Funkstorung - Appendix

by Charlotte Otter

Final album from one of Germany’s most talented dance duos

"Their re-working of Bjork’s ‘All Is Full Of Love’ sees the addition of crunchy, static fuelled injections of stuttering drums over which the singer adds her trademark Icelandic warble."

The final album from one of Germany’s most talented dance duos, ‘Appendix’ showcases the pairs talent for original and inventive remixes. These DJs are experts in the art of making something old sound fresh, new and entirely different, and their aptly-titled album features a collection of some of their better remixes of artists such as The Ravonettes and Enik.

From the German “transmission interference”, Funkstorung, a.k.a Christian de Luca and Michael Fakesch, first met in 1992 and after 14 years together the group decided to part ways in August last year, citing “musical differences” as the reason for their split. Their diverse musical backgrounds (one likes metal, the other hip hop) has meant that their minimalist techno sound is often spliced with segments of quirky and unusual sounds and the pair have become somewhat legendary for their trippy, acid remixes for Bjork and Wu-Tang Clan.

If you have never heard of Funkstorung before then you’re in for a treat. The duo take the slow, hazy drone of The Ravonettes ‘Love In A Trashcan’ and then insert some jingly, syncopated surfer beats. Their re-working of Bjork’s ‘All Is Full Of Love’ sees the addition of crunchy, static fuelled injections of stuttering drums over which the singer adds her trademark Icelandic warble.

There is not a dud track on the album, from Lamb’s ‘Heaven’, with Louise Rhodes soft, dreamlike vocals reworked with jerky clicks and whirrs and the exceptional Barry Adamson’s ‘Whispering Streets’ only serves to attract you more to the unique Funkstorung sound, with its funky, jazz groove and chopped-up vocals. It’s truly sad to see them go, but there is no better way of saying goodbye.

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