10 of the best UK funky tracks released since 2020

UK funky – syncopated snares, four-to-the floor kicks, MCs, sirens and wheel-ups. Right? Not quite…

There’s a new type of UK funky dominating the airwaves. It’s darker, more polished, and has replaced its garage-inspired basslines with subs and rolling log basses, for the most part leaving the MCs behind.

The sound has evolved; after a spell in the shadows, the return of UK funky has been invigorated by the global rise of amapiano, with a number of UK producers rehashing elements of the South African sound alongside classic London sonics.

This high-energy hybrid has been pushed to the fore by artists such as DJ Supa D, Marcus Damon, and Tribal Brothers, who haven’t dropped the funky tag, instead remoulding and embellishing it; while this new-style funky might not have the same chaotic energy of its predecessor, it’s more refined and adaptable.

The sound is recognisable from its deep, punchy productions at around 118-125 BPM, which allows tracks to blend seamlessly with a throng of global genres, from amapiano and gqom to baile funk and kuduro, while retaining its strong ties with the UK garage and broken beat sounds that accompanied the dawn of the genre.

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First emerging in the early 2000s, UK funky energised a generation, bridging the gap between grime MC culture and soulful and global club music, attracting some of the UK’s most diverse crowds.

The genre boomed and soundtracked London’s late-’00s party scene from 2006 until its decline as the decade turned, producing a number of seminal hits which remain as some of the greatest dance music tracks to have come out of the UK, including Donaeo’s ‘Party Hard’, Crazy Cousinz’ ‘Do You Mind’, and Fish Go Deep’s ‘The Cure & the Cause’.

While the memory of that time lives on through the handful of funky tracks that have endured to this day, collectives and labels such as Bristol’s Club Djembe and Roska’ RKS (Roska Kicks & Snares) have been flying the flag of this new hybrid funky sound, while continuing to release tracks at 130 BPM and more similar to the original 2000s UK funky. This resurgence has seen the ‘UK funky’ tag reappearing all over streaming platforms and radio.

So despite popular belief, funky is alive and kicking (no pun intended), and to prove it we’ve selected our top 10 funky tracks released since 2020: