Santa Cruz Burners presents BURNER HAPPY HOUR, November 1st 2023. Recorded LIVE opening night at MOTIV, downtown Santa Cruz.

Burner Happy Hour

Bring The Noise - BHH w Dj DFUNKT @ Motiv 11 01 23

:: ARTIST BIO ::

Name: 	        DAVE MARQUEZ 
Alias:   	        Dj DFUNKT / Dave DFUNKT / D FUNKT
Affiliations	(ROBELYFE Music, FAULTLINE Sessions, Fuckin' YAY!, ESDJCO, Beats Brigade, Hitman Produktionz)

 Independent Artist and Disc Jockey based out of Berkeley California and resident DJ and Creative Partner with FAULTLINE Sessions. Co-creator of the Beats Brigade DJ collective and former Partner/Operations Manager for DJ sportswear manufacturer, Extra Strength Disc Jockey Company (ESDJCO International). 

A dedicated Beat Miner, Vinyl Ninja, Skateboarder and Bay Area mainstay in DJ and dance music culture for over 30 years, he’s played for the likes of Friends And Family (FNF), Spundae, Anon Salon, Dax Presents, EOM, Raindance, LDP and Funky Techno Tribe. A former Brand Ambassador and DJ for Kayo Anime, Sessions, Diesel, Paul Frank and ESDJCO, he’s performed private functions for corporate giants Google, Costco, Adobe, Chevron and Hewlett Packard (HP). Awarded a bronze in the Santa Cruz Metro Readers Awards 1996 Best Club DJ and 2003 Your Music Magazine (YMM) Readers pole top three Favorite DJ. His sets are composed of extended beat mixes with layered effects to weave together a unique sound design. Offering a wide range of music and formulating on the fly, he can beat scratch and mix HipHop (Sbassfunk, Bass), Breaks (NuFunk, Electro), House (NuDisko, FunkyTech) or Jungle (TechStep, JumpUp).

:: GOING DEEPER ::

 Born in Santa Monica California and later moving north to Santa Cruz, Dave discovered 12 inch vinyl remixes in the early 80's and cultivated a deep wax collection with elements of Funk, Disco, Reggae, New Wave and Rock. He cut his teeth alongside ESDJCO founder Sam Staton aka Dj Samo (R.I.P.) creating Planet Groove Productions in 1989 that launched them into throwing parties, learning how to plug in a sound system and DJ a crowd. Early influences include Saturday Night Fever, Wild Style, Skate/Punk culture, The Dr. Dimento Show, Dj Bubba G. Scotch (R.I.P.), Dj Kazzeo’s Record Pool, Dj Jason D at KZSC, and The World Famous Wake Up Show with Sway, King Tech and Dj Revolution. 

 Inspired by Wicked Soundsystem, Spundae, Come-Unity and Stompy Stomp, Dave founded Hitman Produktionz in 1996 and made his name playing House and Breaks, producing PITCH CONTROL and HOUSE FOR RENT at the Blue Lagoon Club in Santa Cruz for nearly five years. Featured guest artists included Jonene (Stompy), Simon (Come-Unity), Rick Preston (Viva Records), Dano (Red Melon), Ruben Mancias (The EndUP) and Harry Who? (Solid Grooves). He’s held monthly, weekly and quarterly residencies in San Francisco, San Jose and Santa Cruz and played co-host, co-producer and DJ for noted parties DeLuxe, Technology, Jet Set and Le Freak at Space 550 Barneveld in San Francisco. (Hailed by Mixer Magazine as one of the “Best Parties in the United States for 2000”). Also, former resident DJ, promotor and co-producer of SLIDE underground parties with Dax Lee for nearly 10 years featuring world renowned guest Dj/Producers alongside fellow residents Charlotte The Baroness, Nikola, Little John and Dj Tracy. 

 Between residencies, radio/internet guest spots, private parties and guest slots near and far, Dave maintained a busy DJ schedule playing out several times per week well into the millennium. From fashion industry trade shows MAGIC and POOL in Las Vegas, Action Sports Retailers (ASR) in San Diego, to undergrounds in Portland, Sea of Dreams at the San Francisco Concourse and Burning Man 2010. Summer 2012 brought a DJ pilgrimage to Ibiza, Spain to study with studio masters Henry Sarmiento and Paul Nolan at the world renowned Sonic Vista Studios. He spun five gigs in eight days including Club Aura, Ibiza Global Radio and a private wedding anniversary party for Andy Taylor of Duran Duran. 

From late 2012 to the Fall of 2018 Dave was located in Humboldt playing underground invitational camp-outs and festivals honing his sound until migrating back to the Bay Area. During the pandemic lock-down he turned to Twitch for an occasional appearance including a closing set for LDP's 3 Day Non-Stop NYE 20-21 celebration. Following the gradual re-opening of society, Dave’s DJ schedule has gained momentum playing out with more frequency and demand through 2022 with appearances at The Great Northern, UNSCRUZ Festival, Mars Bar, The Brookdale Lodge and Moe's Alley to name a few.

The Saga Continues…


:: UNSOLICITED::

"DFUNKT is so talented...he can entertain anyone and everyone anytime. He's the Michael Phelps on turntables. A truly under rated artist. An opportunity to see him perform is worth ten times the price of admission. Truly one of the SF Bay Area Best."

- RAMSEY TERAZI (2008)
(Manager at Club ECCO San Jose, House for the Homeless Founder)

"I thought I was an earnest DJ , until I met Dfunkt. His ability to cross genres and tell stories while keeping the groove is unmatched. My favorite Dfunkt moment is having a conversation with him at Wish while he spun. he was cracking me up, telling me stories about the old days of DJing in the Bay Area. I'd say the conversation lasted about a half an hour during which he spun a perfect set with out even blinking or saying "hang on a sec".

For an ass-shakin, hip-hoppin groove droppin time, call 1-900-4-DFUNKT ($4.95 per minute, if under 18 must have parents permission to call)."

- TAL M KLEIN (2004)
(DJ/Producer/Author)

"Caught your set on Basscamp Live and I have to say that was tidy! I loved the fantastic balance of funk, breaks, bass....with a ton of nasty samples which had me reeling the dome, trying to figure the origin of many. Super smooth. Thanks!"

- OHHSOSCARRY (2011)
(Soundcloud fan)