^DJ Martin Landsky

Berlin based DJ and Producer Martin Landsky is deeply fascinated and forever entwined with music.
Since his pre-teen years, the now globally respected and sought-after musician grew up tinkering with
cassette tapes, breakdancing to Funk and Rap on the streets and absorbing music... later taking up
Djing (a rare art at the time) and presenting his selections at school parties and youth clubs. His
discovery of the blossoming Acid House and Techno sounds of the late 1980s brought him in
connection with the legendary Front club in Hamburg where his calling made itself known.
The atmosphere of this club, where he soon gained a residency and met amongst others future Poker
Flat boss Steve Bug, holds a very special place in Landsky‘s musical heart. It’s what still drives him
today, deep inside, and he spoke of the .amazing experience‘ with animated honesty and passion.
As a DJ today, Martin feels his job is to convey the special emotions and feeling of such experiences.
The dark, sweaty and escapist atmosphere of the Front club, combined with growing huge appreciation
for House and Techno, alongside Funk, Soul and Rap, fueled his desire to present his own take on all of
this. So, hand in hand with Landsky the DJ, we find Landsky the Producer. In 1999 he took a trip down
the road of life and moved to Berlin, where his story escalated.
A regular and respected DJ in many of the key clubs of the era, like E-Werk, Tresor / Globus or the
Sternradio Club where he set up a regular Poker Flat Night alongside Steve Bug and Cle. By this time
Landsky had already released impressive early work on self-run imprints like Effortil, and later Intim,
which brought him notoriety further afield. It was in 2000 that the first Martin Landsky productions
surfaced on Poker Flat, with the inimitable .Crude Clay‘, and then later seminal EPs like .Spy On
Summer‘, and .Sweet Sweet Morning‘. His label Intim was also still active at the time, and classic
Landsky moments like .Naked‘ were some of the last to be released on this platform.
In 2001 Landsky‘s debut longplayer .In Between‘ was released on Poker Flat, cementing his position on
the scene as a producer and opening many new doors of opportunity. Infusing his sound with a rich,
funk influenced vibe, and tight, high-end studio sheen the sound of Martin Landksy began to evolve
even further. As a remixer, with hits like his treatment of DK7‘s .The Difference‘, Martin had also
become no stranger to critical acclaim.
A natural DJ by trade, Martin Landsky finds making his own music challenging and rewarding. Always
searching for new sounds; in turn allowing his audio make up to evolve and breathe, it’s clear to hear
those early, heady inspirations nestled beneath the surface of his warm and future-leaning recordings.
Much like one of his DJ sets, his own productions present what he loves about the music, trying to
surprise and break conventions.
Global exploration and touring was quickly becoming common for Landsky, as a stream of well-received
singles flowed in the early 2000s. More EPs for Poker Flat, like 2002‘s cheeky .Mission Upskirt‘, the
funked house of .Reject‘ (feat Filip.G) in 2003 or the classic .Housed‘ of 2004 all tied down the Landsky
sound, fresh as day and clear as a sweet morning! After the rousing tones of .FM Safari‘ kept the flame
alive in 2005, the unmistakable hit that is .1000 Miles‘, with its hazy, hypnotising and slow burning epic
feel, stood as a landmark work for the producer; a new benchmark in his repertoire.
In more recent years the Landsky powerhouse continued to grow. Not only gracing the much hailed DJ
booths of modern mecca-clubs like Watergate or Fabric, but releasing singles such as the stronggrooving
.Let Me Dance‘ (2007), the tough electronics of .Man High‘ (a hit in 2008), or his recent EP .
We Are Streaking‘ (2009) - showing off his lovingly expressed studio indulgences. All were released on
Poker Flat and explain why he is of course one of the central artists on the label.
2009 also proved to be a great year for Landsky the remixer, following 2008‘s huge re-working of
D.H.S‘s .House Of God‘. His remix of Pan-Pot‘s .Confronted‘ on mobilee records set the standard once
more, casually combining his love of deep, atmospheric techno with classic, hands-in-the-air moments.
The future is of course bright for Martin Landsky, who has already achieved so much. 2010 sees the
release of .Werkschau‘, an unmixed compilation that gathers together a hand picked selection of the
producer‘s favourite cuts. The Music stands for all that he loves, and what he loves he puts on show!
Summing up the Landsky sound, and looking back over the years one can‘t help but feel a deep
underlying quality emanate from the music. Like subtle, mature flavours running through a well-prepared
banquet.