...GET PERLONIZED

Who they are

• 

  Mathew Jonson

  Vancouver, Canada · 7 bookings since Aug 2025

  “His music offers a rare fusion of populist intensities and nuanced musicality.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  His music offers a rare fusion of populist intensities and nuanced musicality. With a keen understanding for the needs of the dance floor and the universal laws of house and techno, he's thrown out the rule book time and time again, sneaking tricks learned from electro and even drum'n'bass into the clubs, and loading up his B-sides with tracks that do what they damned well please. (No kick drum? No problem.) His standards for sound and presentation are exacting. Both on stage and in the studio, Jonson's fealty to analog equipment and real-time playing; as opposed to mere layback-serves as a standard bearer for a kind of electronic music that goes way beyond the drag 'n' drop world of digital composition. Jonson has always been eager to get his hands dirty, and the music reflects that in gnarled bass sequences and long, intuitive lines. His sounds have serious teeth. Despite his quick ascent through the ranks of the techno elite, Jonson hasn't just stayed personally grounded. He's devoted much of his energy to supporting his own close musical family, in the groups Cobblestone Jazz, Midnight Operator and the Modern Deep Left Quartet, and with his Wagon Repair label. He studied classical piano as a kid, plus jazz drumming, and played drums in a marching band – thus laying both the melodic and the rhythmic cornerstones of his music today. Thanks to his father's work as a musician, he also got his hands on synthesizers at the age of 9. By the time he discovered hip-hop as a young teen, he was recreating its electro-based beats on his own rudimentary setup at home. Jonson gradually began honing in on his own sound, both in his productions and his DJ sets, inspired by a deeper, weirder sound that had begun filtering into the Victoria's techno parties. His first record, in 2001, was the first release on Itiswhatitis (a label Mathew bought from its original owner 11 years later). Another followed in 2002, and in 2003. That year, he also made his first appearance on Perlon, 'Alpine Rocket' – a track he recorded alongside Luciano during his first trip to Europe. And then, suddenly, Jonson was everywhere: Sub Static, Arbutus, Kompakt, M_nus – and every track an anthem. "I had all that music kind of saved up," says Jonson, "and then, just by chance, released it all at the same time. People criticized me for it, said that it wasn't a good idea. But it worked out for me. All the tracks did well. I wasn't saturating the market with bad music." He's right there. In 2005, Jonson co-founded Wagon Repair, and it's been a blur since, a nonstop series of tours and recordings, solo and with his band mates. Crucially, he moved to Berlin. His studio here is jaw-dropping, frankly: a semi-circle full of gear, from old workhorses like the 808 and 909 and SH-101 to unique beasts like their Cwejman and Roland System 100m modular system. Tate's Rhodes piano anchors one corner of the horseshoe, and everything feeds into a massive desk where tracks are mixed and recorded in real-time. His two hands have come up with some remarkable material. Having perfected his brand of earthshaking epic with tracks like 'Marionette' and ‘Decompression’, Jonson has increasingly turned his efforts towards more personal, introspective music. He never left the clubs behind though; his 2010 album, Agents of Time, featured a number of tracks that are as hip-winding wily as anything he's produced yet, full-on tracks like 'Girls Got Rhythm' and 'Thieves in Digital Land'. Equally physical was his 2011 drop on Hawtin's M_nus, 'Learning To Fly', and the well-received 'Automaton' on Crosstown Rebels. His 2013 album, On Her Blurry Pictures, too; here Jonson took advantage of the long player format to stretch out and indulge darker moods and slower tempos, but the core of the record remained rooted in a dancefloor context. In 2015, Mathew fulfilled his long-standing ambition of contributing to Fabric's esteemed mix series. Fabric84 is a recording of his set at the club's 15th birthday, during which he played a number of his classic tracks and unreleased edits. The energy of the occasion and the particular way Mathew performs his material blend perfectly, capturing a singular and very special set on CD. As well as continuing to tour his in-demand solo live show, which is consistently ranked amongst Resident Advisor's top 20, Mathew has recently remixed Paul St. Hilaire + Rhauder, The Martinez Brothers, Seth Troxler, and VCMG (to add to his past work including Moby, Cybotron, The Chemical Brothers, and Nelly Furtado). He released an album with Units and Measurements in 2016, and another as his new alias Freedom Engine entitled “A Box Full Of Magic” in 2019. Eighteen years on from his debut release, 'New Identity', Mathew's sound and reputation as an artist have developed, as you would expect for someone so richly and widely talented.
  Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Global Underground, Ministry Of Sound, fabric Records, Mute Records and 6 more.

