Releases by turntablerocker

Turntablerocker are a German DJ and club music production duo consisting of Michi Beck of Die Fantastischen Vier and Thomilla. They are associated with introducing hip-hop elements into German club culture as dance-oriented music. The Stuttgart-based musicians first met in 1994 in a record store where Thomilla worked. At that time Die Fantastischen Vier were already established within German hip-hop, while Thomilla had worked as a producer and as DJ for the band Die Krähen. Through regular encounters and exchanges about music, they discovered similar artistic interests. Beck later joined Thomilla’s DJ team at the Red Dog club in Stuttgart, where they performed together regularly until the venue closed in 1997, forming the basis of their collaboration. Their studio work between 1996 and 1997 led to the decision to appear jointly as a DJ team. During this period they worked on Beck’s solo album "Hausmarke – Weltweit", produced by Thomilla. The single "Turntablerocker – Beweg Deinen Popo" inspired the duo’s name. From 1998 onward they toured and performed under this name, abandoning a conventional division between DJ and front performer and focusing on collaborative composition and production of largely instrumental tracks. Their style aimed to create dance-oriented grooves combining influences from East Coast hip-hop, soul, and R&B, which they described using terms such as swingbeat or boogie and positioned in contrast to house- and techno-dominated club music of the 1990s. The duo released the album "Classic" in 2001, reflecting their experiences as DJs and producers. The record emphasized instrumental material with influences from funk, disco, house, and hip-hop. Critics noted stylistic parallels with late-1980s dance music and artists such as Fatboy Slim. The album entered the German album charts at number 17 and remained for eight weeks, later receiving releases in international markets including Japan, Canada, Mexico, and Australia. A tour accompanied by a specially assembled live band followed. Their second album "Smile" appeared in 2002 and differed from its predecessor through reduced reliance on sampling and a greater focus on arranged structures and vocal elements, with a generally more electronic and uptempo orientation. Music videos for singles including "No Melody", "A Little Funk", "Time For Music", and "Love Supreme" were directed by Zoran Bihać. In subsequent years they issued further singles and produced remixes for artists such as Die Fantastischen Vier, Bob Sinclar, Gwen Stefani, and Tiefschwarz. They also contributed a remix of "Run Baby Run", performed by Oceana, to the soundtrack of the film "Jerry Cotton" (2010). In December 2011 they announced their third album "einszwei", released in March 2012 alongside a club tour; singles included "Von Vorn" and "Alles auf die 303". Initially known for hip-hop-oriented DJ sets, Turntablerocker’s performances later incorporated a broad mixture of electronic styles, including electro, house, breakbeat, hip-hop, funk, and soul. The duo have described this eclectic approach as electronic wildstyle. Studio albums Classic (2001) Smile (2002) einszwei (2012) Read more on Last.fm. User-contributed text is available under the Creative Commons By-SA License; additional terms may apply.