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Review: As Summer peaks, Berlin clubbing institution Watergate brings you the brand new series where standout tracks from their discography are remixed and by some of their favourite artists. Kicking off the first instalment we have Matthias Meyer and Jimi Jules stepping up to deliver their twist on two big tunes from heavy-hitters Butch and Henrik Schwarz. First up is Meyer's remix of Butch's "Shahrzad", where he dishes out a truly timeless piece of dancefloor euphoria. With his trademark organic groove and swirling pads, Meyer guides you through a heavenly journey into the distant reaches of sonic elation. On the flip, Jimi Jules brings his A-game with a revision of Henrik Schwarz' classic "Words In Return" and in the process demonstrates an incredibly mature restraint, with precise and calculated efforts which results in an enchanting trip.

Review: With an additional run of three club-minded MASSE remix 12"s released this week by Ostgut Ton, the hugely influential label will round up their soundtrack to the Berghain ballet with a collectors box set of six stand out scores from last year's production, six of which pressed to vinyl, with a further 16 on CD. Phillip Sollmann & Marcel Fengler's Din collaboration provide some of the more experimental highlights with the Dettmann-esque "Aetas" and the industrial ambience "Creation" and "Generation", while as you'd expect Henrik Schwarz delivers splashes of flamenco, classical music and rocky pop to the compilation that's unrivalled in production by any other producer making techno.

Review: Two jazz house hip-swayers from Freestyle Man and Henrik Schwarz, strongmen of the style who have yet to collaborative until now. 'Moabit' comes to Mule Musiq, and features the living legend Jimi Tenor on sax on the eponymous A-side; a must for anyone seeking out an expressionist edge to their blue-noted party-starters. 'Dub 5', meanwhile, steps backwards into steam-stacked fogs and city backalleys, a dub techno take on neo-noir. An impressive exercise in style from the German pair.

Review: Some expansive, cinematic, orchestral spiritual jazz for you here, from the trio of talents that Fumio Itabashi, Kuniyiki and Henrik Schwarz. While the latter two are generally better-known for their deep and sometimes tech-tinged house and ambient productions, the original mix of 'Watarese' (featured here on side B) is a dense, immersive jazz soundscape laden with evocative Japanese vocals, improvised piano, moody orchestration and definite nods towards vintage free-jazz. Spiritual Life supremo Joaquin 'Joe' Clausell provides the remix and, somewhat predictably, steals the show. His take is gently rhythmic, sun-splashed spiritual jazz full of hand percussion, fluid piano motifs and rubbery double bass.

Review: You can always count on Kuniyuki to get his hands dirty with some salubrious, left-of-centre funk in a house stylee, and who better to assist him in that quest than Henrik Schwarz? "The Session 2" is a sassy beast, coming on like slowed down Detroit techno mixed with wild flares of flutes, licks of guitar and ice-cold organ stabs. Riding the slow and measured groove with ease, the track twists in free-flow like a particularly tweaked out jam session. Von Spar get busy with the remix on the flip and instantly bring some disco order to the drums, placing a more logical context behind those vibing instruments before delving into an arpeggiated wonderland.

Review: Mule Musiq muster Johannes Brecht and Lord Of The Isles to remix the The Session 2 by the Japanese label's treasured double act Kuniyuki & Henrik Schwarz. Brecht delivers a minimal and acoustic remix - pan pipes included - for his version, while impressive Scottish producer Lord Of The Isles follows up a release on the Shevshenko label with a inspiring and synthy remake to an original filled with tinges of jazz and forest ambience.

Review: Over the last three years, DJ/producer Mimmo "MoBlack" Falcone has turned MoBlack Records into arguably the World's leading label for African house music. Defected clearly thinks so, because the label has decided to put out this EP featuring tracks from remixes from Falcone and some of his regular collaborators. On side A Falcone joins forces with Armonica to deliver two sparkling, rubbery, positive and heavily electronic reworks of Fela Kuti classic 'International Thief Thief'. Both hit the spot, though it's the Dub, with its extended vocal breakdown and trippy effects, that floats our boat. Over on the flip we're treated to two versions of MoBlack, Emmanuel Jal and Henrick Schwarz hook-up 'Chagu': a bouncy Afro-tech take from Schwarz and a warmer, deep Afro-house interpretation by Falcone.

