This Page Last Updated
January 15th 2002

On November 26th 2001, 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' released their NEW Album 'VICE VERSA' which included their Remix of Jean Michel Jarre's 'C'EST LA VIE', originally released on Jean Michel Jarre's 'C'EST LA VIE' Single.

JARRE UK caught up with Michael Fakesch, half of the German Remix Band 'FUNKSTÖRUNG', just after their Hamburg Concert on December 16th 2001, to ask him about their Remix and why they chose to release it on their NEW Album, 2 years after they originally recorded it!!!

Dunkie: For those that don't know you, who are 'FUNKSTÖRUNG'?

Michael: My name is Michael Fakesch, I am half of 'FUNKSTÖRUNG', I was born on March 8th 1975 in Rosenheim, a small town in the South of Germany. Chris De Luca is the other half of 'FUNKSTÖRUNG', he was born on May 11th 1974 in Kolbermoor near Rosenheim.

Dunkie: What does 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' mean?

Michael: 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' is the German word for interference, but is also a play on words, Funk is the German word for Radio and Störung is the German word for distortion. 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' describes our style of Music perfectly: distorted funk.

Dunkie: What are your Musical Influences?

Michael: We are very much influenced by 80s Hip-Hop, 90s Electronica, and are listening to more and more Pop Music nowadays. Amongst our favourite (and most influential) bands are 'BJÖRK', 'APHEX TWIN', 'DEPECHE MODE', 'AUTECHRE', 'MASSIVE ATTACK' ,'PUBLIC ENEMY', 'ANTI POP CONSORTIUM', 'EPMD', 'RADIOHEAD'...and tons of others.

Dunkie: How did you become involved with Jean Michel Jarre and 'C'EST LA VIE'?

Michael: Jean Michel Jarre's Management asked us if we wanted to do a freaky Remix of 'C'EST LA VIE'...easy as that!!! We loved the idea of remixing Jean Michel Jarre, as he surely influenced Electronic Music a lot...Shit, he was playing Electronic Synthesizers when we were still playing with Teddy Bears. Jean Michel Jarre's Management guaranteed 100% creative freedom for our Remix, so we decided to do it. We got all the Files from Jean Michel Jarre and had lots of fun doing it :)

Dunkie: Had you heard of Jean Michel Jarre's Music before being approached for the Remix, and have you ever attended or seen any of his Concerts?

Michael: Of course we know Jean Michel Jarre's Music, although we know and like his older stuff better. We have, however, never seen any of his Concerts.

Dunkie: Did Jean Michel Jarre have any creative involvement in your Remix?

Michael: No...The only thing Jean Michel Jarre's Management wanted to have in the Remix was the Vocals, but we wanted to use Natacha Atlas' Vocals anyway.

Dunkie: Did you get any feedback from Jean Michel Jarre himself about your Remix, and did you get the chance to meet him personally?

Michael: We have never met Jean Michel Jarre, but we know that he loved the Remix and that he wanted to call us...but he never did :(

Dunkie: Why do you think Jean Michel Jarre chose you for the 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix Single?

Michael: Maybe because he liked the 'BJORK' or 'WU-TANG CLAN' Remixes we did a couple of years before our 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix...or maybe he loves new Electronic Music. I think Jean Michel Jarre still goes out and buys new Electronic Music, and therefore he got hold of a 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' Record. Maybe it was all just a lucky accident.

Dunkie: Your NEW Album 'VICE VERSA' includes your 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix? Why did you choose to include it on your Album?

Michael: Because we love this Remix!!!

Dunkie: Recently you performed an Exclusive 'VICE VERSA' Concert in Hamburg. Why have you chosen not to perform your NEW Album anywhere else in the World?

Michael: Everything is different with 'VICE VERSA', the Album Artwork is inside-out, there is no promotion, no Interviews, and only one Concert in a small Club for about 100 People.

Dunkie: Despite 'VICE VERSA' only having 12 Tracks, you did not perform your 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix at this Concert. Why did you choose not to perform it?

Michael: We didn't play the whole 'VICE VERSA' Album...only a few Tracks, but we played loads of other Remixes, some were unrecognizable as Remixes and therefore will probably never be released. We did not play our 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix as it is a bit too slow and dark, and is definitely undanceable, therefore it did not fit in with the rest of the Remixes we wanted to play.

Dunkie: Rumour has it that your Next Concert is to be held in Birmingham, England in January. Can you confirm this Rumour, and will this be your first performance in the UK?

Michael: We have played a few times before in London and once in Edinburgh, but on January 19th 2002 we are going to come and rock The Mountain Bar at Earko (www.earko.com) in Birmingham at around Midnight. We hope to play an almost totally improvised live-set.

Dunkie: Have you ever performed your 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix at a Concert, and do you intend to perform it at this Concert?

Michael: Sorry...We won't be playing our 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix in Birmingham. We have performed our 'C'EST LA VIE' Remix a few times and it sounded great, although we experienced that the audience was quite shocked by the brutality of some sounds :)

Dunkie: If you could choose any other Jean Michel Jarre Track to Remix, which Track would you choose and why?

Michael: I think we'd choose 'EQUINOXE 5', as this was the first record I heard from him. My older brother always played it and I liked it (I was about 5 Years Old I guess), so it would be really funny working on stuff we heard the first time when we were kids.

Dunkie: Given the chance, would you work with Jean Michel Jarre again in the future?

Michael: If Jean Michel Jarre asks us again, it'd be great. Musically it would be cool as I'm sure Jean Michel Jarre has got tons of cool synthesizers and knows everything about them.

JARRE UK would like to thank both Michael Fakesch & Chris De Luca of 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' for allowing us to Interview them, and especially thank them for donating Autographed Copies of their NEW Album 'VICE VERSA' for JARRE UK to give away in a FREE Competition...Thanks :)

For further information on 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' and their NEW Album 'VICE VERSA', visit the 'FUNKSTÖRUNG' Web-Site at (www.funkstorung.de).

Dunkie (Web-Master of JARRE UK)

'FUNKSTÖRUNG' Photographs (c) Tina Winkhaus & Tobias Titz. Used With Permission

Web-Master: Duncan M G Walls 'Dunkie' (ICQ: 114076586)
Assistant Web-Master: Robin Hosgood (ICQ: 29538207)

Highlights


'FUNKSTÖRUNG'
Interview


FRANCIS RIMBERT Interview


'JARRELOOK'
Concert Gallery