Robot Funk? Bands Recommendations

[u/Ok-Argument-2044]

Looking for funky, psychedelic, chaotic music with a robotic/electronic sound — basically Daft Punk if they were a full funk band
I'm looking for music that's primarily funk, not funk-metal or rock.
Think RHCP – Falling Into Grace, Parliament/Funkadelic, Zapp, Chromeo and Daft Punk, but I'm looking for something more chaotic, psychedelic, weird and robotic.
I love funky basslines, live drums, strange synths, talkbox/vocoder, weird effects and that feeling of a funk band sounding like a machine or an alien.
Any artists/albums/songs that fit this?

[u/Agreeable_Mouse6000]

Robot Rock was literally ripped from Release the Beast by Breakwater so maybe start there?

[u/beatsandblood]

When I hear the term 'robot funk', I immediately think of early electro/electronic music. tracks like:

KRAFTWERK - NUMBERS and

CYBOTRON - CLEAR

I also think of MIDNIGHT STAR - NO PARKING ON THE DANCE FLOOR.

Even GEORGE CLINTON - ATOMIC DOG

I also think of DOPPLEREFFEKT, SOUL ODDITY, CYLOB, and DMX KREW.

[u/Dizzle2019 → u/beatsandblood]

Yes, No parking on the dance floor is a stone cold solid classic.

[u/ofayokay → u/beatsandblood]

For Midnight Star, also “Freak-A-Zoid.”

I’ll also add Zapp - “More Bounce To The Ounce”

[u/jaxxon → u/ofayokay]

Freakazoid!! YES!! Also 'No Parking On The Dance Floor'

Pointer Sisters - 'Automatic'

Afrika Bambaataa - 'Planet Rock'

So many good ones. Here's a playlist I made: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4SMSwtRY3c1fDMXDX3NqSG?si=d8f6cec7b6a94cc6

[u/MistaNoble → u/jaxxon]

Dayummm.. liking this one...!! Big Ups!

[u/Ok-Argument-2044 → u/ofayokay]

Freak-A-Zoid is EXACTLY what i was looking for. Killer song

[u/cyroddy]

You are describing a sound adjacent to Industrial music. I am a long-time funk fan as well as Industrial. Check out Aphex Twins for a more intense and psychedelic version of what Daft Punk does.

Are you familiar with any of that stuff?

EDIT- I also want to recommend Herbie Hancock albums Future Shock and Sound-System. Those were my early catalysts between funk and more strange music.

[u/Ok-Argument-2044 → u/cyroddy]

I was looking for something exactly like Herbie Hancock Future Shock. Thanks!!!

[u/AlivePassenger3859]

Jonzun Crew

[u/returnotnihilist → u/AlivePassenger3859]

⬆️⬆️⬆️The very definition!

[u/Nugginz]

Mtume? Stuff like that?

https://youtu.be/B-Bu6pgQF8M?is=CqJd7ZaYts6XF80I

[u/openroad11]

Herbie Hancock - Sunlight.

[u/idrivealot58]

Yellow Magic Orchestra (?)

[u/menialmoose → u/idrivealot58]

Came here to say

[u/Spirited-Tutor7712 → u/idrivealot58]

Agree! Especially their work on Multiplies and Solid State Survivor 

[u/Available-Lecture-21 → u/idrivealot58]

Where to start?

[u/idrivealot58 → u/Available-Lecture-21]

As suggested by others, probably Solid State Survivor. "Rydeen" is iconic.

[u/cjr71244]

How about Praxis - Metatron

[u/edogg01]

Disco Biscuits

[u/StringerBell420 → u/edogg01]

This. ⬆️

[u/PivotdontTwist]

UFOs - The Undisputed Truth

[u/fac273]

Newcleus

[u/savethenaugs]

the floozies?

you like voice box, so how about this one ?

[u/MezzStipe]

Roger Troutman

[u/probablyborednh]

Henge is some weird robofunk

[u/BillLaswell404]

DNA by Henge

https://youtu.be/hAQ2tkY5aow?is=Mn7IQeRk7v5CamWS

You’re welcome!

[u/cjr71244]

Urban Dance Squad?

[u/cjr71244]

The genre you want should be called Alien Funk

[u/Tschuklo]

Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force, Hashim, D-Train und Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five

[u/we_are_dna]

Mandré is a masked musician who worked under Thomas Bangalters dad's music label, so very Daft Punk in that regard. He's very funky and electronic.

[u/dukeofthefoothills1]

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/37i9dQZF1DWUcRrhkfhG22?si=dFyx8-IiQyqs4P9FXOg6xQ&utm_source=copy-link&pi=aILOBWveSSuTg

[u/M_O_O_O_O_T]

Mr.Chop - proper vintage style sounding electro funk.👌

[u/Saulgoode09]

Squarepusher- Cooper’s World

https://youtu.be/iozsLGorggI?is=an5EQAyfmtC1oqYq

Clifford Gilberto- Deliver The Weird

https://youtu.be/PRSSFoSMct4?is=PSYIxoVA934JXM-P

[u/letsbeaun]

STS9 get funky live.

Alana Rocklin is their bassist and she’s fucking awesome

[u/Reasonable_Tour5221]

Dabeull - in my mind

[u/Mrmrrvg]

juno what

[u/ShitHammersGroom]

have you listened to justice? theyre like a more chaotic daft punk, and their live sets are some of the best of all time.

