Photo by Nicolo Lanfranchi

It’s hard to imagine a deeper, warmer combination of house and techno than what Andre Lodemann serves up. Steering clear of misguided Civil Rights vocal samples and those same old Rhodes riffs, not to mention the sanitized sounds of so much middling tech-house, he instead pairs club-ready vibes with some of the most colorful and utterly heartfelt melodies that have been pressed to vinyl in a hot minute. The Dessous, Freerange, and Simple veteran — and Best Works boss — apparently has a similar knack for teasing sweet, sumptuous sounds out of his record bag, as evidenced by this gorgeous, exclusive mix that’s as deep as it is muscular. We also corresponded with Lodemann about his love for a good vocal, his history with trance, and the gradual resurgence of house music in Berlin.

LWE Podcast 52: Andre Lodemann (68:36)

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Tracklist:

01. Missing Linkx, “Can’t U Get A Grip?!” [Philpot]
02. Soul Clap, “Sex In The Kitchen” [Wolf + Lamb Music]
03. Andre Lodemann, “The Light” [Best Works Records]
04. Ladzinski, “Diamond” [Boe Recordings]
05. Oleg Poliakov, “Besides” [Bass Culture Records]
06. Josh Wink, “Stay Out All Night” (Radio Slave Remix) [Ovum Recordings]
07. Henrik Schwarz, Âme & Dixon, “Berlin-Karlsruhe Express” [Innervisions]
08. Hell ft. Bryan Ferry, “U Can Dance” (Carl Craig Remix V.2)
[International Deejay Gigolo Records]
09. Roman Lindau, “Sonnerie” [Fachwerk Records]
10. Phonique ft. Ian Whitelaw, “Our Time Our Chance” (Andre Lodemann Remix)
[Dessous Recordings]
11. LoSoul, “Calma” [Logistic Records]
12. Josh Wink, “Dolphin Smack” (Martin Buttrich Remix) [Ovum Recordings]

How was this mix conceived? Is it a pretty good example of what we’d get from you in the club?

Andre Lodemann: Yes, it does cover a broader sound spectrum similar to my club sets. Here I move from soulful deep house to more minimal tech-house. My 90’s house background is a bit obvious sometimes. I have a preference for long mixes from one record to the next. The whole session is recorded from vinyl. I’m still addicted.

As this mix makes clear, you’ve obviously got love for vocal cuts. What makes a great house music vocal?

It’s not necessarily the vocal, it is more the perfect combination with an instrumental that makes a perfect vocal cut. Of course there are exceptions to the rule. While I was working on the remix for Tracey Thorn’s “Why Does the Wind?” I was thinking, ‘This voice can go with any instrumental.’ Another singer whose voice does the same job for me and has always impressed me is the Latina singer India, who many might know for her work with Louie Vega and nowadays for contemporary Latin music.

You came up in the German Democratic Republic. Can you describe the East German techno scene before the Wall fell? What changed after reunification?

I think there is some misunderstanding here. The scene started after the wall fell, at least where I grew up in a small provincial town on the border with Poland. The first electronic music scenes in my area were EBM and hip-hop.

Your first electronic music love was trance, and you can hear that plenty in the expansiveness of your current sound. Do you still listen to any of it? Is trance ripe for having its good name rehabilitated?

No, not really. Trance was one of the first music styles I had access to in the 90’s. The open floating spaces in the music always impressed me. They were an escape from reality for me. I haven’t heard any trance music since those days except for modern ambient music such as Aphex Twin or Biosphere. I don’t know anything about trance today as house music is my musical home now. For this reason I am unable to comment on contemporary trance.

You hint in your bio at the influence soul, funk, and rap had on the evolution of your sound. Are you still enthralled by them, and do they ever pop up Koze-style in your DJ sets?

I actually play a straight house set, though these are musical influences on my production work. For home listening they are still on my decks.

Your home base of Berlin is better known for pulverizing techno than the kind of spacey, silky deep house you’ve been making. How is your music received there, and where outside of Berlin have people really been going nuts for it?

Since the last two years house music has gained a lot of fans in Berlin. If you check out the bookings at clubs such as Panorama Bar, Watergate, or Weekend you would be surprised who is playing there these days. In the last years people like my label partner Daniel W. Best worked on bringing back that house-vibe. He has been running the old-school house night, Washing Machine, in Berlin for over eight years now together with Dixon (Innervisions), Cle’ (Martini Bros), and Terrible. He also ran the legendary Innercity Nights at Weekend with Dixon as the resident DJ. People are more open-minded towards house music these days. I also think that house music has become universally eclectic for all influences — I would call it “house fusion.” For many it takes a second listen to realize the depth and spirit of my production. I believe in taking the listener on a musical trip. It is somewhat advanced. Funny enough South Africa has been showing me a lot of love on my websites but the U.K. and U.S. have been great too. In Germany it is a bit slower.

You’re picking up steam as a producer, but you’re a long-time DJ as well. Do you see yourself primarily as a producer or as a DJ?

Both equally, of course. I love to DJ and see the people move to my music, and at the same time I often try to imagine a packed floor while producing in my home-studio.

Talk to us about your studio. What are the secret ingredients to all those lush sounds?

Oh that’s real secret… just joking. My sound is a combination of different musical processes. One of them is morphing samples through heavy effect-usage into totally new sounds. Most of my work is software based. And not to forget my mixing engineer, Jürgen Schulz, who always knows how to translate my musical language into a perfect mix-down. Props! Thank you, Jürgen.

What dance music do you love right now? And are you listening to anything outside its confines?

Dance music for me is house and soul. Besides that I really like indie rock and experimental electronic music.

What’s next for your label (with Daniel Best) Best Works? And what should we watch out for from you in the coming months?

My next release is The Light EP on Best Works Records which is out June 21st. Also as I mentioned before, my remix for Tracey Thorn is coming out on Buzzin’ Fly in June. New Lodemann tracks will be coming up on Dessous Recordings, Freerange Records, and Room With A View.