UK Street Soul

UK street soul originated during the late 1980s in the United Kingdom. It is defined by its raw and minimal texture with Hip Hop inspired drum machine rhythms, Reggae-derived bass and 1980s-styled synth riffs with Contemporary R&B/Soul vocals. It is also strongly connected with Lovers Rock (with its singing style and lyrics focusing on romance and love) and Britfunk (with its emphasis on the dance appeal). The UK street soul's sound emerged from bedroom studios in the mid-to-late 1980s, tracks were recorded with minuscule budgets by independent, often artist-owned labels. Because UK street soul's musicians couldn't afford the pricier instruments and state of the art studios, they used much cheaper alternatives. For example, one of the genre pioneers Toyin Agbetu used a Roland SH-101 or Juno 106 to create his basslines, as well as a Yamaha TX7 with some simple electric piano preset or Akai S950 sampler to simulate Rhodes piano, etc. This DIY approach gave UK street soul its own raw, soulful sound with distinctive drum patterns and thumping basslines. According to Agbetu, UK street soul sound was a protest against excess at the time. The genre was popularized by Soul Connection, Deluxe, Special Touch, Fifth of Heaven and Cool Down Zone and labels like Intrigue, Soultown, Jam Today, and TSR (Top Secret Recordings). Also early releases by The Wild Bunch/Massive Attack, Soul II Soul and Omar were hugely inspired by UK street soul. AKA: Street SoulGround Beat