Fifteen years into his run as the head of Dirtybird Records—the heavyweight dance music label he founded in 2005—Detroit native Claude VonStroke has become a figurehead of funky, hip-shaking, bass-heavy house music that never takes itself too seriously. His latest album Freaks & Beaks, which continues his tradition of winking bird puns, is perhaps his most musically adventurous to date. Heavily inspired by European electronic music, the album includes references to the forward-thinking Berlin label Keinemusik (“Session A”), the French producer Frankie (“Frankie Goes to Bollywood”) and UK rave forefathers The Prodigy and The Chemical Brothers (“These Notes in This Order”). “Flubblebuddy” nods to the off-kilter German techno records he'd crate-dig for when he first moved to San Francisco, and which inspired him to start the label in the first place. For long-time fans, there are a few subtly sentimental moments: “Warming Up the Bass Machines 2” is a sequel to the intro track on his very first album, and “Birthday Messages” features voicemails from fans celebrating 15 freaky years of Dirtybird.