XL Middleton

You're in a top down sedan, with a drink at hand, what is left to make it complete? You need some Cali Funk by XL Middleton. He's making moves, and still keeping it humble.

N-F :They say that music comes around in a circle, what is popular then, is popular now or will be in the future. Do you think it’s the same way as funk. Will it stay, fade or shine brighter?

X-L: It's definitely a circle. Twenty or thirty year cycles, roughly. I suppose that will speed up now with the globalization of culture. But, for right now, we are in this place where the blueprints of 80's and 90's music are influencing today's music deeply, and so that's where the current modern funk movement is rooted. It's not so much based on the 60's/70's James Brown funk. The way I think of that is, those guys influenced the guys who influenced us. I really think that what's happening with funk right now is so sincere and free of gimmicks, so to me it's something that's gonna keep expanding for quite some time. I think this will become the moment where funk will begin to be looked at as its own genre, not an obscure subgenre.

N-F :You released ‘Tap Water’, recently, what is the process behind that?

X-L: This is an album that's been three years in the making. The way I create music changed and evolved so much during the course of recording it. In the beginning I envisioned it as a largely instrumental album, which felt sort of like the direction that modern funk was heading in. But as I grew more and more comfortable singing, I was also feeling like, I want to challenge that direction, to do what everybody else is not doing. I think the whole instrumental thing grew out of producers making tracks but not having the right vocalists at their disposal or not feeling comfortable with laying down their own vocals. I want to give people words they can relate to, whether it's hitting them in the heart or just creating something catchy and fun to sing along with when they're drunk at the club.

N-F: Back in 2006, you toured Japan, have you been to Japan lately? And why do you think Japan is very receptive towards the funk

X-L: That was the last time I was in Japan, but I really hope to go back soon. I was touring on the strength of the hip hop/g-funk stuff that I was putting out at the time. Japan seems to find an allure, not just in the music, but in the whole California culture, the lowriders, wearing khakis and Cortez, all of that stuff. It's not just a music but an identity for them. The funk has its roots in Ohio with guys like Roger and them, but in California, we adopted the funk, we turned it into the soundtrack that goes right along with our lifestyle, and clearly that's something that people have latched onto internationally, whether it's funk music or the g-funk thing that they're into. My whole 'gospel', if you will, is to bridge the gap between the two, as modern funk has been so heavily influenced by both 80's funk and 90's g-funk.

N-F: There’s a spur of small independent record label that caters to funk/modern funk (Volataire,Omega Supreme). Do you see this as a competition or are the labels complementing each other?

X-L: The great thing about all of these different labels is that we're not on some "may the best man win" type shit. I suppose it's not like hip hop, for example, where it's very competitive by nature, plus everyone raps, so there's not a lot of room for new voices to be heard. There's only a handful of us doing this, relatively speaking, and we're all glad to help each other out when it comes to getting the word out about each other's music. I think people find it refreshing to hear music that reminds them in some way of classic music they have grown up with or wished they were old enough to have grown up with. There's no flashy cars and chains, no starting up fake beefs to sell records every time someone's album is about to drop. There's been an ongoing event series, Modern Funk Fest, which was started in San Diego by Brian Ellis, where the idea is to put as many modern funk acts onto one bill as possible and turn it into a huge thing. After the initial event, me and Randy "Hotthobo" Ellis (Voltaire Records) latched on and started working with promoters in LA and San Francisco to bring Modern Funk Fest to those cities. It's never the exact same lineup, but it's always a great party that features great live music and DJ's. To me, it really exemplifies what the movement is all about in general - fantastic music and fun times.

N-F: What is your preferred stage setting for your live set (in terms of equipment, lighting, etc)

X-L: Well, I always appreciate a good set up of lasers and lights on stage. But, in terms of equipment, I keep it pretty simple. Just a few keyboards and I'm ready to roll. When I perform I usually have Moniquea on stage with me and vice versa. I think we have a great chemistry on stage and I love being able to bring that to people.

N-F: You seem to be making music non-stop, and when you’re not, you’re on stage. What motivates you?

X-L: It's that creative itch that I can never quite scratch. It's a beautiful thing to have that, because at the end of the day, even if I don't sell a single record, I get so much satisfaction out of creating for the sake of creating. And beyond that, I think it's the ultimate high to know that people are digging it. I'll never stop being appreciative of people inboxing me on Facebook or leaving Instagram comments or whatever, just to say how much they're enjoying what I'm doing. And it's definitely encouraging to know that people are funkin' right along with me.