In the media Funkstörung is quite often called the german equivalent to Aphex Twin or Autechre but Michael Fakesch and Chris De Luca - the men behind the scenes - are not always happy with this comparison. Even though they are really into the music of their english colleagues - they would rather have the press see the german electronic music scene as an independent innovative one. Especially Funkstörung can be seen as part of such. Funkstörung hardly ever use samples for their music, every little sound is handmade. All melodies and even the most complicated rhythms are created on standalone equipment without using any sort common computer. Not only their way of making music but also their musical developement is different to those of Autechre and Aphex Twin.
Michael and Chris met in 1992 when Michael was organizing the first techno events in his small bavarian home town Rosenheim. At one of these parties he bumped into the DJ Chris De Luca. Two years later they started buying simple equipment from the money they made off the events. They immediately started producing their first techno tracks. One of the first demos they sent out went straight to one of their favorit labels at that time - Bunker Records in Den Haag. Unit Möbius, the heads of Bunker Records, were so excited about that demo that they decided to sign Funkstörung up for a 6 (six!) album and one single deal. But from the signing of the contract to the actual release 2 years passed by. Mean while Chris and Michael were annoyed by waiting so long and build up their own label to be sure they could avoid situations like that coming up in the future. They kept their Bunker projectnames Funkstörung and Musik Aus Strom and turned Musik aus Strom - short MAS - into their Label name.

Funkstörung had developed in the 2 year waiting period. Their sound was more grown-up, the arrangements became more complicated, they hardly ever used straight beats anymore. Finally in june '96 - only 2 months after the release of the Bunker material - Funkstörung brought out their first MAS 12-inch. The music press was shocked! No one could believe that it was the same two people behind both the Bunker and the MAS Funkstörung. Interviews with english, german and other european mags were made and you could always tell that the journalists had never expected such music to come from german techno minimalists.

From there on everything went quite fast. Another Funkstörung was released on MAS, the first one with the till now typical Funkstörung-sound - breakbeat-like rhythm-programming combined with melancholic melodies. Funkstörung started releasing successfully on other labels like Interferred Communications. A planned release on Aphex Twin's rephlex imprint didn't work out but it was obvious that England liked these germans with the wierd name and the cooperation with Skam Records was only a question of time. In march '97 their til now most successfull EP - incl. cover artwork by The Designers Republic - was released on Compost Records.

Funkstörung have delivered remixes for the like of Björk, Two Lone Swordsman, Wu Tang Clan a.o. and also have had international success with their own album "Vice Versa" on Studio !K7.

Anyway we're glad they had time to record this faboulos EP called "Sonderdienste" for us, again with a brilliant artwork by Designers Republic.

Compost 031 - "Funkstörung EP" - "Voi.gstört-nonrepetetive version" / "Störsender" / "Funkstille" / "Funktionsstörung"

Compost 045 - "Sonderdienste EP" - "InMarSat" / "Telekom Direkt" /
"Bei Funkstörungen" / "Mobilfunk"

Inmarsat