Review: Cult German DJ and producer Henrik Schwarz and he bleeds musical righteousness. Seeing as he's schooled in those musical forms that lend themselves to such sentiments - soul, jazz, funk, techno - this is hardly surprising. Since releasing his first EP in 2002, the mesmeric "Supravision" on his good friend Sasse's Moodmusic imprint, his tracks have been shorthand for musical quality and integrity. And now with the release of his DJ Kicks album on !K7 comes perhaps his most stunning work to date. Written exclusively for his upcoming DJ Kicks mix, the symphonic "Imagination Limitation" is an evocative piece of music that in its ten-odd minutes manages to incorporate dance music's entire history without ever sounding hackneyed or contrived. Beginning with an emotive, almost cinematic, piano line it builds into one shimmering beautiful groove that takes in lush, synthetic Detroit synths and one almighty soulful vocal executed with panache by himself. From there it glides into smooth house terrain taking along the way the vast, expansive vistas of disco, Afro-beat, dub and funk. In truth, it's a timeless piece of music that will find favour with all forward-thinking musical selectors. And like his DJ Kicks mix, it smacks of spontaneous inspiration. "In a way, it just came out on its own," Henrik explains. "I had the vocal line and suddenly the track was there in my head. I try to feel the music out of my body, work it out of it. It's maximum pleasure and extremely laborious at the same time. I try not to think too much about it. When I have done the first steps of a track, I take it with me to my live-sets and try out a few things. I try to absorb the reactions of the people on the dancefloor and integrate their energy into the music I do." And that's not all! Being the benevolent sort that he is, Henrik has also constructed a stunning interpretation of his original recording. An irresistible slice of fractured funk, its twisted, deviant disco and broken beats are underpinned by some blissful harp action and an overall mood of deepness that could keep Jacques Cousteau for company. A second mix will also be available as a download which will be accessed via a download code that will be found on the finished product. All in all, the three versions of "Imagination Limitation" are hypnotic trips that bode well for Henrik's exquisite DJ Kicks debut. And make no doubt about it, "Imagination Limitation" is suitably titled, for, like its creator, it's all imagination and absolutely no limitation. Lap it up because this is something extra special indeed.

Review: "Walk Music" is a deep, mesmerizing excursion into Henrik Schwarz's soul-funk-disco roots. It has a mysterious vocal line chugging into your mind while the driving beat and bass keeps your butt moving - pure funk we say. Some added strings and an exceptionally surprising arrangement make this another classic Henrik Schwarz journey.

Review: 'Instruments' is an acoustic project by internationally celebrated producer/performer/composer Henrik Schwarz. He is an artist highly on request to create energetic dance music productions for Boy George, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, indie stars Ane Brun, The Foals, Omar, or jazz legends like Mark Murphy. His intense laptop performances in major clubs and at the largest international music festivals in Japan, USA, Europe, Asia, Australia, South America catapulted Schwarz into the Top Ten League of electronic music performers.

The classical arrangements on Instruments are created by Johannes Brecht as a fully acoustic listening experience of Schwarz's chart topping melodic compositions. On this album, 7 of his compositions are transcribed for a contemporary music ensemble, including the first single ever released that got worldwide attention - "Marvin" (which came out in 2002).

Both performed and recorded strictly acoustic, without the backbone of any electronic instruments, the pureness and elegance of wood brass, strings and percussions are transporting the repetitive grooves and hymnal anthems into renowned concert halls. The Tonhalle Zurich, Concertgebouw Amsterdam, Stuttgarter Kammerorchester & Deutsches Kammerorchester commissioned arrangements to be performed in their residential venues - the concert at the Kammermusiksaal of the Berlin Philharmonic Hall on November 15, 2011 was sold out.

