In Session: Matthias Tanzmann

Try and stop yourself for a moment next time you’re halfway through a Matthias Tanzmann show, just to have a look around. Deep in an incubator of the best deep and tech-house on the market, you’ll notice you haven’t stopped dancing. You can’t stop dancing. The next song will seamlessly drift in and your body will lock back into a deep hypnotic rhythm and you won’t feel like stopping again.

The German-born DJ has built up an international reputation synonymous with tech-house and thanks to these sets, and, much like his mixes, Tanzmann rarely lets up. An unrelenting tour schedule has seen him dubbed one of the hardest-working DJs in the game and become an Ibiza mainstay while regularly playing across three continents.

This year alone he’s played in 21 countries while maintaining his decade-long residency for the Circo Loco crew at DC10. His sets have always been well received in Ibiza and these days his name stands alongside the Jose de Divinias and Tania Vulcanos of the party’s history. But he shies away from the praise heaped on him.

Tanzmann plays down the title of best German DJ on the island, believing it belongs to the likes of Sven Väth, a figure that played a big part of his musical education when he was illegally raving in Leipzig warehouses in the mid 90s. Väth reigned king of the burgeoning German techno scene but Tanzmann eventually developed a taste for the sound he associates with today thanks to regular pilgrimages to Berlin clubs like Tresor.

With all his jet-setting you could forgive Tanzmann for moving on from his roots in Leipzig, maybe in favour of the warmer climes of Ibiza, or the edginess of nearby Berlin. But he’s stayed true, still living there and keeping the office of his long running label Moon Harbour in his town of birth.

Much like anything Tanzmann is involved with, quality control has been at the forefront of Moon Harbour’s output with consistently top-notch tracks from the deep to tech house spectrum.

Having released all of his own music through the imprint, Tanzmann’s heavy schedule has limited his output in ways. His last album came out eight years ago, the name of that release aptly titled ‘Restless’.

But the extensive travelling does have its upside and after being inspired by trips to Thailand and South America, Tanzmann carved out some time to get into the studio. His second album 'Momentum', is scheduled for an October 7 release and, as he put it, pits listening pleasure against dancefloor material.

“It is stuff to listen to at home, stuff I like to listen to away from the club. Of course it also contains tracks that are 100% what I love playing in my DJ sets.”

But don’t expect any sit-down moments from this mix that effortlessly weaves its way through an hour of emotive grooves. If it doesn’t make you feel like tearing up a dancefloor, then there’s something wrong.

Pre-order 'Momentum' here

Buy tickets for Tanzmann's tour here