By Bryan Schwartzman
The “boys” are Derrick Deberry, 42, and Warren Lowther, 41, both Laurelton natives who were childhood friends.
“Music keeps you young,” said Deberry, who is a partner in the recording studio company and also works as a producer and engineer.
Lowther founded the company 15 years ago, just five blocks away from the studio's current location in Deberry's basement on 224th Street in Laurelton.
“I work every day, as much as possible, whether I'm making money or not,” said Lowther.
The pair are both lifelong musicians. Lowther is a drummer and Deberry is a base guitar player. They believe their training as musicians give them a special ear that helps them in the recording process.
“Creative passion led to technical passion,” Lowther said.
Funk So Low Records works mainly with jazz, rhythm and blues, hip hop and fusion artists. They have two recording rooms: one uses traditional analog equipment and the other uses digital equipment, which artists employ to record compact disks.
“Times have changed,” said Lowther. “In many respects, young kids are in a different frame of mind.”
He said with the rise of sampling (mixing two songs together) in hip hop and rap, many young people have lost the appreciation of how difficult it is to perfect playing a musical instrument. When he first started Funk So Low Records, it was one of the only recording studios in southeast Queens, and there were many up-and-coming rhythm and blues bands that wanted to record.
Now there are more than a dozen recording studios in the area and not as many talented musical groups, so they rely on word of mouth and a good deal of out-of-state business.
“We're still afloat,” said Deberry. “We snorkel well.”
Lowther said there are several buildings in Queens Village he is eyeing for a possible relocation. One of the services he would like to offer clients from other parts of the country is a place to stay.
“The problems are always financial. We're looking for investments,” said Lowther. “It's hard to get people to believe in your goals and dreams.”
Both said they live for playing and recording music and could not imagine doing anything else.
“I was brought up to music was a thing from God, that there was a spiritual connection,” said Deberry.
Funk So Low Records has worked with big name hip hop fusion groups such as Digable Planets and Groove Theory.
“The nucleus of this company has always been music,” Lowther said.
But they also work with voice-over artists and have recorded several jingles for products such as Pepsi.
Funk So Low charges $45 an hour for studio time. There is no additional fee for the services of an engineer, which will often be Deberry, Lowther, or a few other engineers they often work with.
For more information call 723-5292.
