Artist: RWD



He’s the producer behind two of this summer’s biggest smashes. Hattie Collins meets Flukes, the main man behind funky/ house crew Crazy Cousinz…

“Er, I do actually play the bongos,” laughs Luke ‘Flukes’ Reid, 19, the producer responsible for the Crazy Cousinz’ smash Bongo Jam. “But from primary school, I played instruments. Music was in me and I’ve always had a passion for it.”

Well something is clearly working. Beginning life as a DJ and then beatmaker for Gemma Fox and $tush, Flukes really made his name with the Wifey Riddim made famous by Tinie Temps back in ’06. This year though, he’s turned his sound upside down by being behind two of the biggest tunes of Napa and Carnival; the brilliant Bongo Jam and the funky version of his cousin Paleface’s Do You Mind bassline banger. “Paleface and Kyla wrote the song and they asked me to do a remix,” he says of the fantastically flirtatious track. “At first I made more of an electro version, which I liked but I wanted to do more of a funky, Bongo Jam version. And that’s the version that is all over radio.”

As funky/house continues to kill it in the clubs, it’s the Crazy Cousinz’s Do You Mind remix and the tribal rhythms of Bongo Jam that are really making the most noise. “I was on my own in the studio and I just came up with the idea from nowhere,” says the 19 year-old of the Radio 1 played Bongo Jam. “It was about 5am and this melody came into my head. I wrote the hook and the music in about five minutes.” Enlisting Calista of Big Brother fame to provide the vocals, you can now buy the t-shirt and watch the Digital Holding’s produced slickity-slick video over on their MySpace. “People in the studio were saying it had a great vibe, so I gave it to some funky house DJs like MA-1 Supa D and Pioneer and it spread from there.”

There’s plenty more to come from the Crazy Cousinz camp, says Flukes. Made up of himself, older cousin Paleface, promoter Play and engineer/ DJ Kodi, the quartet are becoming the go-to crew for both remixes and original productions. Check the Jazmine Sullivan and Sadie Ama refixes, and watch for tunes from Ms. Dynamite, Taio Cruz, Natty and Nathan over the next few months. There’s also a double CD compilation coming, This Is Funky featuring 100% UK funky house sounds. “The Cousinz side will be associated with the funky/house side. Flukes is still going because I can’t forget my grime stuff,” laughs the south Londoner. “Watch for the album Great Expectations with Bashy, Lil Rascals and all the big names out there, dropping soon.”

There’s no doubt both Flukes and the Cousinz are on fire. The reason for that is simple, says Fluke’s manager and the man behind Digital Holdings, Corey Johnson. “He’s humble for one,” says the artist/ manager and entrepreneur. “There’s no other artists I want to work with right now. He’s creative, he’s very humble, he’s a blessing. He’s flooky!”

It’s not just good fortune; there’s also a lot of hard work occurring too. As well as churning out hits for days, Flukes is currently studying engineering at Westminster College – making sure there’s a back-up to his plan for any occasional quiet patches. We don’t think he has to worry though – given his gift for hooks, melody and big bassy beats, we can only see a bright future for Flukes and those Crazy old Cousinz. “In the future, I hope to have worked with a lot more artists, got more tunes and videos out there and just be happy with what I’m doing,” decides Flukes. “Music is my passion, it’s my life so I want my sounds to be heard by thousands of people. That’s the plan!”

Here's the video:

Bongo Jam is out 13 October and This Is Funky 20 October. MySpace.com/crazicousinz

RWD Magazine

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