‘Best New Music’ this week comes in from German duo Piemont, already proven within the Techno and House scene as a production powerhouse, they’ve cemented their place over the last decade as forward thinking experimental tastemakers Europe wide. Made up of long-time friends Frederic and Chris, the pair first decided to hook up and make music together back in 2007. As well as releasing on acclaimed labels like Monika Kruse’s Terminal M, MBF, SKINT and Resopal, Piemont are also masters of their own destiny thanks to the well respected Plumbum and Suchtreflex labels they have run since 2007.
“What is it that’s unique about House music? For us, it’s the fact that it contains the spirit of soul and funk, but with a tempo to dance to. Even though House music nowadays exists in thousands of variations, it’s amazing to us that the essence never actually changes. Rough beats and sampled grooves will always make people want to dance. Lately, we’ve been listening to a lot of old school House and Hip-Hop tunes and we’ve really rediscovered that jackin’ and analogue sound. ‘Crowned’ is a result of this. We have sampled some vintage stuff from the late ‘70s, put so much time and effort into the beats, and the result is a House record with an authentic and analogue touch”. – Piemont
As DJs too, they have travelled far and wide. On top of playing regularly across Europe at places like Berlin‘s Berghain, Hive Club in Zurich and Studio 80 in Amsterdam, this pair have headlined countless festivals and have played across Russia and Japan – continually joining the dots between house and techno styles, going deep or raising their heads into more peak-time territory. As such, they are a very real voice in the global techno conversation; have plenty more to say and keep many people listening intently.
For their debut release on Toolroom Records, Piemont present “Crowned”, a solid slice of organic underground House music crafted through genuine and ingenious musicianship, “Crowned£ will be released on Monday, September 8, and the track itself is a perfect slice of organic house that jacks along with a soulful and stellar groove.
The pair actually grew up in ‘90s Hamburg listening to singer-songwriters and various rock bands. Always soaking up the use of real instruments and proper arrangements throughout their youths, that genuine musicianship is something that now shines through in Piemont’s own contemporary electronic productions. In terms of dance music, it was French filter house acts and stadium sized ravers like Daft Punk and Chemical Brothers respectively that first turned them on to the possibilities of house and techno, whilst the more subtle intricacies of top labels like Playhouse and Kompakt also continue to inspire and influence this pair, who since then, have gone on to establish themselves as one of the foremost partnerships in techno.
Piemont’s sound is best describe as organic techno. Their music always comes stuffed with a sly robo-funk and is built in many rich layers. Their preference for ambient sounds, melodic lushness and abstract electronica makes every track different from the next – for evidence just listen to their recent Jump Off EP for Terminal M, or earlier classics like Carbonat and Back Smoker.
Each release tells its own story and often Piemont music is as suited to home listening as it is club dancing. The best proof of this has come in the form of their two excellent and fully formed long players Strange World Beyond and Sand Hills, and the good news is a third one is on the way sometime this year. There’s plenty more to look forward to with these guys but as always you can catch up with all the things you’ve missed on their Soundcloud and website, listen to “Crowned” below.
Words by Akua Ofei // Edited by Ayo Adepoju
