Ladies & gents, get yourselves ready for the very best as a pair of young Dutch producers are set to take get the floors onto some heavy thunderstorm. Their recipee : a boiling blend of Afro-Latin jam fuelled with jazz & funk elements. No doubt, Ferdinand Lijnkamp and Mattijs Muller were… Born To Funk at their very first try and it's only just the beginning… Remember where you've red it first !

(Ferdinand) Ha ha ! Because we WERE… Me and my partner Mattijs often ask ourselves what on earth we could possibly have done with our lives other than playing, making and enjoying funky music. Any other acitivity would end up in failure. It's our faith.

The signification of "Di Bamba" ?

Hmmm ! To be honnest, we haven't understood a single word of what our African friend is singing while we were just jamming in the studio. The only thing we could extract was this phrase 'Di Bamba!". So it naturally became the title of the track !. Then when our friend Alexander of ANZKY designed the original sleeve, showing basically a close-up of an orange bikini, all felt in place, if you know what I mean-.

"Di Bamba" looks like having already a long history. Some explanations for a better understanding from its first appearance to its current release on Knee Deep US ?

As in many cases, the track just 'happened' to us. Alltough it was mid-winter, all of a sudden we created something with a big summer vibe to it. (Probably because we were freezing here in Holland and missed the sunshine.. hahaha !) So it seemed logical to hold it back a little and release it just before the Miami WMC' and to see what would happen. And that's where it all started: Audiowhores (UK) put it nr.1 in their Miami chart and that really pushed the track. It then entered the Stonebridge club chart at nr.2 and people started talking about it, wondering who these two Dutch guys were. Before we knew it, 'Di Bamba' appeared on several charts, got supported by some big names, was picked up for the MTV Ibiza 2004 compilation and also on the Hed Kandi Base Ibiza CD. Then Toddie of KneeDeep heard it being played on the radio and got in touch with us. And here we are.

You've achieved the perfect blend between numerous influences from Afro-Latin, to jazz, funk and house, but also organic elements and preprogrammed beats ? Where would you tend to locate yourself ?

First of all, thanks ! Hmmm… Tough question. I don't know. We just like to make good music, and perhaps us being musicians as well (piano, guitar) has something to do with it. We also like to invite musicians in the studio, which automatically gives a human feel to our tracks.

You told me during ADE that you've ended up being fed up with this tune as you've played it a million times already. What's the follow up to it ? In other words what are your forthcoming projects ?

True, but that of course is a luxurious problem ! First thing is a release on Ian Carey's label 'Elan' records, "You Rock Da House" (featuring MC Cupid). We just finished a remix for Helen Garcia's "Soul Soothing Sunshine" and a rework for Armand van Helden is on the way. Currently working on two new latin-tracks, which will be released for WMC' 2005, a super vocal groover which is almost finished and a new huge track together with MC Stretch. Besides, that there's some deeper soulful stuff floating around, that will find its way. So we're quite busy at the moment.

Don't you fear being caught up by that sort of pressure people generally feel after the success while being asked to reproduce the same formula ? Not really, actually. We are confident that anything we do has a certain funky-ness to it, and it's never wise to try to live up to expectations. We just do what we think is right, and hopefully other's will think so too.

Your background as well as your partner's and your first contact with music.

We - as most producers do, I think - have been making music since we were little kids. Both of us have souvenirs of messing around with tape-decks and playing with our parent's record collection. We are from the generation that later grew up with the almighty Atari. I have been playing (guitar) in several funk-bands and I'm still a disco and funk addict. Mattijs has been more involved into hip hop and soul in his early days.

How did you meet ?

We met in '98 when we both joined the School of Arts in Utrecht (NL), where we both studied Music & Technology.

Your starting point ?

We've always been involved in musical projects together since college, but the 'BORN TO FUNK' thing has started when we realized that soul, disco and funk were fully accepted again in house music.

I have to admit that after the 'big bang' in '88, I kinda lost track with house music at the time that trance, goa, and hardcore took over. Then later when house developped into a mature style, with room for vocalists, intruments and lower tempo's we got cought up with the virus once again.

Are you both DJ's too ? Where ? Any project to come to Miami next March ?

I've been DJing for about 15 years now. I started in my hometown, Groningen and later moved to Amsterdam playing in clubs like Odeon, More, Supperclub, Hotel Arena and Powerzone. Mattijs sometimes joins me now, as it is double fun to play out our own tunes ! We'll definitely come to Miami, watch out for us !

Do you also have separate activities ?

Well, it could happen as there is room for everything. But we both realize that there's a chemistry between us that is almost impossible to find with others.

You look like quite away from the current tech trance kinda things on the Dutch charts. How do you feel being aside ?

Well, for now techno and trance are much bigger than groove/soul/latin house. And Holland is only a small market, so it's difficult to compete with that. Only a cross-over radio hit could change that I guess.

Anyone you feel related to in Holland ? Have people at the time like Ben Liebrand or the late Pete Slaghuis been sort of influences for you ?

Of course. I think every serious DJ in The Netherlands grew up listening to Ben Liebrand's mixes and Pete Slaghuis' Hithouse Records. Also don't forget Miss DJAX, Quazar, Fierce Ruling Diva, etc. they were the real Dutch pioneers who opened up the Dutch sound.

The Dutch scene ?

Roog and Greg from Hardsoul, DJ Marcella, Ian Carey who also happen to live here these days. Holland is not that big, so it's hard not to walk into each other from time to time…

What should be best remembered in 2004 ?

For me personally, it has to be playing a set at Pacha (Ibiza) this summer. Musicwise, I guess 'Kid Crème - Doing My Own Thing'. Next to the good 'message', it shows how far funky house music has come these days. Brilliant.

I come to understand that you have aside activities in the multi media...

Not apart from updating our website.

How does the following year look like ? What to expect on a wider scale ?

Just doing what we're doing : more producing and more DJing ! Got some gigs in Russia coming up, very excited about that. Of course going to Miami, and already looking forward to playing in Ibiza again next year.

One wish ?

Being able to do this for many many years. I couldn't imagine myself doing anything else.

Dank uw veel

BORN TO FUNK featuring "Di Bamba" 12" (Kneep Deep US)