(July 24, 2025) With solid roots in hip-hop and the UK acid jazz scene, the Birmingham-based group Funk Division is continuing to add more notches to its towering discography. Formerly known as The Soul Garden, this production unit — powered by Mark Duffus (aka Blak Prophetz) and Derek DK King — has excelled in its blends of funk and house over the years, particularly with tracks like “The Things I Said” and the neo-soul banger “Symptoms of Love.”
They have especially been making their mark on the music scene since the 2019 arrival of Xiomara Mukwendi as lead vocalist., Mukwendi’s presence in the collective has proven to be abundantly rich and full of synergy.
It all really comes alive on Funk Division’s latest musical offering. Supported by strong percussion and big house beats, “Whenever,” penned by Duffus, arrives with a five-song set of mixes including Mark’s Mellow Mix Vocal, DK Club Video Mix and Mark’s Afrobeat Mix. Clearly the video mix version, which can be heard in the accompanying music video, resonates the most for its pulse on what feels like classic Chicago house. The industrial beats along with the sprightly galaxy synths create the perfect dance floor trance for Mukwendi’s vibrant instrument. She soars with the vocal wings of similar dance divas like CeCe Peniston, Alison Limerick and Ultra Naté, while inserting soulful jazz riffs when needed, especially on the radiant chorus: “Whenever it’s you, everything stops/Even the clock stops turning.”
Released on Digital Jukebox Records and distributed through Orchard/Sony USA in America, the DK Club Video Mix can also be heard as a bonus track on their latest album, Soul Amplified.
SoulTrackers, let us know your thoughts “whenever” you get the chance.
By J Matthew Cobb
