10 Questions with Roel Funcken

For decades, fans of experimental, glitchy, abstract, bass, and ambient electronic music have been tracking the pioneering Dutch musician Roel Funcken. Those already familiar with his sound always look forward to his playful kaleidoscope of deconstructed motifs. Fans of Autechre, Richard Divine, and Metamatics already hold the key to the puzzle of sophisticated beauty within each labyrinthine turn, listening to the dismantled architectures rebuilt within the woken mind. And those who are brand new to this electronic musician's hallucinogenic sweeps and swirls may at first just label his style as 'glitch', failing to lock into the groove of the complex percussive configurations.

Roel Funcken is undoubtedly among the world's greatest and most prolific artists. Through his signature sound and notable techniques, he built his name on such labels as Funcken Industry, Outside Recordings, Schematic, Eat Concrete, Ad Noiseam, ShipWrec, Tympanik Audio Combat Recording, Analogical Force, n5MD, Touched Music, Neo Ouija, Stung Records, A Strangely Isolated Place, Bion Glent & Mystic and Quantum for the newest to be released 2021.

Roel Funcken also likes to express himself in different ways, with photography and lately also with painting.

roelfuncken.com | @roelfunckenpaintings

ARTIST STATEMENT

Roel Funcken is a contemporary abstract expressionist painter whose work is recognizable for his unique artwork style that is rich in textures, colors, and shapes. Based in The Netherlands, the artist has been making music under his own name for more than 30 years, and since last year he started painting.

Over the years, his production has mutated into an abstract electronic form where multiple genres combine to create complex and abstract music. The overarching process of making music and painting fascinates the artist. Both mediums compliment the other on how to approach certain elements in the creative process.

The artist constantly tries to think of new ways to apply the paint onto the canvas. His paintings are created through intuitive responses while engaged with the work. As a kid, Roel saw abstract shapes everywhere he looked, intriguing him. Despite being color-blind, Roel Funcken is addicted to colors and to the contrast between them. His work is informed by color and forms found in nature and influenced by the work of painters such as Kandinsky and Pollock.

People say... Roel Funcken's paintings look like how his music sounds.

Crayton 1, Dutch acrylic pour on vinyl, diameter 12 in, 2022 © Roel Funcken

INTERVIEW

First of all, introduce yourself to our readers. You are a world-famous musician and composer, but you also work with photography and, more recently, with painting. How would you describe yourself in 3 words?

Creative, Mad, Expressionist.

In your opinion, what are the similarities and differences between being a musician and a painter?

I see a lot of similarities between my music and my paintings. The way I build up and layer a composition parallels how I master my paintings. It's almost like the same thing. Before I started painting, I was already making music for 30 years. So to notice the resemblance is quite notable. But I also see the resemblance in making a proper Thai Green Curry from scratch. Every more complex task has depth on certain layers; you can make stuff on any level more complicated if you want. The difficult part is to realize when to zoom out again.
The big difference between the two is that making digital music has a never-ending undo function, and painting is way more destructive in the process. Both have advantages and disadvantages.

And how do they influence each other in your practice?

I often work on music and painting side by side. They both have a lot of moments in them where you must wait or zoom out to get an overview before you can go to the next stage. So in all practicality, the titles for the paintings have a similar name to a track title. Often a musical idea pops up in my head; I work on it and use part of this idea to implement the painting I'm working on at that very moment. I also enjoy and practice DJing, and I frequently combine mixing and broadcasting with some garden spray painting.

Digital and electronic instruments seem to have focal importance in both your music and painting work. How important are new technologies for your work? And how do you keep up to date with the latest trends and innovations?

It's interesting for sure, but not absolutely necessary. I used to have a lot of hardware, but nowadays, I work with a really small set-up. Plugins nowadays are so good that you can hardly tell the difference. I'd rather exploit what's possible with what I already have than blind stare with everything coming out, as it is to no end.
For painting, it's pretty much the same; I like every color, so I just use what I have, and for techniques, I prefer to discover them on my own, because this method allows me to recall certain processes that I like.

