Ostgut Ton: Steffi LIVE, Virginia LIVE, Dexter LIVE, Nick Höppner, Martyn

Ostgut Ton returns to Ampere with none other than two of the leading ladies of the label, Steffi and Virginia, together with Dexter, Nick Höppner and Martyn. Virginia will be presenting her new (and first) album on Ostgut Ton, which was coproduced with the help of Dexter, Steffi and Martyn.

For more info about the album please see http://ostgut.de/label/record/171

Presale: €12

STEFFI LIVE (Ostgut Ton, Underground Quality) NL

Dutch-born Steffi is a key figure in the realms of contemporary electronic music. As a resident at Panorama Bar, a respected producer and label owner, her work embraces underground electronic culture in its many forms.

With the experience that comes with promoting underground parties for over a decade, and running two record labels – Klakson, and her quickly expanding Dolly imprint – Steffi has developed a natural and professional balance between DJing and making records. Her productions continue to mature and shine, exploring many different aspects of House and Techno, with a distinctive clarity and classic approach.After 6 years as a Panorama Bar resident, Steffi compiled and mixed the Panorama Bar 05 mix CD in 2013. Fusing new tracks she selected from other respected producers like Fred P, Dexter or Juju & Jordash, along with new material of her own, she crafted a timeless mix of underground House, Disco and Techno, rich in character and narrative.Since her move to Berlin in 2007, Steffi produced a growing discography of warm, classic-inspired and hardware-enriched records. Starting with the inclusion of the track ’24 Hours’ on Tama Sumo’sPanorama Bar 02 mix, and ‘Sadness’ on Prosumer’s following 03 CD, her relationship with Ostgut Ton grew stronger. This was confirmed with the moody Kill Me EP, which preceded the arrival of her debut album Yours & Mine on the label, released in 2011. The album included the unmistakable ‘Yours’ featuring Virginia, alongside pure and hypnotic moments like ‘Mine’ or ‘Nightspacer’, making up an emotional debut LP reflecting her love for real, uncompromised club music.The development of her forward-pushing sound was then marked by the Schraper EP in 2012 on Ostgut, emphasising Steffi’s ability to produce flowing, bass-heavy club tracks, floating between classic House and contemporary Techno. Her second studio album ‘Power Of Anonymity’ was released on Ostgut Ton in November 2014.Steffi also releases music as ‘Third Side’ alongside Lucretio and Marieu – better known as the Analogue Cops. Together in 2012 they released their Unified Fields LP on Restoration Records, exploring the dynamics of a live-jam studio environment. To the ‘Cops dirt and raw punch, Steffi brings clarity and poise, and the team continue to take their hardware-only Live show to clubs worldwide. Continuing the trend of working with strong, cultured labels, Steffi also released original material on labels like NYC’s Underground Quality, or Holland’s Field Recordings. Now very at home in the studio, Steffi also provided numerous remixes for some of the most respected labels in the scene.Always looking forward, Steffi’s field of influence continues to expand. Her work as a DJ, distinctive productions, and sought after releases on her own labels, all reflect the love she has for vinyl and help to celebrate the culture of underground dance music.

VIRGINIA LIVE (Ostgut Ton, Underground Quality) DE

The talented DJ, singer, songwriter and producer Virginia has been deeply involved in electronic music for over a decade. Growing up in Munich, the energetic and dedicated artist quickly found her feet in music. Her career kick-started in the late 90s thanks to a wave of early hit singles, and she soon began to tour as a DJ, discovering a real passion for life in front of the crowd.

A whirlwind of live shows and international DJing ensued, with Virginia finding many a follower, thanks to past residencies in Munich and Frankfurt. After having relocated to Berlin she’s been a Panorama Bar resident since 2012. Inspired by the warm analog tracks of the 80s and 90s, her DJ sets combine this sound with modern records in an exciting fusion, layered with spontaneous live vocals adding a unique third dimension. With a careful mixture of peaks and also moments of reduction, she commands attention in her hybrid DJ/live performances.Her songwriting and production projects continued to grace the charts and hold her in great respect in the scene. Her full length album, Twisted Mind, was released in 2008 on Rough Trade, co-produced with Eye-Q Records’ Steve B-Zet; a wonderfully musical cross-over album that found its way into film and TV airplay. The album was a positive blend of electro-pop, a project which saw Virginia touring live on stage with a 5-piece band.Viriginia co-wrote a wealth of productions and guest appearances, alongside the likes of Steve Bug, Butch, Abe Duque including the vocal-led collaboration “Reasons” on Jus Ed’s acclaimed label Underground Quality in October 2010. Since then Virginia has gone on to produce some very exciting results with longtime friends Steffi and Dexter. While Steffi’s debut album Yours & Mine (Ostgut Ton, 2011) featured two tracks led by Virginia’s vocals (the album’s hit “Yours” and the touching “You Own My Mind”), her most recent collaboration with Steffi and Dexter came in form of the uplifting, percussion-driven vocal track “Treasure Seeking” (taken from the album Power Of Anonymity, Ostgut Ton, 2014).Virginia’s rich, colourful and vibrant voice has brought a golden touch to her widespread and highly respected release catalogue, and while she continues to collaborate with some of electronic music’s key players, she is slowly focusing on her very own prodctions. Always developing her own production skills, she has released her first solo production Loch & Hill EP on Ostgut Ton in 2013, which will be followed by her My Fantasy EP on 26 January 2015.

DEXTER LIVE (Ostgut Ton, Clone, Rush Hour) NL

Dexter’s first brush with the electronic music world was on the dancefloor as part of a breakdance crew. Back then he learnt the power of rhythm and how to move a floor, and it is something that has stayed with him through a long career producing everything from pioneering electro to deeper house and raw techno. In cahoots with Panoramabar resident Steffi he started no-nonsense label Klakson whilst releasing on Clone, Rush Hour and Ostgut Ton himself. With more than a decades experience as a live artist and DJ, there is little the man cannot do; few places he hasn’t played. Dexter speaks when he has something to say. And when he does, the world listens.

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.

MARTYN (Hyperdub, Ostgut Ton), NL