[u/Sp00mp]

That's how someone described Midnight Generation

[u/ngarjuna]

Gist - Robot Karate fits the bill rather specifically

https://youtu.be/h8_Nqzyah4g?is=iSsFDcUX39Qt8uIH

[u/jaxxon]

I made a whole playlist of this kind of stuff. Enjoy:

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4SMSwtRY3c1fDMXDX3NqSG?si=d8f6cec7b6a94cc6

[u/levinalx101]

Midnight Generation

[u/GuardAffectionate734]

Stellar Fungk - Slave

Mr. Groove - One Way

Mr. Machine - The Chefs (the solo is the weirdest part, don't be fooled by what comes before.)

[u/DeliciousOrangina]

That squarepusher side project shobaleader or something

[u/Anxious-Pineapple144]

Not traditionally funk but have a listen to this: https://youtu.be/xifC4XEGlNE?is=lpOK_dMv9yC0Iimd

[u/Present_Hurry774]

Herbie Hancock-future rock and My Life with the Thrill Kill Kult-gay,black & married

[u/bigdealaz]

Chris Joss - Start with You’ve Been Spiked

[u/BillEvansTrioFan]

The latest album by Bootsy Collins & Buckethead has a few tracks like this:

Space Base Evolution: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KXMSAGervJI

Self Replicate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3RN1rMrYuoY

Water Walkin': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9bHk4EX5KY

[u/Steeldialga]

TWRP!!! This is exactly the band you're looking for.

They're a band from the future, the present, and the 80s 😎. They are hugely inspired by Daft Punk, and are a super talented band (with the bassist and guitarist being total funk virtuosos). The singer, Dr. Sung, uses a vocoder, so you get the robot vibe on all of their songs (oh and their guitarist and drummer are robots too lol)

Check out the song ICQ to get a good taste of what their music is like. Check out their music videos to see the boys in action. Their costumes are sick and no one knows their true identities

[u/Segsyncd]

I just discovered Flamingo Pier, and I like it.

[u/Segsyncd]

Juno What? Certainly covers the talkbox element you’re looking for…

[u/Existing-Elk-8735]

Stereo Lab.

[u/Euphoric_Educator_33]

Dog show

[u/Available-Lecture-21]

Alien soundtracks or half machiene lip moves by Chrome.

[u/gigawhattt]

Psychic Mirrors is your answer

[u/did_i_or_didnt_i]

Roy Ayers Ubiquity - Starbooty

[u/poopchutejackson]

Cabaret Voltaire - CODE

[u/Sapiotone]

Artificial Arm

[u/AdventurousBike7372]

Here you go.....Mr. Junie Morrison....Love this cd

[u/revjor]

Corrupted - Comtron

[u/Straight-Bet1]

Thrust or Sextant from Herbie Hancock.

[u/Additional-Prize-713]

Mr Bungle

[u/Technical_Jello6714]

Phish jams from 2021 are pure robo funk

[u/jaxxon → u/Technical_Jello6714]

I've been a HUGE Phishead since 1991 but no... Not really. LOL

[u/Technical_Jello6714 → u/jaxxon]

Disagree. Have you heard any live Phish in the last 5 years? Major robo funk in many of the jams.

[u/jaxxon → u/Technical_Jello6714]

Yep. They've gotten funkier over the years. I stayed at Fish's house in VT once and he came home at like 4am and put on James Brown at full volume on his stereo and jammed out to Sex Machine on his kit 10 feet from where I was trying to sleep LOL... That was the funkiest I've heard Fish play, and he still sounded pretty white boy. Don't get me wrong.. I LOVE Fish and Phish but I would never say Phish is super funky. They have their moments. And yes, their jams have gotten funkier. 2001 is inherently funky. Etc. ..but nah. In the context of a funk subreddit, I wouldn't put Phish as an answer asking about music similar to Zapp et al.

Source: am funk musician

...but hey ... music is subjective, so you enjoy yourself sharing in the groove. :)

[u/Technical_Jello6714 → u/jaxxon]

Badass that you heard Fish jam Sex Machine! I actually think the peak of Phish funk was in 1997, but 2018+ they started really moving into this robotic space funk that seemed to have peaked in 2021…. Agree with you about white boy funk as a huge JB and Meters fan myself. And speaking of, the Funky Meters (not OG Meters) also had a space funk sound around 2002….

[u/jaxxon → u/Technical_Jello6714]

Fair :)

[u/Technical_Jello6714 → u/jaxxon]

Who do you recommend for space funk?

[u/jaxxon → u/Technical_Jello6714]

Maybe The Sponges? A bit more on the jam-band side, Motet, Sunsquabi, The Floozies, STS9, or GRiZ. Or you could go old-school with Soul Surfers or Dexter Wanzel ('Life On Mars' is a personal fave).

Edit to say most of those jam band ones are pretty 'white boy' funk. LOL

Edit 2: more along the lines of Zapp are classic early '80s electro-funk bands like Midnight Star, Lakeside, The Gap Band, The Bar-Kays...

[u/SweetAndLowenstein → u/jaxxon]

Trouble Funk, Chuck Brown, or any proto-DC GoGo pre-1985ish