Kaleidoscopic Fluid, Spray paint, acrylic on canvas, 19.7x27.5 in, 2022 © Roel Funcken

Tell us more about your creative process. Where do you get your inspiration from, and how do you translate it into your artworks?

My world has been quite small because of the two last year's pandemic. I am a venue sound engineer that has been forced to stay home. I live by myself with my dogs. I have a lot of restless energy built up inside, and it just needs to come out one way or the other. I never really had problems with creativity. Being home alone a lot just amplifies that. I like going for walks with my dogs, going to a forest, walking around for a couple of hours, smelling the trees, and taking pictures of mushrooms. This is a nice dynamic change from being inside the house for too long.

What are the main themes in your painting? What messages are you trying to convey to the viewers?

I do not think about painting that way, to be honest. Painting for me is just pure expression for the most part, and it helps me or compliments my music and vice versa. I like abstract forms and shapes. As for me, it just feeds the fantasy world that is inside my brain. I was always like this as a kid. I would see figures and shapes in everything around me. So, for the most part, it is about what I want to get across and for people to see the resemblance with my music.

You are very active on different platforms, from social media to Soundcloud. How do you keep your audience engaged?

Just be active and produce content. Everything I do gets released trough my own Bandcamp label called Funcken Industry, attached to is a subscription service called Funck’d trough where fans get unreleased and exclusive material. I also do a lot of online DJing via a platform called Mixlr. I often just go with the flow, don't overthink these things too much, and do what comes naturally.

Over the past 12 months, we have witnessed a growing number of online exhibitions and live events. What do you think of the recent changes in the art world? Do you miss the art world as it was before the pandemic, or do you see more opportunities now?

Industries must adapt; otherwise, they will bleed to death. I am selling most of my paintings through my connections on Facebook. I love that you can network with someone in Australia with the same interests. It gives the art world a new perspective which always creates new opportunities, which is great.
I miss performing live music. I traveled a lot before the pandemic, and I hope these things become easier again in the near future.

What are you working on now, and what are your plans for the future? Anything exciting you can tell us about?

Painting is a bit less as winter started here in the Netherlands. I spray paint a lot and have to do it outside. Then I had to think about what can be done inside with acrylic, but it slows down the process a little bit which can be good sometimes, as it forces you to overthink your routine.
I've got 2 albums ready for a duo project called "Legiac," on which I'm collaborating with the artist Cor Bolten. He's a good friend and a collector and player of numerous vintage analog synths, which I utilize as a starting point for generating the material. The material is going to be released on vinyl on a Dutch record label called Phenomena and the other one Touched Music in the UK.
My latest music as Roel Funcken has been also released on vinyl with the Spanish label Analogical Force. I started a new job this year, teaching kids about music software called Pro Tools, is a new path for me and I walk dogs for shelters too.

Lastly, what was your year like? And what do you hope to achieve in 2022?
Despite the pandemic being an ugly thing, it generated quite some free time for me. This allowed me to have time to pick up painting as I did. Being home with my dogs and having time for myself, in a way, was a sort of blessing, to be honest. On the other hand, it made me wonder whether the planet probably needed this break, to begin with.
I will always make music, as that is my real escape in life. I listen to music every day, all day, and try to incorporate all that knowledge it gives me into a new track. It makes me realize that plenty of talented people are trying to do something interesting for others to see. The younger generation is catching up.
It would be cool if I could put up an exhibition with my work and perform some music at the same time. Hexavalent Chromium, a painting I'm now exhibiting, is displayed in a 3D virtual space online as well as in-person in Hastings, UK, which I, unfortunately, couldn't attend.
I started painting when the pandemic hit and it looks finally over. I have been missing to play LIVE. This August 2022, I will be in Crato Portugal, at Waking Life festival. I also have 4 dates through North America with Fractalfest, and other pluri-artistic collectives, in Los Angeles, Portland & Charlotte.

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