In this episode, two fellow New Yorkers, Adam X and Dave Sumner, aka Function, sit down to trace Dave’s path from growing up in a working-class environment in Brooklyn to the global techno scene. Dave talks about his parents moving the family to the NYC suburbia of New Jersey in the late 80s and those years as a teenager when he was DJing and running House Parties for his crew of friends right in the basement of their house.

Dave breaks down his own early 90s influences - from the Nu Groove, Joey Beltram, Frankie Bones, and Todd Terry records that shaped him to his days checking out the music at Limelight. He also shares his connection to Planet X, the local record store where he spent his time digging, and the story behind his first records on Damon Wild’s Synewave imprint.

The conversation goes into Dave meeting Karl O’Connor aka Regis, his time in Birmingham working for Integrale Record Distribution, and the reality of the late 90s NYC scene. Adam and Dave get into the "good, bad, and ugly" of those years - reflecting on a time when the city's rave and club scene was actually diminished and falling apart. They also share their shared experience on 9/11 and how the tragedy further shifted the NYC scene before Dave’s move to Berlin in 2007.

The episode also covers Dave’s multi-year run as a Berghain resident and his artistry with their Ostgut Ton label throughout the 2010s, his move over to Tresor as an artist and DJ resident in the late 2010s, and the return of Sandwell District, followed by the heavy loss of his close friend Juan Mendez (Silent Servant) in early 2024.

If you’re into the real history of this music, hit like and subscribe. Drop a comment with your favourite Function or Sandwell track.

Chapters and topics:

• Growing up in a working-class environment in Brooklyn

• Moving to the NYC suburbs in the late 80s

• DJing and running House Parties in the basement of their house

• Dave's early 90s influences: Nu Groove, Beltram, Frankie Bones, and Todd Terry

• Digging at Planet X and the Limelight era

• First records on Damon Wild’s Synewave imprint

• Meeting Karl O’Connor, aka Regis, and collaborating on many projects together

• Time in Birmingham: Working for Integrale Record Distribution

• The late 90s NYC scene: A time of decline

• 9/11: Shared memories and the aftermath in NYC

• Moving to Berlin in 2007

• Multi-year Berghain residency and his artistry on Ostgut Ton

• Moving to Tresor as an artist and DJ resident in the late 2010s

• Life and perspective during the Pandemic

• Sandwell District and the passing of Juan Mendez (Silent Servant) in 2024

• Thoughts on AI

🎙️ Host: Adam X

👤 Guest: Function

🎬 Recording & Post-Production: Patrick DSP @ https://NeptuneMastering.com / Neptune Studios

📺 Published by Sonic Groove Podcast. 100% Human.

🕊️ In Memory of Juan Mendez (Silent Servant) August 14, 1977 - January 18, 2024

🎧 Prefer audio? Listen to this episode on your podcast app:

https://sonicgroove.podbean.com/

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