Interviews

FSQ’s Chuck “Da Fonk” Fishman has lived several musical lives — from touring with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic in the ’90s to shaping modern funk, disco and electronic hybrids with his long-running collective. With the new single Feeling Wide and a forthcoming album on the horizon, he reflects on lineage, evolution, collaboration, and the deeply personal experiences that continue to shape his sound.

Thanks for taking the time to talk. How are you doing, are you good.

I'm good and energized. I'm just back in San Francisco where I am based — coming back from a weekend trip to Tallahassee, where George Clinton lives and has his recording studio. So that was pretty amazing — George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic just threw their first annual P-Funk Festival which FSQ was a part of.

We are talking to you about your new release Feeling Wide. How are you feeling about this launch.

"Feeling Wide” is a deeply personal song — I wrote the music and lyrics. It really came to life when vocalist/songwriter Moniquea was able to give the song so much life — she interpreted my lyrics so well and figured out how they could fit in time with the rhythm and melody. The original versions came out great, but now that Prins Thomas has presented his Diskomiks versions, I'm obsessed with his remixes and can't wait for everyone to hear them.

Let's go back a little. Was there a track around when you began making music that marks your production beginnings or inspired you to make the music you do.

For many years I produced straight-up funk with some jazz-funk mixed in — my first project fONKSQUISh started in the late ’90s. In 2003, I heard how electronic music and layered sampling were reshaping funk into modern dance music. Releases on Tru Thoughts and Bastard Jazz, especially Mawglee and DJ Zeph, pushed me toward what became FSQ when I linked up with G Koop. We started making our first FSQ tracks in 2008.

Who were the producers making you sit up and listen when you began.

Around the time FSQ was forming, I was living in Philadelphia in 2004 when Diplo’s first album for Big Dada/Ninja Tune came out. His parties were wild pastiches — Three Six Mafia next to ESG, Italo Disco, Indian music. Tracks like “Diplo Rhythm,” “Summer’s Gonna Hurt You,” and “Into The Sun” obsessed me. XXXchange and Spank Rock also had a gritty electro-hip-hop/Baltimore club sound that referenced the new wave I grew up on. Philadelphia was a huge influence.

When you started out, did you have a vision of the sort of music you wanted to make.

I was inspired by the early 2000s, but the FSQ sound ultimately became its own thing — new wave, disco, funk, and Caribbean influences. It reflects the music I grew up on more than anything modern.

Does that musical vision remain the same today.

It evolved once FSQ became more than me and G Koop. Each member brings their own style — Tate Masimore, One Era (Matt Coogan), Morgan Wiley, and G Koop. Sa’d The Hourchild Ali, who passed in 2018, was a deep house head, and I still make sure his influence is present.

If you knew then what you know now, what advice would you give your 25-year-old self about the music industry.

I was touring and recording with George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic in the mid-’90s but didn’t realize I could work in the music business to support myself. I went in a different career direction and had to give up full-time music. I’d tell my younger self to keep going, stay consistent, and find a way to sustain yourself economically that stays close to music. Consistency is key.

What was the first track you put out.

I produced and released The Squishy Declaration in 1996 under “Chuck Da Fonk Fishman” with members of Parliament Funkadelic. I was singing on those tracks — not my best decision — but hardcore funk fans liked it.

Which record you took part in made the biggest mark.

Co-producing Soul Clap’s collaborations with Nona Hendryx, George Clinton and Sly Stone was exciting. But FSQ’s Reprise Tonight (2020) had a huge impact — seeing Francois K and Louie Vega mention it on their livestreams was incredible.

Is there a brilliant record that went under the radar you want us to check.

I return to timeless albums from my youth:

• Duran Duran’s Rio
• Blancmange’s Mange Tout
• Yello’s One Second
• And of course, the entire George Clinton & Parliament Funkadelic universe — around 50 records.

What aspects of what you do have stayed the same, and what aspects are fundamentally different.

Clubbing feels the same, but more people now come to dance and see DJs. Production, however, has changed — many producers “draw” music in Ableton rather than write what they hear. Music by assembly instead of songwriting. And AI makes that even wilder.

Was there a particular inspiration for this new release Feeling Wide.

The song has been in my head since 2010. I first recorded it in Barbados in 2011 but it didn’t come out right. I finally recorded it properly in 2023 with Tate Masimore, One Era, and G Koop. Once I heard the final version, I knew Prins Thomas was the right person to remix it.

Do personal events ever influence the music and its direction.

Absolutely. “Feeling Wide” is about the decompression after partying too hard — and also the overwhelm of having work to do but being out of pocket because you’re coming down. As a touring musician, I’ve been in that position too many times.

You’ve been on Soul Clap a few times. Tell us about your relationship with the label.

I’ve been with Soul Clap since 2013, when Sa’d “The Hourchild” Ali and I helped bring George Clinton together with them. FSQ released Zulu Congo Call in 2014, remixed labelmates, produced tracks for Soul Clap’s 2016 album, and in 2024 I became label manager. Working with Charlie and Eli always feels like home.

Talk to us about the other artists involved on this release.

XL Middleton and Moniquea — modern funk artists from Pasadena/LA — added synths and vocals at EMPIRE Studios in San Francisco. Prins Thomas sped up the track for his Diskomiks versions, adding arpeggiated synths and dramatic changes across nine minutes.

Do you have plans to do any solo work.

I’d love to sing on other artists’ tracks as “Chuck Da Fonk,” but I haven’t been pitching myself. As far as solo music goes, everything ends up sounding like FSQ anyway.

Are you working on new FSQ material again. What can we expect and when.

FSQ’s Nightlife Geography should be out late summer/early fall. “Feeling Wide” is one track; “On The Map,” featuring Eugene Tambourine and Funkadelic legend Billy Bass Nelson, is the next single. The album is an ode to all the places we’ve danced through the night.

Which upcoming artists do you think are making great music right now.

I produce monthly DJ Top Charts for Traxsource and Beatport and keep a Spotify playlist called FSQ Top 10s for 2026. There’s so much great new music that the charts help me keep track.

What has been a highlight of the last year for you.

Some incredible FSQ DJ sets and crowds — especially at Phonobar San Francisco and Mimi Disco in Mexico City, where the sets are so well received.

Check out the latest release from Chuck “Da Fonk” Fishman.