News
Latest music, Masterlink Sessions notes, tour updates and project stories from Redtenbacher's Funkestra.
322 posts
Stefan Redtenbacher reflects on 30 years of Redtenbacher’s Funkestra, the making of FUNKOPIA, key collaborations and stories from his return to the 40 Minutes of Funk podcast.
Read story
Redtenbacher’s Funkestra returns for seven UK shows this September and October, featuring guitarist Carter Arrington and new material from the forthcoming album The Exchange. The tour brings together classic Funkestra tracks, fresh compositions and a rotating line-up of exceptional musicians.
Read story
After 30 years of Redtenbacher’s Funkestra, I have paused to examine the principles behind how I create, collaborate and lead—and which of them should be retained, refined or recalibrated for the next chapter.
Read story
I nearly turned down the opportunity to play bass with the Pete Roth Trio featuring Bill Bruford. Instead, the concerts in the UK, Estonia and Canada became a genuine career milestone—and reshaped how I think about trust, risk and live performance.
Read story
FUNKOPIA Press Reviews — What the Critics Say What do the people say about FUNKOPIA? FUNKOPIA is Redtenbacher’s Funkestra’s 30th-anniversary album: ten original tracks shaped by long-standing musical relationships, live-in-the-studio sessions and a shared commitment to groove, detail and musical conversation. Since its release, writers, broadcasters and listeners have responded to the record from several…
Read story
Greg Coulson & Redtenbacher’s Funkestra – “Thank You Super Sledgehammer” A live band takes on an unlikely musical collision What happens when Peter Gabriel’s “Sledgehammer” meets Sly & The Family Stone’s “Thank You (Falettinme Be Mice Elf Agin)”? In this case, it became a live-in-the-studio performance that gave every musician in the room something…
Read story
No Future Blues — Chris Booth x Redtenbacher’s Funkestra A live performance built around Chris Booth’s original song “No Future Blues” began with Chris Booth’s song and his voice at the centre of the room. Chris came to Masterlink with an original that needed space, grit and forward motion. The Funkestra approached it as a…
Read story
Jess Hayes & Redtenbacher’s Funkestra – “Distance” A live-in-the-studio take on Yebba’s “Distance” Some songs do not need to be made bigger. They need the right people in the room, the confidence to leave space, and an arrangement that follows the vocal rather than competing with it. That was the starting point for our live-in-the-studio…
Read story
Lovefool Part One & Part Two with Redtenbacher’s Funkestra Lovefool Part One and Lovefool Part Two present a two-part reworking of the Cardigans classic by Georgia Van Etten, Redtenbacher’s Funkestra and the Masterlink Sessions Big Band. Instead of treating Lovefool as a single straight cover, the arrangement opens the song into two contrasting versions. Each…
Read story
Stefan Redtenbacher as Musical Director for Zildjian UK Young Drummer of the Year 2026 Stefan Redtenbacher served as Musical Director for the Zildjian UK Young Drummer of the Year 2026, hosted by Mike Dolbear at Lighthouse Arts Centre, Poole, composing the set piece “Lifeblood” and performing live with finalists. Zildjian UK Young Drummer of the…
Read story
Nurgles – A New Masterlink Sessions Release Masterlink Sessions presents Nurgles, an original instrumental composition by Liam Dunachie, performed with Redtenbacher’s Funkestra and captured live at Masterlink Productions. Centred around the Hammond organ and driven by a focused, forward-moving boogaloo groove, Nurgles reflects the Masterlink Sessions commitment to documenting musicians in real time — with…
Read story
SPOTIFY WRAPPED 2025 – THE LOW DOWN Spotify has released its 2025 Wrapped for artists – the annual 13-slide snapshot covering listeners, hours streamed, countries reached and more. The Funkestra’s numbers look strong, but raw stats only tell part of the story. For the first time, I’ve taken a closer look at how these figures…
Read story