Local hip-hop artists Cooley the Curator and T. Hunt have formed a new musical project, The Groove Disturbers, with a goal to bring back Dayton funk. Cooley says that people often think of that era as bygone, but he says it's one of the driving forces in hip-hop.
"It's really important for us to bridge those two worlds, because hip-hop everywhere else has relied on the funk music that came from here. I get frustrated when I listen to people's albums that are from here and it's just like, there's not really any funk in this. So we figure we should take matters in our own hands."
Every generation brings new musical influences into their sound and part of what The Groove Disturbers want is to bridge the gap between the present and the classics. Cooley says people need to know that Dayton funk never died.
"When I DJ at Barrel House every month for Funky Friday- I see it all the time: it'll be like older people that will come out that are from that era. Then I'll play something newer and they're like,'Well, this isn't what I'm used to.' But it's like,'Well, these people are still making funk.' You know what I mean? It never stopped. So, you know, we want to throw our hat in the ring."
Stream or purchase The Groove Disturbers' debut single Bet They Don't Dance on Bandcamp.
