When you hear a MIDI funk track from 1989 (think early NES soundtracks or Japanese City Pop demo tapes), you aren’t hearing a failed attempt to sound real. You are hearing a successful attempt to sound fun . Funk is defined by dynamics: ghost notes, accents, stabs.
These producers can’t record a live horn section. They can’t mic a guitar amp. But they can write a bassline on a Game Boy. funk goes on midi
Early MIDI modules (Roland Sound Canvas, Korg M1, Yamaha DX7) had funk sounds that were... adorable. The slap bass sounds like a rubber band stretched over a shoebox. The brass stabs sound like a kazoo choir. When you hear a MIDI funk track from
But here is the secret:
We aren’t talking about cheesy General MIDI soundfonts from a 1995 Sound Blaster card (though, nostalgia is a hell of a drug). We are talking about the ethos: Funk goes on MIDI. These producers can’t record a live horn section
Let’s be honest. For decades, the words “MIDI” and “Funk” were kept in separate rooms.
In MIDI, the drums don't breathe. They ventilate .