UPFRONTBEATS

‘Yeahump” Previously an exclusive term that Wednesday lovers would say on their favourite day of the week, now also bubbling slab of thick rolling, bass-licked tech funk from Berlin gentleman Ray Okpara.

Wet, warm, unpredictable and delivered on his own label AMA; ‘Yeahump’ is over eight minutes of bouncy, heads-down fun. Laced with the perfect balance of trippy mischief and dense weight, it’s Okpara in the marathon mode as he locks us into a groove perfect for those long late night star-lit sets the summer is best for.

It’s backed by three remixes; first up is an extended take on his recent ‘Almost Thirty’. Fresh from his ‘Five Years Of AMA’ compilation, here we find Ray adding another minute of floor-lock hypnosis to its dusty, jazzy tones. It’s followed by two crucial takes on ‘Yeahump’; Mancunians-in-Berlin the Willers Brothers ease up the speed and roll the top down for a much lighter (but still seriously bouncy) shakedown while Argentinian spell-binder Leo Portela brings all the shades into the mix as we’re hit with a bulbous low-end, strong heads-down tendencies but mad flourishes of tribal percussive energy and a rich dark funk.

There ain’t no hump day when Ray’s by your side. All in favour say yeah.

• FB: facebook.com/rayokpara
• Twitter: twitter.com/rayokpara
• Soundcloud: soundcloud.com/rayokpara
• Beatport: beatport.com/artist/ray-okpara