  Recently at Berghain, Club der Visionaere, Sonnenraum · often with Berghain, PARAMIDA, J. Richards, none of them here that night

• 

  The Mole

  Montreal, Canada · 2 bookings since Aug 2026

  “Seventies Hungarian funk, Youtube outsider artists, the dustiest of old Bollywood relics—all is fair game when it comes time for The Mole to pull either inspiration or wax for his house-heavy DJ sets and live shows.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Seventies Hungarian funk, Youtube outsider artists, the dustiest of old Bollywood relics—all is fair game when it comes time for The Mole to pull either inspiration or wax for his house-heavy DJ sets and live shows. Decades in, the Vancouver native still gets the jitters before a performance, which speaks a lot to his ethos. For a guy for whom a record bag is so much more than the sum of its parts, every gig is a big deal. And if you've ever had the chance to catch him in action—be it DJing or jumping between his MPC and a sole turntable—, you'd agree. Low-key and loved by many, the rambling capitán of Maybe Tomorrow possesses a steadfast commitment to keeping it groovy above all. "And weird!" A normally elusive creature, The Mole can be found most at home behind a DJ booth during the wee smoky hours in the midst of long, drawn-out sets. The more time for injecting a bit of Marvin Gaye here, some Mercedes Sosa there, the better. Known for his love of sonic collage and musical noodling, he boasts a long and colourful list of releases—for labels like Perlon, Ostgut Ton, Slices of Life, Haunt, Musique Risquée, New Kanada, Internasjonal and longtime home Wagon Repair. A relentless digger with an utter disregard for the structural capabilities of his living room floor, Colin is on a constant one-man mission to keep the record store industry afloat. This means, in his case, approaching music with the kind of open-mindedness and humility necessary for not only acquiring, but learning. Which might be what makes him an ideal bandmate to his friends in Modern Deep Left Quartet and Units & Measurements. "That—or the fart jokes." It's the low profile, the constant smile and a genuine love for music that make The Mole, an artist with a career spanning over 20 years, an easy one to recognise at a party. He's the guy with an ear-to-ear grin on his face, wondering why in the world he's getting paid for having so much fun.
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Ostgut Ton, Wagon Repair, Circus Company, Souvenir Music and 6 more.

  Last at Club der Visionaere in Aug · often with Joli B, Live Band featuring, Jonas “Stackhouse” Robinson, none of them here that night

