Forward by D-Funk:
For the 2nd part of my D-Funk 25 mix series I’ve focused on the best, most important or my favourite tracks I’ve made or had a hand in making. Some are originals. Some remixes. Some are edits, bootys or whatever we’re calling them nowadays. It’s a real mix from across the years including my 1st release ‘Transitions’ on Barry Ashworth & Carl Loben’s Westway Records. Right up to my latest, a free download that will drop shortly after the mix goes live. It’s a mix of varying genres. For ages I’ve been known as ‘Europe D-Funk’ that plays funky breaks but, as you’ll see from this mix, my funk focused music covered all styles from hip hop to house, disco to breaks & electro. But don’t worry, I’ve included some of the mid-tempo music that got me really known on an international scale, how could I not! 

Some of the music on this mix has been released on my own labels Upstart Music, the breaks based label I started in 2008 & Grits N Gravy, the funk based label I started with Philly Blunt in 2010. There are also tunes on labels such as Sunday Best, ‘I’m In Love’ the 1st of my 3 remixes I’ve done for the Dub Pistols. The often overlooked, but I think my best mid-tempo tune ‘Bigger Than Baseline’ on Adapted Records. I’ve closed the mix with a recent, original hip hop song ‘Cruise Control’ that my longtime studio partner & good friend Mr Doris. There’s also music from the great series That’s Not An Edit, a track from the now deceased Rump Shakers Records & a rare release from Cakes at The World Bar, a Sydney institution that I was resident at for 8 years. 

I started making music seriously in 2006 when I met & formed a friendship with Barry Ashworth from the band Dub Pistols. He both inspired & guided me to my first few releases. I’m ever grateful for his words of encouragement & enthusiasm. From starting on a knock off copy of Reason on an old PC in the corner of the spare bedroom to now having a fully working dedicated studio, I can honestly say it’s been a wild ride of ups & downs. I guess music mirrors life that way. Even though I started producing & releasing music a while after I started DJing in 1995 on belt drive decks in my bedroom in Wiltshire (UK), I’ve now gone on to release over 200 tracks on over 30 different labels. These are the 25 that made the mix...

Track listing:
Mr Doris & D-Funk - Supernatural Lockdown [2Dogs Recordings 2014]
D-Funk & Some Dj - Loaded [Grits N Gravy 2011]
The Meters - Cissy Strut (D-Funk Edit) [Free Download / 2014] 
Fred Wesley & The Horny Horns - Fourplay (D-Funk Edit) [That’s Not An Edit 2015]
D-Funk - Big City Life (4/4 mix) [Free Download 2022]
D-Funk - Lonely Hearts Club [Grits N Gravy 2012]
D-Funk - The Boss [Grits N Gravy 2010]
D-Funk - Bigger Than Bassline [Adapted Recs 2017]
D-Funk - Been A Long Widow [Free Download 2014]
D-Funk - Get Up & Jam [Grits N Gravy 2016]   
D-Funk & Philly Blunt - Time To Move [Grits N Gravy 2011] 
Sugar Ray Johnson & D-Funk - Save Me [Grits N Gravy 2014]
Doug Masters - Jingo Back [Free Download 2018]
Doug Masters - Return Of The House Siren [Cakes Compilation 2017]
D-Funk - Don’t Need Nobody [Upstart Music 2011]
Dub Pistols feat Lyndie Layton - ‘I’m In Love’ (D-Funk’s Summer Of Love Mix) [Sunday Best 2008] 
Double 99 - Ripgroove (D-Funk & Some DJ's Rumble In The Bass Bin Mix) [Free Download 2011]
D-Funk - Rewind Selector [Rump Shaker Records 2015]
Rogue Robots - Off My Face In ’97 (D-Funk’s 2 Steppin’ In ’02 Mix & D-Funk’ Work It Out Mix) [Upstart Music 2014 & 2010]
D-Funk - Transitions [Westway Records 2007]
D-Funk feat Mc Manic - Bust This (Original Mix)[Upstart Music 2009] 
D-Funk - Party People [Upstart Music 2009] 
D-Funk & Hariku - Get Ramped Up [Upstart Music 2009] 
The Prodigy - Narayan (D-Funk Boot) [Free Download 2006]
Mr Doris & D-Funk feat MysDiggi - Cruise Control [Jam City 2020]

www.dfunk.co.uk 
www.facebook.com/dfunkbreaks 
www.instagram.com/dfunkbreaks 
d-funk.bandcamp.com/music
open.spotify.com/artist/6ZUH9yUJI74EASFVjviNVg

D-Funk 25 (Part 1)

D-Funk 25 (Part 2)

Sydney-based, British born DJ, D-Funk has amassed a fair few achievements in his 25-years on the decks. Making his club debut at The Depot in Bristol in 1995, he’s gone on to DJ all over the world, playing notable sets at Space Ibiza and Ministry Of Sound and released on labels including Sunday Best and Bombstrikes. 

Getting his first set of decks at 14, Doug initially fell for the sounds of jungle and techno before a night dancing to house icon Tony De Vit in 1997 turned him towards the slinkier sounds of house music. 

His DJ career began to take off during his time at university in Wolverhampton where he started to pick up gigs at the Canal Club and Mezzanine, playing alongside DJs including Joey Negro, Mr Fingers, Scott Bond and Lisa Lashes, before a move to the South-Coast town of Bournemouth led him to eventually start his own night ‘Break Da House’ in 2004. 

The night took off, attracting big names including The Stanton Warriors and Plump DJs and eventually led to D-Funk’s first release, the ‘Electrotek’ EP after Dub Pistols headlined one night and Barry Ashworth from the band decided to release Doug’s music on his Westway label. The track found its way onto a TV ad in Portugal, as well as becoming a mainstay on Kiss FM’s breakbeat chart and gave Doug the confidence to pursue a career as a producer as well as a DJ, eventually leading to releases on Adapted Records and Ghetto Funk among countless other labels over the next 15 years. 

Moving to Sydney Australia in 2009, Doug started his label Upstart Music, releasing his own productions alongside tracks from the likes of Crackerz & Jam, Niko & Lyall and Rogue Robot and later started the funk label Grits N Gravy alongside friend and funk producer Philly Blunt, with the label winning the ‘Best Label’ award at Perth Dance Music Awards in 2010. 

Since living in Sydney, Doug has held down residencies at The World Bar and The Standard/Middlebar for the best part of a decade, as well as regular slots at Sash, Ivy, Goros, Hugos and many others. He’s played events for high profile companies such as Blackberry, Telstra, Jagermeister,  Sydney Cricket Ground & Saatchi & Saatchi. But there was still demand for him back on the side of the world and he regularly returned to Europe to play at Space Ibiza (including a set at the penultimate night of Carl Cox’s Revolution party) as well as touring in the UK, Europe, Asia and Canada. 

Now 25 years into his career, Doug is about to mark the 10th anniversary of his label Grits ‘N’ Gravy, with a compilation due this year mixed by himself and Philly Blunt, and has been busy producing house, hip hop and nu-disco with his current production partner Mr Doris.

Website: http://www.dfunk.com.au
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/dfunkbreaks
Insta: https://www.instagram/dfunkbreaks
Bandcamp: https://d-funk.bandcamp.com/music
Spotify: open.spotify.com/artist/6ZUH9yUJI74EASFVjviNVg