luca.and.friends. with Luca ( Minimal Bar) & Freunde

Who they are

• Freunde

  54 bookings since Aug 2025

  next: Minimal Bar, Mon 21 Dec

  Last at Minimal Bar in Oct · often with DAZA, Ian Fog, In the 90s, none of them here on Friday

• FOR BOOKING

• DJ LUCA

• die Melodien

• Vocals

  2 bookings since Sep 2025

  Recently at Humboldt Forum

• die Beats

• synthesizer

  2 bookings since May 2026

  Last at Klunkerkranich in May

• 

  Armand Van Helden

  New York City, United States of America

  “Until he began branching out in 1996 with a barrage of album productions and remix classics (several of which were heard by more people than the originals), Armand Van Helden was one of the best-kept secrets in house music, recording for such labels as Strictly Rhythm, Henry St., Logic and ZYX.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Until he began branching out in 1996 with a barrage of album productions and remix classics (several of which were heard by more people than the originals), Armand Van Helden was one of the best-kept secrets in house music, recording for such labels as Strictly Rhythm, Henry St., Logic and ZYX. Afterwards, he became one of the top names in dance music altogether. As one in the steady progression of top in-house producers for Strictly Rhythm during the early '90s, Van Helden joined such names as Todd Terry, Erick Morillo, Roger Sanchez, Masters at Work and George Morel to record scores of club hits. By the late '90s, a clutch of crucial remixes and several albums made Van Helden's name as one of the most popular producers around. Van Helden spent time in Holland, Turkey and Italy while growing up the son of an Air Force man, and listened to music from an early age. He bought a drum machine at the age of 13 and began DJing two years later, mostly hip-hop and freestyle. Based in Boston while attending college, Van Helden proceeded to moonlight as a DJ; though he settled into a legal-review job after graduation, he quit his job in 1991 to begin working on production for the remix service X-Mix Productions (founded by his future manager, Neil Pettricone). Van Helden also owned a residency at Boston's Loft, and soon made it into one of the most popular nightclubs in the city. After playing one of his production demos for the dance A&R guru Gladys Pizarro in 1992, Van Helden released his proper debut single, Deep Creed's "Stay on My Mind," for Nervous Records. Later that year, Van Helden released "Move It to the Left" by Sultans of Swing, his first single for the premiere American dance label Strictly Rhythm. Though a moderate club hit, the single was eclipsed by another Strictly Rhythm offering, 1994's "Witch Doktor." It became a dancefloor hit around the world and introduced him to a larger club audience. Although he had remixed Deee-Lite, Jimmy Somerville, New Order, Deep Forest and Faithless, a reworked version of Tori Amos' "Professional Widow" hit the clubs with the same impact as his "Witchdoktor" single. During 1996-97, Van Helden became the name for forward-thinking pop artists to recruit for remixing duty from the Rolling Stones, Janet Jackson and Puff Daddy to Sneaker Pimps, C.J. Bolland and Daft Punk. His own-name singles productions continued unabated, with hits like "Cha Cha" and "The Funk Phenomena," plus the release of his first album, Old School Junkies. Following a 1997 Greatest Hits retrospective, Van Helden returned to his old-school rap roots with the party breakbeat album, Sampleslayer...Enter the Meatmarket. The 2 Future 4 U EP followed in 1998, and in mid-2000 Van Helden returned with Killing Puritans.
  Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Defected Records, Housesession Records, Magnetic Recordings and Dim Mak.
• 