Review: As part of Watergate's illustrious 10 year birthday celebrations, the Berlin club and label have really treated us in commissioning Carl Craig remixes of "Take Words In Return" by Henrik Schwarz. The German's original appeared on Watergate's grandiose X Ten Year Anniversary compilation and features here too in "Return Version" form as context for what Mr Planet E has done to the track under his C2 guise. Schwarz' original is a vocal-based house-anthem, which emerges from his musical finesse to gasp for air in form of a folk-inspired hook line. After a percussive break the record's to-the-floor efficiency is unleashed. This is where Carl Craig's remix begins. From dreamy to sawing synth-lines, he utilizes the original's massive potential to 12 minutes. The first 500 copies will be pressed on 180g white vinyl!

Review: Adding to Watergate's 10 year birthday celebrations, the Berlin club and label add to the spoils by commissioning Carl Craig to remix Henrik Schwarz under his celebrated C2 banner. The German's original "Take Words In Return" appeared on Watergate's grandiose X Ten Year Anniversary compilation and now the seminal Detroit act gives Schwarz's downtempo composition an instrumental re-run. As the title suggests, no vocal are heard, with Craig transforming Schwarz's original into a body moving dance piece naturally catered for the dancefloor - ideally heard Spreeside and in the Kreuzberg neighbourhood. If anyone has the clout to pull off a one-sided release its Carl Craig.

Review: ***B-STOCK: Record ever so slightly warped with minor split/tear on spine of outer sleeve but otherwise in perfect working condition***


Although Henrik Schwarz has kept himself busy in recent years, it's been a while since he released a full-throttle dancefloor workout. This debut appearance on Gerd Janson's Running Back label - the German producer's first solo single 2013 - is arguably his most forthright and floor-friendly missive since the turn of the decade. "Not Only You" is a thumping techno stomper, where ragged, mutant, repetitive lead lines are propelled forwards by some seriously good drum machine programming. Flipside "Not You Also" offers a slightly more eccentric riff on the same blueprint, with Schwarz adding some eccentric spoken word segments and a couple of bold synth fills.

Review: Although Henrik Schwarz has kept himself busy in recent years, it's been a while since he released a full-throttle dancefloor workout. This debut appearance on Gerd Janson's Running Back label - the German producer's first solo single 2013 - is arguably his most forthright and floor-friendly missive since the turn of the decade. "Not Only You" is a thumping techno stomper, where ragged, mutant, repetitive lead lines are propelled forwards by some seriously good drum machine programming. Flipside "Not You Also" offers a slightly more eccentric riff on the same blueprint, with Schwarz adding some eccentric spoken word segments and a couple of bold synth fills.

Review: It's been 10 years since Henrik Schwarz last graced Innervisions with his widescreen take on dance music, and he's returning to his old stomping ground with the kind of cinematic strokes we'd expect from both artist and label. The drama is palpable at every turn in "Come Together", but it's especially driven by the bold arrangements of choral voices striking a tone somewhere between doomsday and the second coming. "Omnibus" is a strikingly beautiful big room brooder led by plaintive lead lines and a forthright sense of urgency, unfurling further musical figures at every 16 bars and plotting a course for the stars in the process.

Review: Henrik Schwarz may have once produced some the deepest and most atmospheric house records around, but in recent years his dancefloor output has been minimal. Instead, he's re-cast himself as composer and producer working at the cutting edge of neo-classical/electronic music fusion. He's at it again here in cahoots with Dutch string section Alma Quartet. Their inventive and otherworldly arrangements are brilliantly blended with Schwarz's subtle electronics and experimental production techniques to create evocative and imaginative pieces that are often hard to pin down. Sometimes, they're cyclical and heady, as if all involved are channeling Philip Glass or Steve Reich; at other points, they sound like classical versions of unheard minimal techno tracks. Throughout, you'll be surprised, inspired and entertained in equal measure.

Review: Good news for all those wanting to bag a whole heap of Henrik Schwarz goodness in one place, as Defected do the right thing and pay homage to a very worthy addition to their House Masters series. Of course there's no way a mere double pack could begin to cover the back catalogue the prolific producer has weaved his magic over, but there's no doubt the selections on offer are some of his finest. From the world-beating remix of Detroit Experiment's "Think Twice" to the powerful message and even more powerful bass lick of Emmanuel Jal's "Kuar", if you're lacking any of these gems then do something to rectify the situation!