King Kooba

by Andy KellmanBreakbeat funk collective King Kooba is led by former Neneh Cherry and Howie B. cohort Charlie Tate and producer DJ Shuff (Matt Harris). Combining DJ Shuff's skills with Tate's arrangements, the duo's aim is to make records that work equally well on the dancefloor and living room. In live settings, they're backed by Simon Richmond (Palmskin Productions) on keyboards and effects, Greg Rowland (Neneh Cherry) on additional keyboards, Max Sedgeley (Roni Size, Breakbeat Era) on drums, V-Love (K-Creative) on guitars, and D'Jaine on vocals. Tapped early on by journalists as the Funkadelic to Roni Size's Miles Davis, the group scattered three LPs and a clutch of singles between 1998 and 2000; making their full-length debut in 1998 with The Imperial Solution (with help from members of the Brand New Heavies and the Herbaliser), they followed with 1999's Enter the Throne Room and 2000's NuFoundFunk. The Second Skin act also has countless compilation appearances to their credit.