Dreamisland: Funkerman

Funkerman, known to his postman as Ardie van Beek, (born 1975, Breda, The Netherlands), is an internationally appreciated DJ/producer and the founder of Can You Feel It Records and Flamingo Recordings. From his first love of pioneering US hip hop, through obsessive crate digging for classic soul, disco and funk, to riding on the first waves of US house; he has always been on a quest to find, make and play new and exciting music. Whilst spinning at the Spock club in Breda in the mid nineties he also started to produce and promote music, while working in local record store, Magik. Being surrounded by the records he loved gave him an insight into the dance music industry as well as a keen sense of how music moved people. He quickly became an A&R manager, working at the heart of the burgeoning Dutch scene. An irrepressible touring DJ, Funkerman has been on a practically non-stop tour of the globe in recent months. Extending his 2010 tour well into 2011, his tireless mission to play in every corner of the world has seen him play packed-out shows in an enviable array of locations. The USA, Canada, Australia, UK, Russia, Korea, South America, Kazakhstan, Iceland, Scandinavia, and many other European hotspots have. Savvy businessman, visionary producer, superstar DJ. The world, it seems, is a good place to be for Funkerman right now. The steady upward trajectory of his career is undeniable and his successes in retrospect a clear indication of his innate natural understanding of how to shape a scene.