that inspired the making of the EP.
1. Prince – Controversy
“Prince. Enough said.”
2. Grandmaster Flash – Scorpio
“Electro funk at its best.”
3. Jonzun Crew – Pack Jam
“I always loved the Jonzun Crew – Space Cowboys.”
4. Midnight Star – Freak-A-Zoid
“All-time classic right here.”
5. D-Train – You’re The One For Me
“Troy Boi where you at bringing the old school sound to the new shit!”
6. Zapp Dance – Floor
“OG talk box master #1 right here: Roger Troutman. Zapp is the good stuff all the way around.”
7. One Way – Cutie Pie
“You don’t want to fuck with me. @Chromeo @TimaDee”
8. The Gap Band – You Dropped A Bomb On Me
“My dad rocked the shit out of The Gap Band on the radio in New Orleans.”
9. Mass Production – Firecracker
“Real OG shit right here. Check 2 Live Crew (Me So Horney) WHAT!!!!!!”
10. Breakwater – Release the Beast
“Just listen…”
Desctructo’s ‘Future Funk’ EP is out now. Purchase your copy here.
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