Function Artist Bio

One of techno’s true underground heroes, Function (Dave Sumner) has been DJing and making music for over 25 years. He is a founding member of the Sandwell District collective, Ostgut recording artist and owner of Infrastructure.

Hailing from New York, he was seduced by techno when Jeff Mills held residency (as well as his own first) at Limelight in the early 90s. Producing from the mid-90s onward, he released his first 12″s on Damon Wild’s Synewave and his own Infrastructure imprint. A chance meeting in 1996 brought him together with Regis (Karl O’Connor). The two worked as Portion Reform, releasing uncompromising music on Downwards, making him the only non-Birmingham producer to appear on the label. He later moved to Berlin in 2007, still working with Regis, and now Silent Servant (Juan Mendez), putting his focus on Sandwell District. Since, the label come collective, skyrocketed into cult status – decentralizing the artist ego, blurring the lines between the artist, label and dj; re-arranging the DNA of modern dance music..

There are also other artists with the same name:

2) Function is Matthew L Nicholson, an Australian born musician/composer/sound artist/producer. His nomadic collusion with a geographically vast network of talented friends creates Function. Begun as an occasionally tended to solo venture in 1995, Function in recent years have relocated to being based between USA & Europe, touring and recording more regularly.

Unpredictably ecstatic/dark/spare/maximal/lush experimental songs and pieces incorporating sound sources from all over the world, their work has been heralded highly by indie media worldwide since the release of The Secret Miracle Fountain by Locust Music of Chicago early in 2006. Not classifiable merely as psych-folk, sound-art, experimental indie, ambient, avant-rock, jazz, classical, minimal or world, Function is a foray into the Transcendental. Instruments tending to be used by Function include strings, winds, brass, bansuri flute, harmonium, tanpura, surmandel, kalimba, female voices, and a twisted psychadelic and heart-moving electro-acoustic remix of all therein.

Function have performed throughout Europe, USA, Japan and Australia in various forms in recent years with such artists as Piano Magic, Fennesz, Thalia Zedek, Dreamweapon, Gamelan Son Of Lion, Sir Richard Bishop, Ethan Rose, No-Neck Blues Band and Oren Ambarchi, recently having completed their 3rd US tour in January.

Function will be doing an extensive tour of 16 European countries all throughout August and September 2007 as a multi-instrumentalist 6-piece – Matt Nicholson, Patrick Liddell, Clare Tuckley, Pascal Babare, Felicity Mangan and Ian Wadley.

Function have produced works for release by Locust Music (USA), ::Room 40:: (Aus/UK), Fat-Cat (UK), Au-Go-Go (Aus), Love & Mercy (Aus), Wonderground (JP) and numerous soundtracks for documentaries, short films and art installations.

Nicholson and composition partner Patrick Liddell have recently been working in an orchestral setting in Chicago, writing and recording material for 2007’s Locust release (which is expected to have over 100 players listed), as well as sound design for Adi Da’s Venice Biennale exhibit, Italy 2007.

Function members and contributors also include Milo Mylecharane (Canyons!/Particles Collect), Chris Smith (Fat-Cat, Emperor Jones), Pat Ridgewell (Small World Experience), Dominic Johnson (Rachels/New Millenium Orchestra), John Chantler (Room 40), Matthew Golombisky & Quinlan Kirchner (Torrow Music Orchestra), Gabriel Lewis (Three Month Sunset), Aaron Robinson (Messes), David Wenngren (Library Tapes/Resonant), Shirley Hunt (PLAy Ensemble), Anna Steinhoff, Edward Nicholson, Pete Nicholson, Aaron Nakagawa, Georgina Ward, Joseph Burkett, Corey Dixon, Natalja Thomen, Tom Van Acker, Enrico Glerean and sometimes others, in various configurations.

http://www.myspace.com/function108
http://www.functionensemble.com

3) Function is an experimental artist that releases music on Phitunes.

4) Function was a short lived orange county hardcore band during 1992-1993. It consisted of members from Blackspot. After they’re break up, members went on to form Eleven Thirty-Four. Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.