Deeper Conversations EP

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Title : Deeper Conversations EP
Release Date : 21. October 2022
Catalog ref. : 020

Coming on strong with his first release for Sound of Berlin – as you would expect from the resident DJ of the hippest club north of the Spree (sorry, Berghain) – Peter Schumann’s ‘Deeper Conversations EP’ hits the sweet spot between the groove-of-all-grooves of the late 1980s Chicago, and the rugged, techy variety of the mid-1990s London. The deal here is very much: out with the new, in with the old.

Getting straight down to business, House Magic’ does exactly what it says on the tin. Lulling you into eight minutes of pure bliss with its gently glowing pads, stonking Moog-bassline, and silky organ hooks in minor 7th, it’s a solemn hat tip to none other than Mr. Fingers and his legendary 1986 cut ‘Can You Feel It?’ You want any closer to Chicago, you’ll be looking at a minimum $300 one way.

Unless, of course, your mate happens to have a sideline as a flight-attendant (what are the odds) “We have a little connection to Gramaphone in Chicago,” Schumann says. “And with my friend, with whom I run the label, he’s a flight attendant and so he brought our records to Gramaphone, 20 records, and said ‘here you can have it for your mail order for your store.’”

Schumann’s connection with house goes way back to his Frankfurt days. When he started DJing in 1995, he was one of the regulars at a club run by Ata Macias called Robert Johnson. “I was there every weekend. And that’s where I saw Mr. Fingers playing,” he recalls, eyes sparkling. “For me, it was a big education.”

By contrast, ‘Dapé’ featuring David Dorad marks a distinct change of gear as we kick off bottom heavy with chunky kicks and thick sub bass, London style, and then gather momentum before slowly morphing into a sleek, OB-6 led minimal dancefloor slammer speckled with vocal samples and ultra-smooth crossfades.Apart from breathing new life into tech house, ‘Dapé’ also captures the vibe at Holzmarkt, an impressive hub of non-stop creative activity on the Spree where Dorad has a studio next door to Schumann. After using Cubase for 20 years, Schumann made a big step by switching to Ableton Live. “I had some questions about the DAW so he answered immediately,” he remembers. “And then we thought we could do something together.”

Beginning EP

Artist :
Title : Beginning EP
Release Date : 2. September 2022
Catalog ref. : 019

What do you get when you take the cottony, sweeping pads of the IDM and throw some of that good ol’ trancey Roland TB 303 squelch into the mix?
Intelligent house, of course. That is how Pawas Gupta Sound of Berlin A&R by day, DJ producer hyphenate by night describes the fluid, spacious beats of ‘Beginning EP’in what appears to be more than a nod to Pawas’ early idols Satoshie Tomiie, Underworld, and Daft Punk. His aptly named EP represents a turning point on Pawas’ career, an opportunity to move away from his desk and get back into the studio. “As the EP title says, after a few months break I decided to work on my original style of music which I did ignore for a while,” Pawas wrote.
It is a versatile and detailed record equally suited for a full house at OHM in Berlin (‘Beginning’) or an early evening at Sunset Ashram over in Ibiza (‘Hangover’), even a pair of closed back studio headphones for a listener who has exceeded their recommended intake. “Hangover is more on the dub side which is the style I love to produce in my free time,” Pawas explained. “In this case it was done with a heavy head, hence the name…”
In a city renowned for its dance music scene and frequently ranked as the number one destination for the best nightlife in Europe, comedowns are a given. But there is another side to it as well Pawas has become familiar with since his move from India back in 2009.
“Being the kind of city Berlin is, it can bring out the best or worst in you, and in my case, it was healthy mix of both. However, it did help me evolve as a DJ and producer and made a lot of unthinkable things possible.”

Buy / stream: Pawas.lnk.to/BeginningEP

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Flamingo EP

Artist :
Release Date : 29. April 2022
Catalog ref. : 015

Followed by further releases on AvantRoots, Sirion Records, Splendid Lo-Fi, Cynosure Recordings, Tip Tap Records, Manuscript Records, Endemic Records, and Kaato Music throughout the years, Bern-based deep-house agitator Mastra makes a remarkable entry on Sound of Berlin with Flamingo EP, available digitally on April 29.

The tune that got Mastra signed to Sound of Berlin was Flamingo Nights, which is a hit. There’s a straightforward, dubby chord progression that radiates out from the center.
The music on the second track Flamingo Days feels deeper, slower, and more layered than the first one.
The seams are inaudible, and these two tracks take on a dubby, straight-forward beat quality somewhere between techno and deep-house.
Mastra’s steady hand helps them melt into each other and evolve into something else entirely, something that feels groovy and universal as his own work.
“For me, there was always the fascination that music or in other words audible frequencies open completely new horizons.  It is the only way to transmit information that cannot be manipulated and has the ability to transport emotions.” – Mastra adds.
This attention to detail is what gives Mastra’s productions their depth of soul, which is often lacking in this occasionally grueling corner of dance music.

Flamingo EP will be released digitally on April 29, followed by a music video by Guza a few weeks later.

— Mastra - Flamingo Nights (Official Video)

1 Year Compilation

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Title : Sound of Berlin - Year One Compilation
Release Date : 17. December 2021
Catalog ref. : 012

What exactly is the Sound of Berlin? What made Berlin the capital of electronic music? How did a city develop such a unique club and nightlife culture, counting more than 270 clubs and music venues, innumerable number of event organizers, party promoters, artists and music labels? Is techno the only music genre that defines Berlin’s sound? Those are the questions that occurred to our label while since our first release im December 2020.

2020 has brought a deep uncertainty to the music scene and redefined its own existence. It made people reflect on the importance of culture, music, and social gatherings. But it also opened windows to opportunities and new projects, with one question in mind – how could music thrive in the time of coronavirus? New forms of consuming music appeared – live streams, NFTs, Instagram Reels – streaming platforms exploded their listening time, and artists had to find new ways to connect to their fans. 

But music had to live. Music had to be released. Berlin had to shine. As a documentary, multimedia platform, playlists, and radio shows, aiming to amplify the voices of Berlin’s music scene, Sound of Berlin had to be a label. 

By signing newcomers as well as established artists, our team brings artists from different landscapes in order to share their stories as well as their connection with Berlin. Every month, Sound of Berlin introduces a new 2-track EP, ranging from techno to minimal, house, experimental, IDM, new wave, deep house, accompanied by a music video.

Launched in December 2020, the label has released eleven EPs, including the releases of Marc Houle, Alinka, Chymera, and Artefakt, with an amount of six nationalities, and five female artists – Rose Bonica and Olivia Corsi as videographers, Alinka, BB Deng, and a half of INIT as producers – as well as the releases of eight animated music videos on Youtube.

On December 17, Sound of Berlin – Year One Compilation has been released on all digital platforms, including a bonus track by Cleymoore.