• Sammy Dee

  Berlin · 12 bookings since Aug 2025

  “"Do what thy manhood bids thee to,?From none but self expect applause:?He noblest lives and noblest dies?Who makes and keeps his self-made laws."?[Richard Francis Burton] Revelation instead of obviousness, radical reduction versus reckless verve, ecstatic eternalness, anti-elastic dictatorship of utilization.??In the course of an existence amidst the international Techno circus manège that has been running for (in nearly correct mathematical terms) 20 years, Mario Radecki alias Sammy Dee was able to earn an irrevocable aura as an innovator of electronic music workmanship, far away from beaten mass consumption paths and neoteric-commercial validity.??As a (former) resident of Berlin based genesis time venues Tresor and Ostgut, the name Sammy Dee has already been notorious for a passionate manifestation of systematic, personality changing mixing skills back in the 90s.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  "Do what thy manhood bids thee to,?From none but self expect applause:?He noblest lives and noblest dies?Who makes and keeps his self-made laws."?[Richard Francis Burton] Revelation instead of obviousness, radical reduction versus reckless verve, ecstatic eternalness, anti-elastic dictatorship of utilization.??In the course of an existence amidst the international Techno circus manège that has been running for (in nearly correct mathematical terms) 20 years, Mario Radecki alias Sammy Dee was able to earn an irrevocable aura as an innovator of electronic music workmanship, far away from beaten mass consumption paths and neoteric-commercial validity.??As a (former) resident of Berlin based genesis time venues Tresor and Ostgut, the name Sammy Dee has already been notorious for a passionate manifestation of systematic, personality changing mixing skills back in the 90s. Defining an unparalleled audio-arty range, the vinyl fanatic likes to disperse his beliefs and visions eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth to the skilled and listening audience. Through Sammy's audiophile and distinctive presence, subtle bass-lines are consistently oscillating alongside psychotic tunes, chopped and edgy explorations float through intangibly grotesque layers - all flawlessly sailing around a mediocre moment of time with a trademark, mischievious Perlon smile. The monthly club night hosted and curated by Sammy, "...GET PERLONIZED!", at infamous Panorama Bar, is anno 2011 one of the most prestigious club events Europe-wide. It has a certain illuminating power up it's sleeve, that can not be gained by promotional exuberance or by worshipping at the alter of capital return; but with musical consistency - keywords that encompass and define everything the Berlin born artist does.??Various releases, inter alia in cooperation with Guido Schneider and Heiko Laux for Poker Flat and Kanzleramt respectively, are defining the German maestro's vita. Together with his "confederate in crime" and Perlon co-founder, Zip, Sammy created Pantytec in 1998 – eight letters that stand for an infinite flow of emotions, minimal perfection and properly arranged timelessness. Six publications followed, including one album full of all-pervading anti-labelling named Pony Slaystation.??Working together with Bruno Pronsato, the man being described in this biographical text gave birth to Half Hawaii in 2006. To date, three physical liaison results have been manifctured on Perlon, hello?repeat and Diamonds & Pearls. Sammy Dee's youngest child is named Ultrastretch. Titled after the PERLON68-B-side and not to be confused with his regular party series at Berlin based Weekend club, Sammy founded Ultrastretch at the end of 2010 with a collective of like-minded musicians and cultivated artists who were ready to walk with him on his underground community based path into a non-genre-focussed and cross-benched/forthright future. Release #1 was realized in January 2011 with Matthew Burton's 'Who Loves You/Small Winner', a Seuil and Half Hawaii EP is on it's way. "One man with a dream, at pleasure,?Shall go forth and conquer a crown;?And three with a new song's measure?Can trample an empire down."?[Arthur O’Shaughnessy] "Es reden und träumen die Menschen viel / Von besseren künftigen Tagen / Nach einem glücklichen goldenen Ziel / Sieht man sie rennen und jagen." [Friedrich von Schiller] Offenbarung statt Offensichtlichkeit, radikale Reduktion versus rücksichtslose Rasanz, ekstatische Zeitlosigkeit anti elastisches Verwertungsdiktat: Im Verlauf einer Existenz inmitten der Manege des Techno-Zirkus, welche sich über mathematisch fast korrekte 20 Jahre erstreckt, durfte sich Mario Radecki alias Sammy Dee einen unersetzlichen Nimbus als Innovator elektronischer Wertarbeit abseits von Massenkonsumation und kommerzieller Bonität erspielen. Als (Ex-)Resident der legendären Berliner Gründerzeitlokalitäten Tresor und Ostgut war der Name Sammy Dee bereits Anfang der Neunziger als passionierte Manifestation gezielt-persönlichkeitsverändernder Mixing-Skills berüchtigt. Einen musikalischen Rahmen definierend, den der Vinyl-Fanatiker zeitpunktunabhängig Auge um Auge, Ohr um Ohr an die geschulte HörerInnenschaft zu verteilen pflegt: Subtile Bässe schwingen während seiner audiophilen Präsenz entlang psychotischer Tunes, Zerhackt-Diffiziles schwebt unter Ungreifbar-Groteskem hindurch, den plausiblen und mittelmäßigen Moment mit schelmischem Perlon-Lächeln gekonnt umschifft. Der von Sammy von Anbeginn kuratierte, monatliche Clubabend "...GET PERLONIZED!" in der Panorama Bar zählt anno 2011 zu den angesehensten Veranstaltungs-Schienen Europas, jene Leuchtkraft in petto, nicht prämiert mittels promotionellem Überschwang und Gottesdienst an der Distinktionsrendite, sondern erkämpft dank musikalischer Konsequenz - ein Stichwort, welches das gesamte Tun des in Berlin Geborenen konkretisierbar macht. Diverse Releases, unter anderem gemeinsam mit Guido Schneider und Heiko Laux auf Poker Flat beziehungsweise Kanzleramt, zeichnen die Vita des deutschen Maestros. Mit seinem Komplizen am Dienst des Mystischen und Perlon-Co-Gründer Zip kreiierte Sammy 1998 Pantytec - acht Buchstaben eines unendlich fließenden Stroms an Emotionen, minimaler Perfektion und exakt arrangierter Zeitlosigkeit. Sechs Veröffentlichungen auf Perlon folgten, inklusive eines Albums voller gelebter Anti-Etikettierung namens Pony Slaystation. Mit Bruno Pronsato kooperierend, gebar der in diesem Text im Mittelpunkt Stehende im Jahre 2006 Half Hawaii, drei physische Ergebnisse der Liaison, publiziert auf Perlon, hello?repeat und Diamonds & Pearls, erblickten bis dato die Musik-Welt. Sammy Dees jüngstes Kind trägt den Namen Ultrastretch. Benannt nach der PERLON68-B-Seite - und nicht zu verwechseln mit seiner regulären Veranstaltungsreihe im Berliner Weekend - gründete Sammy Ende 2010 Ultrastretch als Kollektiv gleichgesinnter und kultivierter Künstler, welches genreschubladenunabhängig ein Stück des Underground-Pfades gemeinsam zu gehen bereit ist. Veröffentlichung #1 wurde im Januar 2011 mit Matthew Burtons Who Loves You/Small Winner realisiert, eine Half Hawaii-EP befindet sich in der Release-Pipeline. "Wenn Du ein Schiff bauen willst, dann trommle nicht Männer zusammen, um Holz zu beschaffen, sondern lehre sie die Sehnsucht nach dem weiten, endlosen Meer." [Antoine de Saint-Exupéry] Ludwig II
  SoundCloud ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Yoshitoshi, Poker Flat Recordings, Perlon, Kanzleramt and 5 more.

