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If you've spent any significant portion of time during the past 10+ years in any club dedicated to underground dance music, it's more than likely that you've caught yourself sweating it out to the rhythms of David Sumner (aka Function). Although shrouded in pre-release white labels and multiple pseudonyms, Sumner's forward musical vision as a producer/remixer and DJ has left its indelible influence on the international techno scene several times over and continues to redefine the genre's parameters as it moves into the 21st Century.

DJing since 1989 and releasing since 1996, Function is a native to Brooklyn/NYC. Spawned from the womb that was the post-Warhol downtown Manhattan celebutant/clubkid, early rave scene days of Limelight and NASA, his early days were spent cutting his teeth at Peter Gatien's legendary Limelight in 1992. From Michael Alig's debauchery laden, club-kid playground, Disco 2000 to Lord Michael's Future Shock, which featured resident DJ and Underground Resistance co-creator, Jeff Mills, to Dave's first residency at a nightclub, his experiences during this highly influential period clearly shaped his future.

In 1996 he started his first studio, Inanimate Objects, where his career as a producer began with the successful release of his first 12", f(q): The Function of Bandwidth EP for Damon Wild's Synewave label as Function, his best known alter-ego. Since, his music has been appearing regularly on mix compilations, play lists, and charts of many top DJ's like Jeff Mills, Richie Hawtin, Magda, Dave Clarke, Surgeon, Laurent Garnier, Sven Vath, Chris Liebing, Adam Beyer and The Advent. Also in 1996, an impromptu meeting with English Midlands based Downwards records label head, Karl O'Connor (aka Regis), quickly turned into a long standing friendship and collaboration project, Portion Reform, which lead to recording numerous 12"s, compilation tracks and an album, as well as performing at extensive European tour dates.

Now more than a decade into his professional career Dave has developed into one of the most internationally respected and influential techno DJ's to stem from the New York scene. His ability to work the room as both a DJ and live performer have made him a regular face headlining events and festivals across the US and in over 20 countries world wide including, Awakenings (Amsterdam), Kozzmozz (Gent), DEMF (Detroit), Tresor (Berlin), Watergate (Berlin), La Real (Oviedo), Split (London), U-Club (Bratislava) as well as booking and maintaining residencies at all of New York City's top nightclubs and parties. As a producer and remixer, he has been both critically and publicly acclaimed. Looking back he has recorded under six pseudonyms, for nine labels with forty plus releases, Sumner's true scope and significance as a major player stand out.

The mood he captures in his sets touches upon a delicate mix of the grey area between Techno, Minimal and House, incorporating elements of Acid House, classic Detroit and Industrial. Currently, he has moved away from the turntables and has been using Ableton Live to create DJ/Live hybrid sets full of exclusive remixes and re-edits of heady minimal music. In addition, he is performing as a DJ team with M_nus artist, Plexus as Function vs. Plexus.

He launched his own label, Infrastructure, in 1998. Designed mainly for releasing his own work, he has invited guest artists like Sleeparchive, Regis, Ben Sims, Oscar Mulero and Christian Wunsch to remix and record for the label. Also in 1998 he began organizing events. His first series of parties, Substance, took place at various venues and spaces including Limelight and Lunatarium in NY and eventually Detroit during the DEMF where he has collaborated with Friction:Detroit. They have been hosting an annual DEMF after party there which is going into it's 5th year as well as hosting a block of time at the festival's Underground Stage in 2006. Over the past 9 years these legendary Substance events have included guests such as Jeff Mills, Rob Hood, Dan Bell, Adam Beyer, Surgeon, Juan Atkins, DJ Hell, Marco Carola, James Pennington, Claude Young, Joey Beltram, Chris Leibing, Ben Sims, Regis, Green Velvet and other notables.

In 1998 as DMO, Ulterior Motives, the first release on his own Ctrl. label was played religiously by Body Soul DJ's Danny Krivit and Francois K. and legendary Shelter resident Timmy Regisford cementing it's status as a New York house music classic. David's productions under the moniker Richard Harvey (USER01, 02, and 001A) were instrumental towards ushering in a new genre of techno. Released on the User, a label he co-founded, four of these tracks were licensed by Richie Hawtin for his first Decks, FX, 909 compilation on m_nus/Novamute. In addition to this, his work has also appeared on labels such as Sandwell District, CLR, Theory, Internal, Integrale, Warm-Up and Audio.

In 2005 he started a new series of events, Phono, with his partners Lisa Hsu and Cowboy Mark which has also happened at various different venue such as Avalon and last summer's classic Sunday afternoons at Ms. Williamsburg in Brooklyn which have included guests such as Ellen Allien, Sleeparchive, Guido Schnieder, Misc., Baby Ford, Sammy Dee, Zip, M.A.N.D.Y, Booka Shade, DJ T, Dan Bell, Dandy Jack, Steve Rachmad, A Guy Called Gerald, Metro Area, Par Grindvik, Alexi Delano, Richard Fearless, Lee Curtis, Seth Troxler, Ryan Crosson, Tim Xavier, Camea, Ambivalent, and many more.

In more recent years Dave continues to release music, remix, run his labels, DJs regularly in NY and abroad and organize events. In 2003 he had the honor to release a split remix 12" alongside one of his favorite producers, Mark Bell from LFO. In 2004 he released what turned out to be his classic track, Montage, on his own Infrastructure imprint. And the following year, also on Infrastructure, he released Sleeparchive's first remix, with the widely successful Regis 'Asbestos' mix. Continuing to release proper techno 12"s and remixes, he has now relocated in Berlin and has just release new single on the Berlin/Birmingham label, Sandwell District. 2008 is off to a great start!

For full discography go to: http://www.discogs.com/artist/Function http://www.discogs.com/artist/David+Sumner http://www.discogs.com/artist/Portion+Reform