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Back in the 90s, at the start of his career, Rubberfunk was cutting his teeth as a DJ in London’s clubs and bars and playing out across the UK. Working by day as a record plugger he soon grew hungry to work on the other side of the fence and decided to build a home studio so he could get to work on his own productions instead. The first opportunity to showcase his unique brand of funk-fuelled beats came with a commission from Muzik Magazine; Dr Rubberfunk’s ‘Muzik Theme’ opened and closed their prestigious 1999 Muzik awards ceremony.
By 2000 he had secured club residencies at Ministry of Sound and Home, and after many hours slaving over a hot sampler, a single deal with Norman Cook’s Southern Fried Records. Later that year he was commissioned (alongside Dan The Automator) to remix a Space Channel 5 track for the Tommy Boy Silver Label.
2001 saw more DJ action across the UK and a great deal of press, club and radio endorsement for his debut release on Southern Fried Records ‘Harry The Guitar’, which Radio 1’s Steve Lamacq rated as one of his ‘tunes of the year’. The single won the support of Jo Whiley, Coldcut, Freddy Fresh, John Stapleton, XFM and the Galaxy Radio Network and was followed in December 2001 by follow up single ‘Disco Scene’. Released on the newly created GPS label, it was an homage to cut and paste pioneers such as Double Dee & Steinski, Coldcut and Major Force. Dr. Rubberfunk upped the tempo and locked the bass lines causing plenty of dance floor mayhem in the process. This single was championed by Seb Fontaine on Radio 1, Ali B on Capital Radio and Coldcut’s Solid Steel show.
2002 began with a residency for the award-winning (and now sadly defunct) internet broadcasters Groovetech.com. Beaming the funk live to a worldwide online audience, our aspiring broadcaster was given the opportunity to step up to the mic, unleashing his dulcet tones across the airwaves.
July saw the release of the limited edition, vinyl-only single ‘Step On It’, which was caned in the clubs by the likes of Mr.Scruff, Dynamo Productions, Groove Armada, Quantic & Pressure Drop. ‘Step On It’ won fans worldwide and garnered great reviews from the music press.
2002 also saw the launch of Rubberfunk’s very own label Funkydown Recordings with the debut release from raw-funk combo Mr.Guder. The band, who’ve been championed by the likes of Freddy Fresh, Egon (Stones Throw) & DJ Food, was originally conceived as a studio project with Dr.Rubberfunk on drums. Along with Jim Oliver on guitar and Drew Smyth on bass Mr Guder came to full live fruition in late 2002. A series of critically acclaimed gigs across London and the UK, including several packed nights at The Social in London’s West End landed the band an invitation to play for MTV’s Terminator 3 party at the Cannes Film Festival 2003.
The next Rubberfunk single to be released from the Doctor’s surgery was the brilliant acoustic guitar-driven track 'Latin Player', which won favour from DJs like LTJ Bukem, Ashley Beedle and the Capoeira Twins. Rubberfunk then spent the summer months of 2003 spreading the funk across Europe, spinning at clubs in Lithuania, France, Germany and Ibiza, as he geared up for the release of his debut album ‘The First Cut’. To promote the forthcoming LP the single 'Bossa For The Devil' saw an Autumn release; the swinging jazz piano, rolling bossa breaks and tight hip hop beats, topped off with an uplifting jazz vocal was just what the doctor ordered. Support for the single came from Mr Scruff, DJ Food, Hint, Will Saul and many others.
Dr Rubberfunk’s long player ‘The First Cut’ finally dropped in early 2004 and was an instant hit with DJs and reviewers worldwide, winning critical acclaim from Time Out, The Sunday Telegraph, IDJ, Straight No Chaser, Mixmag, Update and Future Music. Over its 12 tracks Rubberfunk fused jazz, blues, soul, hip-hop and Latin flavours into a veritable smorgasbord of aural delights. In the clubs it proved irresistible to the likes of Norman Jay, Mr.Scruff, Strictly Kev, Quantic, Scott Hendy & Andy Smith, Groove Armada, Pete Herbert, Jon Kennedy and Bonobo.
As the LP whipped up a media-frenzy soon everyone wanted a piece of the action. More DJ excursions across the UK and Europe followed, including a well-received set at Glastonbury 2004. The Doctor also found time to complete a regular weekly mix for BBC 6 Music throughout 2004 and 2005, aswell as a number of remixes and reworks for artists such as The Fort Knox Five, Spooky Monkey, Malente, Mauracher and Skalpel. Mr Guder also made select live appearances throughout 2004 including storming sets at Jelly Jazz in Plymouth and London’s famous Jazz Cafe.
2005 saw Dr Rubberfunk back in the studio to work on his ‘difficult second album’ but still finding time to remix the Stereo MCs, Dutch Rhythm Combo and Bobby Hebb (composer of the classic ‘Sunny’), and jet set across the pond to DJ stateside, showcasing his wares at clubs in New York. Back in the UK he played a much talked about set at The Big Chill festival.
Following DJ sets at Bestival, Bloom, and the ABC Minichill festivals during the summer of 2006, and live sets supporting both Nicole Willis and Bonobo, Rubberfunk was contacted by The Rock Steady Crew and asked to produce an exclusive mixtape for a forthcoming international B-Boy Battle taking place in the UK in early 2007.
October 2006 saw the release in the UK of the long anticipated second Dr Rubberfunk LP – ‘My Life At 33’. Lauded and loved by such publications as Metro, iDJ, Straight No Chaser, XLR8R, Fact Magazine and One Week To Live, along with DJ’s as diverse as Smith & Mighty, Yam Who and Laurent Garnier, the diagnosis for Dr Rubberfunk and his Funkydown empire is certainly looking good for the future.
Pending