Coolock hip-hop crew Disfunktional first popped up about three years ago, playing punk and D.I.Y. gigs, gaining a reputation for their energetic and fun live shows. The outfit started out as three emcees and a mysterious figure known only as ‘rap man’, slaying audiences and smoking their way to oblivion. Things started to get a bit more serious and the addition of a DJ came soon after. Playing everything from hardcore gigs, to Oxygen, to Hard Working Class Heroes, to group member BDG’s monthly night; ‘Oh Snap’, the group have maintained their sense of humor about the whole thing, according to them: “we basically never practice, get drunk and try to not mess up, sometimes it works out quite well, other times we fail miserably, the aim is good hip-hop that anyone could enjoy regardless of what they’re into. That and being paid with booze”. Regarding what types of gigs they play, there seems to be no criteria other than enjoying themselves; “it just seemed natural at the time to play with bands and play gigs put on by friends rather then hunting down big support slots or hip-hop nights we didn’t think we’d particularly fit in with, though that was a long time ago. At this stage I think it’s given us the view to accept most gigs, regardless of the genre, if we like the promoters or acts on the line-up. We feel lucky to have played a lot of great gigs”. Sounding a little like the Beastie Boys sitting at a Dublin bus shelter, smoking shitty soap bar and listening to a stones-throw- comp, Disfunktional definitely have something to offer anyone remotely interested in hip hop, without reverting to the usual tough guy/bad background shtick: ‘We’re more influenced by the people and humour we grew up around rather then the how bad the place is, there’s a lot of people making music about how rough their upbringing was, it’s not really the kind of thing we want to hear or the kind of songs we want to make”. The group is definitely one that’s hard to place in the Irish hip hop scene, or any scene for that matter, “Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of acts out there that pride themselves on creating their own unique sound but then there are those who are content with making the same song over and over again. To really stand out I think you have to make your own sound that you want and not that you think people want to hear.”
An album has been in the works for quite a while now, they maintain it should be out by 2008. However, there’s nothing concrete yet, so just catch them playing if you can.

Myspace.com/disfunktional
Myspace.com/utilityrooms
Myspace.com/motunit

Aonghus MacEvoy
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