Joining us for Tapes #113 is Inter­stel­lar Funk. He’s known for his love of transcend­ing sounds, scenes, gen­res and gen­er­a­tions, which comes from work­ing at the famous­ly influ­en­tial Rush Hour record store, as well as travel­ing the world and pick­ing up his own glob­al influ­ences.

Instead of repeating the tricks that saw him break­through, he prefers to have fun mixing up the old with the new and join the dots between inspi­ra­tions from the past and take risks on unknown futures, keeping both him­self and his dancers on their toes.

Driven by a heavy bass addiction, an unconditional love for analogue synths and a craving for dusty drums, Interstellar Funk discovers more and more old and new gems by the day.

Hey Olf- hope you’re well - it’s a pleasure to have you on the series! Can you start by introducing yourself?

Thank you for inviting me to the series. I'm Interstellar Funk, based in Amsterdam. I have a background at Rush Hour and connections to Garage Noord, De School, and Dekmantel.

Tell us about this mix - favourite track inside?

I've incorporated mostly new music, with the exception of one or two tracks. It's impressive to witness the quality of music being released these days. I've included two tracks by Azu Tiwaline, as I'm a fan of her productions, along with tracks from artists like Priori, for instance. Second last track is a track by Theo Kottis that you have probably heard in clubs the last few months. This will be out on Dekmantel soon!

What’s the ideal setting to listen to it?

It's clubby and uptempo, but you can listen to it anytime.

Talk to us about your involvement in the music scene in Amsterdam? After 10 years in the game you’ve made quite the impact after your involvement in Rush Hour, De School & Dekmantel to name a few.

I've been in the music scene for around 15 years, beginning my DJing career back then. I worked at Rush Hour for 8 years and held residencies at Dekmantel, De Trouw, Garage Noord, and De School. Recently, I've taken on the role of label manager at Dekmantel.

How did you land into producing / DJing?

I began making music about 10 years ago and released my first record around 2014. I started with a group of friends, and we became fascinated with vintage synths and drum machines. My interest in DJing was sparked by my brother, who introduced me to club music when I was 15. He used to organise parties at Club 11 (owned by the same group as Trouw), and that's where my passion for it all began.

Your productions are constantly evolving and don’t tend to confine to one style or genre. How would you describe your current sound and who are your main influences?

Over the 10 years I've been making music, it has continually changed and evolved. I hope this evolution continues throughout my life. Discovering new artists, records, and genres constantly influences my taste and creative process.

Finally, how was your summer?

This summer was my busiest yet, with many highlights. One of them was my live show at Muziekgebouw during the Dekmantel festival. Although I don't play live often, I'll be doing a few more shows before the end of the year.

Follow Interstellar Funk —

instagram.com/interstellarfunk
soundcloud.com/interstellarfunk