Martin Aulkjær Ottesen, known professionally as Funkstar De Luxe, was born in 1973 in Denmark and is a record producer and DJ. He began his musical journey as a teenage keyboardist in an amateur reggae band, where he first encountered the music of Bob Marley. His breakthrough came with the release of "Sun Is Shining", a reworking of Marley's song that became a global hit, reaching the top 20 in nine countries and peaking at Number 3 on the UK Singles Chart. This track was awarded the best-selling international reggae single of the year at the World Music Awards. Following this success, Funkstar De Luxe released several remixes for notable artists including Tom Jones, Mary J. Blige, Grace Jones, and Barry White. In 2003, he released his debut album Funkturistic, which included collaborations with other prominent musicians. His track "When I Think Of You" received a remix by SASH! in 2004. After taking sabbaticals during the 2000s, Funkstar De Luxe returned to the music scene in 2013 with a remix of Kim Wilde's "You Keep Me Hanging On". In 2015, his single "Million Miles", featuring Michael Jackson collaborator Geoffrey Williams, reached Number 8 on the British Dance Chart and spent ten weeks in the UK Dance Top 20.
