Interview: Guv'nor Funk

Hey everyone - welcome back at the discotheque!

For the last post of the week - we have an amazing new talent in the ATD virtual hot seat today - Canadian producer and DJ Guv'nor Funk. He's best known for his two awesome albums - released through legendary independent collective Creux La Nuit - as one quarter of Teenage Discoloids - his cracking DJ sets, filled with thumping club jams - and his extremely active presence in the modern French house community. With all of this in mind, he had to come on the blog sooner or later!

So, without further ado - I'll let him do the talking!

For those who don’t know you – who are you, where are you from – and what music do you make?

Hello, I am Guv'nor Funk, I am an electronic music producer from Canada, I make mostly house and sometimes Detroit Techno as that's around the region where I'm from.

You recently released your brilliant new album All In – can you tell us a bit more about the production process?

Of course, All In was made entirely from my bedroom, just me and my computer. I love that freedom to work without being overwhelmed by lots of studio equipment. I also collaborated with house music producers from around the world online, I really love the vocals Dion did on Good Times.

Who are some of your major influences musically?

This ones a pretty obvious one. First off, Daft Punk, The way they can chop samples, synthesizers and much more to make this sort of... futuristic type of art is what I'm mainly inspired by. My other influences are Armand Van Helden, The Field, Anthony Shakir, Frankie Bones, Vanguard thanks to La Voyage, and Underworld - I need to add on that Underworld is actually my second biggest inspiration. 

I first heard Underworld's "Two Months Off" from a YouTube series a year or two before I started actually getting into proper music production and it has stuck with me all the way through 7th grade to now.

The Field has influenced me in a different way, especially with repetition, This guy is also another big inspiration for me. He can make this sort of angelic minimal techno sound and it makes you feel like your ascending to a place higher than heaven, I forgot when I first exactly heard his track for the first time unfortunately.

Building onto that – when did you start making music, and why did you begin?

I started making music in 2017. At first it was super experimental, I was making vaporwave-style edits by literally slowing down tracks and chopping them up. There was no proper DAW, hardware or beat timing, I was just figuring things out and having fun with it. I was still a kid, so it wasn't serious at all, it was just creativity for little me.

Then I started using Music Maker Jam and began understanding music a bit more. Things really shifted in 2023 when my dad bought me my first DJ controller. I spent weeks just messing around on it. About two weeks after that, I started producing more seriously. I began approaching it as a hobby and potential career when Guv'nor Funk first started as a duo project with an old friend. Even though that friendship eventually ended, it was a turning point for my music, I really wanted to commit to developing my own sound and taking this seriously while having fun and making new friends.

You’re heavily influenced by the late 90s / early 2000s French touch sound – so if you could pick four records from that time period to take with you to a desert island – what would they be?

How fun is that!? In all seriousness, I would bring Homework by Daft Punk because its my absolute favorite, Discovery, 2 Future 4 U, Anthony Shakir's Tracks For My Father, I love Travelers by Anthony. and I also have many non house-related records I would bring like Steely Dan, Earth Wind & Fire, Billy Joel & probably many more.

What programs and hardware do you use to make music – and has your setup changed since releasing your debut Coastline?

The setup in my studio hasn't changed at all really, I've been using just my laptop, but for All In I did use my Akai MK3 for some tracks, I have a TD3 in my closet but haven't used it at all, hopefully I can make some time and space to use it. For programs I use a whole bunch but primarily Audacity for audio processing and mastering and BandLab is what I primarily make my music on.

What do you see yourself doing musically in five years?

In five years, I see the project evolving into something bigger than just music. I don't want to define it too clearly, I'd rather let it grow naturally. The best things tend to reveal themselves over time.

If you got the chance to release on one of your all time favourite house labels – which one would that be, and why?

Roule probably. I love the raw sound the artists on there make, I love Thomas' secret Acid/Techno side of him. 

Okay, here’s a random one – what’s your dream car?

Ever since I saw Baby Driver, totally the Subaru Impreza WRX STI.

If you were given $50,000 to build your dream studio – what gear would you buy, and how would that help you with your beats?

Hard one, but my picks would be an Alesis 3630 for that pump effect, Some drum machines, a Juno, Pedals, Talk boxes, MPC Samplers, and also maybe a new DJ Controller. I feel like this would help achieve a more proper and authentic French House sound and also learn more techniques to DJing if I ever do go live.

What inspired the name Guv’nor Funk?

Before Guv'nor Funk, I was creating under the name 'Moresylum'. That was the first proper alias I built with, it started as a collaborative project with a close friend who was really involved the early stages of my music. We made a lot of music, we tried different names and were just figuring out who we were. There were differences and some complications that led to us going our separate ways. I continued with the name for a while, but it never fully felt like it represented where I was going. I stopped using the alias and came up with Guv'nor Funk.

To me, it feels like taking ownership of my sound and being the governor of my own musical world. But I also like that listeners can interpret it in their own way.

Here’s another random one – what’s your favourite video game console?

Xbox 360, I grew up with it and it was a big thing for my childhood, I loved playing GTA and other games on there.

You live in Canada – can you tell us some things you like about the place?

What I really love about Canada is some of the scenery here and the food, You can get some very scenic views, especially from the area I'm in!

Can readers expect anything from you in the coming months?

We will see about that.

Do you want to give any shoutouts to anyone?

I would love to shoutout my family, friends, Opierm, Luv4Loop & Inky, the CLN crew and everyone who listens to me and supports me. I wouldn't have done it without all of you.

There you have it, everyone!

You can find Guv'nor Funk in various places - however, I'm going to link his Bandcamp below - where you can directly support him.

Guv'nor Funk on Bandcamp

As always - keep enjoying your stay at the discotheque - regular posts will continue next week!