As the recordlabel holding the name of Berghain’s infamous predecessor, this one doesn’t need much of an introduction: Ostgut Ton is coming to Antwerp.
EFDEMIN (Dial Records, Curle Recordings), DE
Efdemin behind the decks: permanently in motion, wildly gesticulating, chuckling, dancing, sweating and going through his records over and over again. His DJ-sets are a lecture in tightrope walking. From being lost in reverie, total seriousness, pure delight, wit and grit, reduced house tracks, straight and dry techno, the Berliner by choice serves it all – peppered with breaks and surprises. Expose yourself to this tour de force over the course of a few hours and you certainly will never forget it. Due to his output and particularly his constant and remarkable DJ presence, Efdemin is surely one of the most independent, versatile and inspiring characters in today’s club scene.
That’s as striking as it’s conflicting with his production work. Calm, cool and collected, Efdemin’s music is infused by elegant darkness, discreet beauty and the complete lack of jittery. With long players and 12-inches for Dial or Curle, his remixes (e.g. Depeche Mode), his Pigon project together with RNDM or his drone and ambient pieces under his original name Phillip Sollmann for instance, Efdemin is equally at home in very different circles. In the world of art as much as in the techno realm, and while moving from intelligent pop quotes into the universe of Sun Ra, he does the splits effortlessly and without overstretching it. A sonic thesaurus like his second album Chicago finds his place in Efdemin’s body of work as well as the stripped down funk of Just A Track, the urgency of Acid Bells or the straightforwardness of Bergwein. Going well along with all those gestures and desires is his own Label naïf. Accordingly named and vinyl only, it’s his outlet to release music from friends and allies that is close to his heart.
MARTYN (Hyperdub, Ostgut Ton), NL
The intergalactic Jedi funkateer straight from the windy ports of Rotterdam Holland and his protectional band of camouflaged R2 units ready to take on any encountering nonbeliever of the science of bleeps n beats.
NICK HÖPPNER (Ostgut Ton, Echocord Colour), DE
Currently residing in his home of choice and calling, Berlin, Nick Höppner skillfully balances, explores and contributes to a dramatically wide range of musical professions, proving him to be one of the backbones of today’s house and techno underground. Be it through his monthly residencies at the inimitable Berghain/Panorama Bar, his solo releases for Ostgut Ton, his expansive DJ touring, or indeed his creative involvement and management of the Ostgut label since its inception, Nick stands out as a unique, long-serving and truly dedicated figure in today’s electronic music world.
As a producer and DJ, Höppner displays all the characteristics of a life-long music lover. Sensitive to the history, emotions, stories and situations that derive from this music, for Nick the scope and eclecticism available within the 4/4 rhythm allows him great freedom to express his tastes and musical instincts. Throughout his five solo 12”s on Ostgut Ton, we find lush, uplifting house, deeply melodic techno dub sessions, spooky percussive workouts, and lashings of richly produced musical statements, always ably avoiding musical pigeonholes As a remixer too, Nick’s passion for storytelling comes through with great enthusiasm, as his interpretations of Asusu on Livity Sound, Dauwd on Pictures Music or Airhead on Brainmath have all shown.