An Interview with Funafuji :: Dynamite in a little package

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UK born queen of South African dubstep Funafuji talks to us about playing in the great outdoors, balancing music with medicine, and the wonders of South African electro.

Coming from the outside and moving to Cape Town, what is your impression of what’s going on in the music scene there?

The scene in Cape Town at the moment is so, so exciting. I really find it quite inspiring, and people are doing such extraordinary things.

There’s this habit where people always look to other places for what’s happening. Like, ‘this is what’s playing in Berlin, and in London’. But now, with the internet, we’re basically hearing everything that’s going on. I don’t for one second think that we are in anyway behind here. People are there, on it. And, there’s so many amazing producers in Cape Town.

Who are some of your favourite producers and artists to work with?

I would say Richard the Third. I really like his stuff. And Markus [Wormstorm]. I love Markus’s stuff. I’m trying to get him to play dubstep. He’s got such great taste in music. His style changes, but he always maintains a similar sound. And always, very sexy, very danceable.

In electronic music it’s really easy to go for a hard core route instead. And it kind of loses its subtlety. And I just get bored of it. When it’s the same thing, just harder and faster and louder. It does have its place, when you just want to bounce around on the dance floor, though!

I love Mix ‘n Blend, and Fletcher obviously, P.H.Fat are good fun. Especially Mike with his dancing. There’s just so much good music going on at the moment.

And in Jo’burg?

I haven’t seen enough to be completely fair. But the dubstep in Jo’burg is completely different to what’s going on in Cape Town. But, not my favourite… But I haven’t seen enough.

What’s your favourite place to perform?

So far it’s been Earth Dance. Every year. I’ve played twice, and again this year. I always love Earth Dance. And Rocking the Daisies. That’s been good fun. I enjoy festivals, they’re definitely my favourite. Outside sound is so amazing, so I can play deep dance music, that you can’t really play in clubs. Because the bass is not there, and it sounds empty.

I like to go to a place where you can just immerse yourself, and switch off. You’re not in the city, you’re not thinking about what you have to do tomorrow, or not thinking at all!

Do you have any pre-show rituals, or superstitions?

I definitely know roughly what I’m gonna play before a show. I put together a playlist. I like to see what the vibe is like, and the sound, and stuff, before I put the final touches into it.

Playing during the day at festivals is one of my favourite, favourite things. Just for the reason that the sound is so big. Especially with some of the stuff I play. It sounds more amazing in an open space.

I always get booked for morning sets or afternoon sets at festivals, which I love.

You have this great stage presence. You ooze sexy…

(She giggles). I’m always being told to smile when I play. But I love it.

Tell me about breaking into this very male-dominated environment.

Well, I think, initially, people have this thing of, ‘you’re playing because you’re a girl’, not necessarily because you can play. Which is fine. But, when people come see you, and they really like your music, and see that you know what you’re really doing, then it doesn’t really matter. It’s fun when you prove them wrong. Obviously, sometimes being a girl really has its advantages. But I haven’t felt really like a girl for a very long time at all.

How does your creative process work?

When I make something new, it’s more from a feeling. A lot of it comes from what you’ve been listening to, and influences that come through. You don’t really know where that’s coming from. It’s not really a conscious thing. In some ways, you’re just entering a particular sound or feeling.

And where do you see yourself going from here?

I wish I had more time to sit and do music. But it’s not my main thing I do at all. It’s more like something I’m lucky enough to do as a hobby. But in a year or so, I’m going to be finished with studying medicine and will probably be posted off to some weird hospital in the Transkei. I don’t know. I’ll see. I really hope I’ll be able to keep it up and play every few months. I’d love to produce and all of that, but I don’t really have the time for it. I’ll never stop playing, but I don’t have enormous plans.

What do you think dubstep in SA needs right now? It’s taking on some pretty interesting forms…

It’s quite nice, because for a while, in the beginning, there was one sound, and everyone was playing very similar tunes. But now, it’s just developed in so many different ways, into so many different sounds. You’ve got the people who come from reggae and play very dubby dubstep. And then you have the drum ‘n bass guys who play that sort of hard trancey dubstep. And even the trance guys are playing dubstep now.

There’s just so much going on that’s so different. So you can kind of pick and choose what you like. But I’m loving it!