Sounds and Sonics: 'Against All Odds' By Funk Tribu

Cementing himself as one of the latest pioneers in the nu-trance landscape, Funk Tribu has become one of the most in demand producers and DJs of the scene. The Colombia-born, Berlin-based artist has recently released his eagerly anticipated debut album Against All Odds.

The eight-track LP is a collection of songs that are rooted in his journey to finding confidence as an artist and producer. With this album, he has managed to create a fresh new palette, mixing different electronic strands from the 90s and 00’s, with a fresh take on the current genres that are defining the underground electronic scene. One thing that sets him apart from his peers, is the space he gives his collaborators to input their stories, which adds extra layers of depth and emotion to the music.

With a coveted boiler room set racking up over 250,000 views in less than two weeks, and now currently on tour, Funk Tribu has made sure that 2024 is a year to remember

Luckily, he manages to make time for us in his busy schedule to go through his thought process behind each track on the LP, as well as his collaboration process and the importance of shining a light on the struggles of mental health through some of the lyrics within the album.

Track 01- ‘All Of It’ (Orchestral Intro)

NW: You decided to include an orchestral introduction for the album version of ‘All Of It’, how do you think this sets the tone for the record?

I was always a big fan of cinematic music and when artists create an orchestra version of their tracks. That’s what I got inspired by. My goal was to create something that increased the epic, recognizable aspect of the track and to use it as a special intro for some shows. Like for MELT 2023. 

Track 02- ‘Keep Up’

NW: ‘Keep Up’ leans more into the genre of trance, especially with the help of the vocals. How do you know which ideas you want to include vocals and which ones to leave as production based?

While creating music, there is always a point where you feel that the track is completely full or that there is something missing. Usually when you get there you contemplate the idea to add some vocals, to make the track more full. For this track, this was the case. I sent Betty (CAIVA), three different demos and for this one she felt directly that she could create some vocals for it. 

Track 03- ‘Most Wanted’

NW: This is your second song with Lucy Dye on the project, can you describe your collaboration process with her?

Working with Lucy is always great. She is really creative and has a lot of vocal ideas for many styles and genres. We were at the studio going through some demos I had and when this one came, she felt this was the one to start working with. We had two more studio sessions, working on the lyrics, recording and mixing the vocals. After that just some final production details had to be done, and the track was ready.

Track 04- ‘I Got It For You’

NW: You teased ‘I Got It For You’ in your sets before the official release which got an incredible reaction, do you always have your live shows in mind when you’re in the studio?

Not every time. I like to have live shows in mind so I can create something more club/peak time focused but that is not always the case. Sometimes I like to create something that can accompany people away from the dancefloors. For this track I was looking for something emotional but with lots of energy, closing track record vibe. I was super happy when I teased it, and people really seemed into it. 

 Track 05- ‘Poker’

NW: On ‘Poker’ you collaborated with British rapper Spencer Elmer which is the first time you have worked with a rapper, what influences did you both draw from to create the song?

Working with Spencer was a really interesting process, we never got to be in the studio together, but we managed to work and send versions back and forth till we got a whole record. Lately I have been interested in a lot of garage records and garage influenced tracks, so I was looking to mix these influences with my sound. I sent the demo to him, a garage influenced dance track, the file name by that time was “one night in London”, no vocals, just drums and some synths. He lives in London, so I guess when he read the name of the file, he got influenced to build the lyrics around that.

Track 06- ‘Make Me Feel’

NW: Listening to ‘Make Me Feel’, I pick up on many different genres being used as sources of inspiration including trance, soul, house. How important is it for you as an artist to be able to demonstrate your versatility in your music?

I think it is really important to be versatile when it comes to producing, every genre has their own special techniques, sounds or structures and you really get to learn a lot from them. Once you know how they work, you can mix them with every other genre. In my opinion this is the point where really unique records come to life. 

Track 07- ‘Digital Mess’

NW: Lyrically, this song seems to be about grappling with the need for validation through a screen. Can you expand on the meaning behind it and why it was important for you to include?

Traytex wrote the lyrics shortly after I sent him the first version of the track, I loved them right away. I think it is a matter that for people from our generation means a lot, where to some if you are not online, you really do not exist. This online validation feeling can slowly destroy your mental health, inner peace, etc. I know for a fact that even for some artists this is something they really struggle with, where you sometimes really feel pushed to create or post something and not because you want to. It is a really fine line you need to learn how to deal with. And personally, I love the name of the track, I think it really explains an actual issue a lot of people are going through. 

Track 08- ‘DR34M$’

NW: Your final song is ‘DR34M$’, what made you decide to close your project with this song, and what do you want your fans to get from this album?

For me it felt only right to choose ‘DR34M$’ as the track to close the album. Like the title says, it’s a very dreamy track you can easily listen to on headphones or in the car and it’s less of a party track. For me this song is loaded with loads of emotions. My life changed a lot in the last year, and I’m forever grateful that I’m able to live from what I love. I guess with this track I want to invite people to never stop dreaming.

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