As house music continues on as one of the defining musical genres, separating the good from the bad only gets harder. We’re highlighting DJ Seinfeld, a German producer who’s going on a decade of releases—here’s why even in a crowded genre, he’s very much deserving of your time.
“Time Spent Away From U” And The DJ Seinfeld Origins
2017 brought a break from the typical electronic cadence of loose singles and EPs with Time Spent Away From U and goes a long way to explaining the DJ Seinfeld story. “I Hope I Sleep Tonight” and the title track elucidate the lo-fi house bend of his earlier work, relying on analog percussion and washed-out instrumentation yet still instilling a sense of deep reflection in each song.
For the former, it’s pretty easily digestible; a sample flip of female vocals repeating the song’s title does much of the heavy lifting, but you have to listen to the latter to get a real idea. Be it minor chords or the crackly background in the song, there’s something imminently nostalgic about DJ Seinfeld’s work even if you’re hearing it for the first time.
Easily the biggest step forward for DJ Seinfeld came with Mirrors, his second album and the follow-up to Time Spent Away From U. A major improvement in production quality makes it the easiest full-length entry point. Begin with “She Loves Me”—psychedelic and reflective with some throwback production qualities that tap into that same sense of nostalgia. For a more undeniable song, “Tell Me One More Time” has all the trappings of a big room anthem, with diving melodies and affecting, reverb-soaked production.
Recent Singles Hint Towards Another Album On The Way
Don’t sleep on the producer’s back catalog, though. As far as early work, this writer’s money is on “Dreams of U and Me Above the Mezcal Moon” as the one to highlight—an epic, sprawling piece of tech house, flitting synths dancing atop alarm-like SFX that set a foundation for it.
Short of a year after the release of Mirrors, DJ Seinfeld returned with “Now U Do.” The powerhouse single leans into electronic music of the nineties and aughts, with a bit of Eurodance thrown into the mix. The music video similarly furthers that idea: a lot of crossfades, a ton of water imagery—it’s a knowing nod and an unabashed embrace overall. More granularly, it utilizes the same synth from Robin S.’s “Show Me Love,” a piece of instrumentation that’s propelled recent songs of its ilk to massive debuts (Peggy Gou’s “I Believe In Love Again,” Beyonce’s “Break My Soul.”)
Cut now to “Hopecore,” the most recent DJ Seinfeld release, and we’re largely back to where we began. Though there’s more tech influence on display with pulsating hi-hats, it’s the same blend of melancholia and dance floor bonafides that make up most of the German producer’s material. Above all, the bends in the vocal sample showcase his willingness to get experimental, a welcome sign as fans look towards a potential next album.
Catch “Hopecore” and all the music mentioned in this piece on whichever streaming platform you prefer.
Elsewhere in our coverage, Jamie xx – In Waves deserves consideration for electronic AOTY.
