Christian Prommer isn’t the average DJ, and is far from expectable in what he creates in the studio or onstage. He has always taken a jazz approach to music: open-minded, progressive, chic and atmospheric. The Munich-based DJ, percussionist and producer already experimented with samplers and drum machines in the late 1980s. Trained by virtuoso piano players and master drummers, he has spent the last 20 years moving between organic and electronic, between techno modernism and Blue Note cool.
Prommer is a multi-talented producer, DJ, and multi-instrumentalist. He has been a member of the electronic groups De Lux, Fauna Flash, Ghettoraiders, the Trüby Trio, and Voom:Voom. His remix work has appeared on nearly countless 12” singles and compilations albums on labels such as Buzzin’ Fly, Compost, Soma, G-Stone, F Communications, Global Underground, International Deejay Gigolo, Schema, Studio K7, and Sonar Kollectiv. Notable productions include Marsmobil and his Drumlesson releases, comprised of jazz versions of electronic music classics including the aforementioned singles, Kraftwerk’s “TransEurope Express,” and Josh Winkler’s “Higher State of Consciousness”.
Drumlesson was founded as a jazz group with drummer Wolfgang Haffner, bassist Dieter Ilg, Roberto Di Gioia on keyboards, and Ernst Ströer on various percussion instruments. The group’s debut 12″ was a jazz version of Derrick May’s Detroit techno classic “Strings of Life,” which was to serve as the template for the group’s next single, a cover of Isolée’s “Beau Mot Plage.” In October of 2007 CPDL released the album Drumlesson, Vol. 1, The group toured Europe, Asia, and the United States throughout much of 2008 and made appearances in 2009 as well. Along the way they issued more 12″ releases, including “Rej” (remixed by Kruder) and “Around the World,” both in 2008. The group issued its second album, Drumlesson Zwei, in the spring of 2010. This set focused on covering electro-acoustic tracks including Carl Craig’s “Sandstorms” and Aril Brikha’s “Groove la Chord.”
Last month his renowned ‘Übermood’ release was reissued as a remix EP (Compost Black Label #122), with new takes on some of its tracks by Jon Charnis, Animal Trainer and Bugsy. After a decade-long love affair with studio technology, Christian Prommer’s has been heralded for finding the ideal balance between playing and programming, electronic and organic, always revolving his one true love: the drums.
