Funkerman

Funkerman is the solo project of Dutch DJ and producer René ter Horst. He started as a DJ in his hometown of Enschede, playing techno and trance before moving into electro house around the turn of the millennium. The project officially began in 2001, and by 2003, his track 'Speed Up' had become a hit on European dance charts.

That single, along with others like '3 Minutes To Explain' and 'Fallin' in Love', helped define a certain strain of Dutch electro house in the early 2000s. The music was built around driving beats and straightforward, catchy hooks meant for club floors.

Ter Horst kept releasing tracks through the decade, including 'Wheels In Motion' and 'Foolish Game' featuring J.W. The project's output was steady and club-focused, without much of the dramatic narrative that sometimes gets attached to dance music figures.