After nearly three decades in electronic music, DJ Godfather is preparing to release his debut album – an effort as involved as such a momentous occasion would require. Comprising 44 tracks spanning ghettotech, electro, juke and adjacent styles, Electro Beats For Freaks will arrive by way of Databass on November 20th.
A glance at the Electro Beats For Freaks tracklist alone shows that DJ Godfather (real name Brian Jeffries) has carried on the rich traditions of the music he helped popularize. Eclectic as the songs themselves may be, common creative threads tie them together: stripped-down, minimalist beats designed for the more improvisational DJ with attitude-laden lyrics overhead. Emcees Parkhouse and Goodmoney G100 feature on numerous tracks, with King Saadi, Lil Mz 313 and Dan Diamond appearing more sparsely.
DJ Godfather Revisited
Alongside Detroit and Chicago artists like DJ Funk, DJ Assault, and the late Disco D, Jeffries was a seminal figure in the early years of ghettotech. The genre fuses elements of ghetto house, Miami bass and electro with the faster pace of Detroit techno. It died down somewhat following Disco D’s death in 2007 but has experienced a resurgence from the recent popularity of Chicago’s footwork scene.
At only 18, Jeffries launched a label called Twilight 76 Records in 1994 with the help of co-founders DJ Dick and Brian Gillespie. Databass started out as an imprint of Twilight 76, and Jeffries revived the label in 2018.
DJ Godfather will follow up his November album with a series of 2021 EPs that will include extended versions and other variations of tracks appearing on the album. Find the Electro Beats For Freaks tracklist below.
