Biography: Funkerman
* Born: 1975, Breda, The Netherlands Period: 2000s
Biography:
Best known as a globe-trotting house DJ, Funkerman, the alias of Ardie van Beek, is also a successful producer and the co-founder of Flamingo Recordings, also home to DJ/producer Fedde le Grand. Born in 1975 in Breda, the Netherlands, van Beek began spinning records in 1990, initially rap and R&B. Over time, he got into house music and began spinning professionally; his first residency was at the Spock club in Breda. His weekly DJ gigs at the Spock led to other opportunities, including further DJ gigs, employment at a record store, and A&R work. In 2002 van Beek began his production career, collaborating separately with producers Raf Jansen (aka Raf) and Hugo Zentveld (aka DJ Renegade) on a handful of releases for the Dutch house labels Jacuzzi, CC, and Work White. In 2004 van Beek, Jansen, and fellow house DJ/producer Fedde le Grand co-founded Flamingo Recordings, on which they released their production work. The label`s more popular releases are licensed for international release; for example, van Beek`s Speedin` Up (2007) was picked up for release by Defected, one of the United Kingdom`s leading house labels. In addition, van Beek occasionally produces tracks for other labels such as Stealth Records (in the case of Fallin` in Love, 2006) and Spinnin` Records (Wheels in Motion, 2007). He also employs his talents as a remixer, reworking productions such as Ida Corr`s international smash hit "Let Me Think About It" for example.
