Bassist, producer & funk fiend | anomaly | anachronism | defiant demolisher of the pigeon-hole.

“The Funkestra has got that ‘what is hip’ attitude...more deep grooves than a 78 rpm record,” enthuses George W. Harris, Jazz Weekly.

On Dr Hypenstein, Redtenbacher's Funkestra brings their danceable brand of funk, laying down 13 of their funkiest grooves yet, from the fluty can't-stop-your-feet sounds of the title track to the heavy crunch of "Swagger," then letting the atomic dogs out with "Cave Canem" and the percolating "Funktionality."

London-based bassist, composer, arranger and bandleader Stefan Redtenbacher is the mastermind behind Dr Hypenstein, which includes the bass-driven "Bass Face" and "Bassbulator," the dare-you-not-to-move "Right On It" and "Supergalactic," and expands on previous material to incorporate electronic sounds in all the while standing proud with the history of funk.

This is the eighth album from Redtenbacher's Funkestra, which regularly performs at (and packs) London's legendary 606 Club and other established London venues. Guest musicians have included Fred Wesley, Alfred "Pee Wee" Ellis, "Doc" Kupka, Lee Thornburg and Lenny Pickett from Tower of Power, Eric Krasno of Soulive, Stanton Moore of Galactic and the horn sections from Prince, Incognito and The Brand New Heavies.

The Austrian-born Redtenbacher fell for Herbie Hancock and Maceo Parker early on, then studied at the Vienna Conservatory and Boston's Berklee College of Music, and has recorded and performed with legends including Steve Winwood, Jack Bruce, Amy Winehouse, Lulu, Mica Paris, and Herb Alpert.

"Stefan, you know what the funk is about!” (Fred Wesley of the JB’s)

Indie label. Artists include Annella, 11 Acorn Lane, Intended Immigration, Redtenbacher's Funkestra and others.

Ally Cribb has been on this earth before. Her voice is heavy with a soul that defies her sixteen years. While her home city of Toronto, Canada has exposed her to a rich and diverse musical scene, for Ally, “What I do is all about creativity and imagination: two things that can be found and fostered anywhere.” 

She always understood music. It was a gift she inherited from her father who, too, is a musician and a writer. Through her own flair for creative expression and an instinct for conveying sentiments to sonics, when she started singing lessons at the age of eight, Ally never looked back. 

As a natural empath, Ally Cribb’s experiences have given her song-writing sensitivity and resonance. Just like her heroes Ella Fitzgerald and Joni Mitchell, what she sings demands to be felt. 

Her debut release, a cover of Radiohead’s “Creep”, sees the track transformed beyond recognition, swapping guitars for the gravitas of the piano, which brings the song newfound dimensions of vulnerability and strength. For Ally Cribb, this is only the beginning: “Music is the one thing I wanted to be really good at. I’ve been working harder than ever to advance my abilities to write and create.”

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