Function, the alias of New York-born, Berlin-based David Sumner, remains a pivotal force in the evolution of modern techno. Emerging from the city’s formative ’90s club era, he absorbed the raw energy of New York’s underground while developing a sound rooted in precision, restraint, and emotional gravity. As a founding member of the influential Sandwell District collective, Sumner helped redefine techno as both a sonic and conceptual art form.
Today, Function continues to explore the depths of rhythm and sound through his ongoing work with Infrastructure New York and various collaborations. His sets and productions reveal an artist still committed to progress, bridging classic minimalism with immersive, future-facing sound design. Always introspective yet commanding, his presence behind the decks remains as potent as ever.
Recorded live at Mostra Festival 2025, Orb Podcast 098 captures Function in an expansive and hypnotic state. Reflecting on the night, he added, “In the days leading up to the show, I knew I needed to bring my A game. Because I knew the stakes were high. This wasn’t a normal club night or techno festival with late nights and fast tempos. This was a proper curated electronic music festival that read more like a concert, and I knew I had to deliver something special. I needed to express something, maybe I lost a little sight of—to fully represent a sound that, as Function and with Regis and Silent Servant as Sandwell District, we helped cultivate—slow, cerebral, hypnotica.
There were a lot of artists and DJs I really respect, a lot of serious music heads and a lot of friends and colleagues who were all there and paying very close attention. And this is what I found so exciting. I was actually nervous—something I haven’t felt in 30 years. It was exhilarating.
In the days before the show, I made a conscious decision—I would not prepare. I will take the same music with me and all of the other music/selections I always have with me for situations like this, and adapt. Like a 51-year-old Function would. I got to the venue, I felt the energy, I read the room and delivered exactly what was needed. And I felt that point got across. It was beautiful. Pure magic. Completely improvised.”