  Recently at Club der Visionaere, Sonnenraum, ZENNER · often with Foehn & Jerome, Bruno Pronsato, A Guy Called Gerald, none of them here that night

• 

  Zip

  Berlin · 8 bookings since Aug 2025

  “Thomas Franzmann aka Zip aka Dimbiman, co-founder of the label Perlon, is familiar with the dancefloors around the world and famous for his tremendous minimal shifts within the 4/4 scheme.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Thomas Franzmann aka Zip aka Dimbiman, co-founder of the label Perlon, is familiar with the dancefloors around the world and famous for his tremendous minimal shifts within the 4/4 scheme. He has an illustrious musical history which began in 1986 as singer in the band Second Voice. In 1992 he moved to Frankfurt and joined the EBM band Bigod 20. After several releases the band split. In 1996 he got together with Markus Nikolai and Chris Rehberger to form the audio-visual project Pile. In 1997 he and Nikolai founded the Perlon label, on which he has released under the pseudonyms Dimbiman, Pantytec (with Sammy Dee) and Narcotic Syntax (with James Dean Brown). In 1999 the SuPERLONgevity compilation was released, featuring 'Bushes', a track that has since garnered chart-topping remixes from the likes of Derrick Carter and Fatboy Slim. Franzmann also recorded with Peter "Baby" Ford and has appeared on Ford's label PAL SL. He is a regular guest DJ in clubs around the world and holds residencies at Robert Johnson (Offenbach) and the Panorama Bar (Berlin). He participates in the Narod Niki project, occasional collective laptop live jams initiated by Ricardo Villalobos and Richie Hawtin. He has released tracks and remixes on Perlon, Playhouse, Force Inc, Novamute and others.
  Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Playhouse, novamute, Perlon, PAL SL and 1 more.

  Recently at Sonnenraum, Tresor / Globus, ZENNER · often with Foehn & Jerome, A Guy Called Gerald, Daniel Bell, none of them here that night