Google+ Beathearts: Beathearts rewind # 10: Vocoder slow jams

8.31.2010

Beathearts rewind # 10: Vocoder slow jams

Crisp and cold fall morning calls for a Beathearts rewind of a couple of our favourite vocoder slowjams to warm us up. There’s somewhat of a love-hate relationship with the use of vocoders. If used properly as an jam session instrument rather than an cover-up tool it can add that electronic funk edge we all love.

In the 80ies there was of course the godfather of vocoder Roger Zapp Troutman. As you may remember Roger was shot outside his studio by his older brother Larry on April 25th 1999 but left some amazing tunes behind.




In the 90ies there was his new jack apprentice Teddy Riley, dropping jems such as Teddy’s jam, SWV’s So into you etc.

Passing the millenium there’s was no clear cut vocoder champ except perhaps west-coast new funk producer Dâm-Funk.

For the 2010s, two contenders are two other Beatheart favourites, namely Robert Glasper and Dwele. Both the jams somehow went under the radar but definitely deserves to be pulled out of the crates for a respin. Check them out below.

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