Metronome #078 : Plastik Funk

Insomniac’s Metronome series features mixes from some of today’s fastest-rising electronic stars, as well as championed legends. It takes listeners deep across a wide range of genres, movements, cultures, producers, artists and sounds that make up the diverse world of electronic music.

It’s a common story in music: An aspiring artist meets a buddy in high school, they start a band, and they have a kick-ass time jamming out together. For most, this is likely where the story ends, but Plastik Funk kept the vibe alive and parlayed their high school hobby into a 15-year career still going strong today.

Spanish-born Rafael Ximenez-Carillo and Tokyo-born Mikio Gruschinske met after both had immigrated to Germany. Most will remember their 2014 breakthrough collab, “Who” with Tujamo, but by then they had already been dominating club land for over a decade with remixes and originals on labels like Subliminal and Ministry of Sound, as well as a notable remix of the ‘90s dance classic “Gonna Make You Sweat (Everybody Dance Now).”

Their ability to harness the power of house music in all its forms, be it funky, soulful, bangin’ or deep, has allowed them to continually dominate and catch the attention of fans and music industry heroes alike. Their newest single—“This Is It,” out now on Armada Deep—expands the duo’s vision and mission into new sonic territory almost two decades since forming.

In their Metronome mix, Plastik Funk effortlessly blend the essential sounds of summer and transport you poolside to a sunny day in Miami, all while reflecting 15 years of an endless artistic bond.

You guys have spent most of your career as a duo. Do you ever feel the need to work separately?
We love to work as a team. We feel that we’re stronger and better [as a duo], because we always complete each other—onstage and also in the studio. And when you’re touring, it’s always much more fun than traveling alone. So, the prospect of working separately is not our goal or anything we try to achieve.

What is the dynamic like for you in the studio? Is one of you more technical than the other?
We always try to be an equal duo in the studio, as the typical Plastik Funk sound lives from both our influences. The workflow mostly is that one of us is twisting the knobs, and the other one gives smart advices [laughs] and always has a slightly different idea of where to go with the track or what sounds to use. After a while, the visions start to morph into one thing, and the result, in eight out of 10 cases, is a Plastik Funk track. The other two just get scrapped or saved for future ideas to work on.

You seem to mostly release singles. Is there anything in particular about that format, as opposed to EPs or albums, that speaks to you?
We never felt the need to do an album yet, so there was no option for us. We have already released EPs in the past, if we have more than one track that we thought made sense to release together. But nowadays, the half-life of music is so short, we believe it is difficult for the consumer to really dig a two-or-more-track EP. So, we stick to singles—but never say never.

You’ve had the opportunity to be the first to remix a couple of pretty classic records. How does it feel being able to put your mark on music that is so timeless?
This is a really difficult task, actually. If you get asked to remix a track that you love and have been playing since it came out in the ‘90s, like Jaydee’s “Plastic Dreams,” you feel that it could be blasphemy to put your hands on it. We always try to keep the spirit of the original alive while adding the Plastik Funk touch to it.

You guys play in Ibiza quite often. What makes it such a unique destination for clubgoers and DJs?
Ibiza is not only the white island, but also a magical island. The spirit in the clubs is incomparable. Many people come to this island just to go the clubs, and they are full of energy and know how to party! There is the perfect choice for everyone, every night, so you can be sure the people that stand in front of you chose your party because they want to hear you.

Track List:: Gathier & Cooperated Souls “Take a Chance”
Lou Van “Awakening”
Benny Benassi, David Zowie, Fatherdude “Pandemonium”
Bingo Players “Cry” (A-Trak, Phantoms Remix)
Grotesque, Onegin ft. Ange “Rise Up” (Diggo & Dizza Remix)
EDX “Touch Her Feel Her”
Noubya, Calvo “Light It Up”
Plastik Funk “This Is It”
Antonio Giacca “Down Like the River”
Execute “Rhythm”
Bastille “Good Grief” (Don Diablo Remix)
David Guetta, Zara Larsson “This One’s for You” (Kungs Remix)
Funkin’ Matt “Mastic”
White N3rd “Freaky With U”
Jack N Jane Pepperz “Don’t Stop”
Khrebto “Sydney”
Jauz “Goodiez”