  Felix Da Housecat

  Chicago, United States of America · 2 bookings since Mar 2026

  “Felix da Housecat’s 2001 album, Kittenz and thee Glitz, turned the dance music world on its side as his collaborations with the now infamous Miss Kittin on “Silver Screen” and “Madame Hollywood” and Melistar on “Harlot” and “What Does it Feel Like” spawned a synth club revival.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  Felix da Housecat’s 2001 album, Kittenz and thee Glitz, turned the dance music world on its side as his collaborations with the now infamous Miss Kittin on “Silver Screen” and “Madame Hollywood” and Melistar on “Harlot” and “What Does it Feel Like” spawned a synth club revival. Along the way, Felix gained mainstream press acceptance and was heralded by Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and Spin as one of the most creative artists in music today. With DEVIN DAZZLE AND THE NEON FEVER (2004, Emperor Norton), Felix once again has sewn together an album a la hip-hop’s Dan The Automator and Prince Paul which taps the talents of varied producers and vocalists and creates a thoroughly enjoyable ride. Boasting guest vocals from James Murphy of DFA/LCD Soundsystem (“What She Wants”) – “He’s a cool white boy with lots of funk,’ states Felix, Tyrone "Visionary" Palmer (“Ready to Wear,” “Neon Human”), Kate Wax, and an all-girl group known as The Neon Fever (“Rocket Ride,” “Short Skirts,” “Everyone is Someone in LA,” “Hunting Season”) Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever transcends simple dance, rock or pop music. While Kittenz had it’s framework squarely built upon DJ and club culture, Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever is an album built upon punk/post new-wave culture and is deliberately more song oriented. To accomplish this Felix took a new approach. “I decided I wanted to use live musicians for this album,” Felix explains. “I got so tired of the arpeggiated bass lines everyone's using, so I went out an got proper live musicians. I play keyboards because I really wanted to get a live feel for this record." Talking about some of the cast of characters he enlisted for the album, Felix relates how each had an effect on the superego of the album. The tracks on Devin Dazzle fluctuate between an upbeat spiritual side versus the temptations of the excess of nightlife under neon lights - partying and sex. The Neon Fever (formerly known as Glamarama) represents the latter. “The Neon Fever are five girls from around the world that represent five different types of women,” states Felix, “I wanted to capture their individual personalities within the lyrics and make their voice a collective through each song. I wanted to capture the inside scoop of guys looking into a woman’s world. I think the result is some lyrics that aren’t what guys would typically write.” Felix’s Kittenz cohort, Dave the Hustler, introduced Felix to Kate Wax. “I was real impressed with her because although she is a talented and impressive producer in her own right. She was willing to listen and work to improve with me. She’s real pretty and ambitious and for her to go with the vibe it was amazing. ‘Let Your Mind Be Your Bed’ is just the tip of the iceberg given her talent.” “Tyrone ‘Visionary’ Palmer was the spiritual leader of the entire album and kept me writing about things that were meaningful. He brought a good balance to the record,” relates Felix. Over the course of 20 years his determination and willingness to re-invent himself have led him to a point that has now included a Grammy nomination, remix work for artists such as Madonna, Garbage, New Order and Giorgio Moroder; to DJ gigs at the world’s most prestigious music festivals. Born in Detroit in 1971 and raised in Park Forrest, outside Chicago, Felix Stallings, Jr.'s earliest influence was his father, a saxophonist who turned him on to classic '70s funk and soul by artists like Stevie Wonder and Earth, Wind & Fire. His next major musical epiphany came about when Purple Rain dropped and he became the keyboardist for Shades of Blue, a band that covered Prince & the Revolution songs. In Chicago during the early '80s, the House music revolution grabbed Felix’s attention. For Felix, it centered around Chicago's 102.7 and the pioneering Hot Mix DJs. "I remember listening to Farley ‘Jack Master’ Funk, Mike ‘Hitman’ Wilson, Micky ‘Mixin'’ Oliver, and Kenny ‘Jamming’ Jason," Felix says rattling off the city's House pioneers. By 14 he too was recording house music on his four-track. A school friend introduced him to DJ Pierre who he collaborated with on their classic house track "Phantasy Girl". But Felix's tastes weren't limited to a single genre. His senior year he played in Uncut, a band with an R&B-like vibe. After graduation he enrolled at Alabama State and began making hip-hop. After two years in the Deep South (an experience he compares to “prison") he flunked out. In 1991, Felix moved into his parents' basement, studied audio engineering at Columbia College and worked at Eduardo's pizzeria. "It was rough," he says. "I hated those ovens and I kept thinking something's got to give." What finally gave was Pierre’s once-in-a-lifetime offer. "Once I got to London and saw all those punk rockers," Felix says, "I thought `this is where it's going to happen.'" Armed with a box of DATs, Felix made the rounds. "It was crazy," he says, "I'd walk into a label cold, play a track, and they'd sign it!" He quickly sold "What's Love About" to Freetown Inc and "Thee Dawn" to William Orbit's Guerilla label and returned to the states with more money then he'd ever seen. In 1992 "Thee Dawn" became a European smash and Felix blew-up overseas. "I was producing a track a week for different labels," he says. The next year, the success of "Thee Underground Made Me Do It," and "In Thee Dark We Live," helped further cement his fame. The latter track, released under Aphrohead, was just one of Felix's many production aliases which would come to include Wonderboy, Rocketmann, Outerrealm, Thee Glitz and Thee Maddkatt Courtship. Felix scored an album deal with Deep Distraxion in 1993 and dropped By Dawns Early Lite, one of the first full-length dance music artist albums ever. Unlike other dance artists, Felix didn't start DJing until midway through his career. "My first DJ gig was in London in 1994 and it was horrible," he says laughing. "I was train-wrecking all over the place." (Now, of course, with DJ of the year honors from Spin and Urb it's a different story.) In 1995 Felix started Radikal Fear records with European distributor Play it Again Sam. Between 1995 – 96, he made four full-length records Alone In The Dark, Metropolis Present Day? Thee Album, Thee Underground Made Me Do It and Rocketman. In 1997, Felix released the import-only I Know Electrikboy by Thee Maddkat Courtship, an album that despite its limited release, earned Felix reams of fawning press. That same year he played Switzerland and met Miss Kittin and Dave the Hustler. "We got along great and went into the studio and got all silly," Felix explains. The realization of their “silliness” was one of the most influential dance music releases of the past decade. ”Nobody expected it," says Felix of Kittenz & Thee Glitz's meteoric success, “but it just took off." It’s Moroder-indebted beats, funky synth lines, and insouciant L.A.-meets-Eurotrash vocals captured a moment in time when, after a period of political turmoil, people simply craved "endless pleasure in a limousine." In addition to adoring reviews in The New York Times and Rolling Stone, Kittenz won album of the year honors from Muzik Magazine and Dancestar USA. Post-Kittenz, Felix has become one of the most sought after remixers and producers on the planet reinterpreting songs by everyone from the Pet Shop Boys to Kylie Minogue to Nina Simone. In 2003 he was nominated for Grammy Award for his mix of Rinocerose’s “Lost Love," released two mix albums entitled Excursions and Bugged Out and began working with artists like P-Diddy, who were eager to tap his prodigious production skills. With all that said, one inevitable question remains, where did the name "Devin Dazzle and the Neon Fever” come from? Felix being Felix, has an answer for everything: “Devin Dazzle is a character fascinated by the nightlife," he says "Every time he sees neon lights he gets the fever. But Dazzle has a friend named Neon Fever who’s a bad influence on him and is everything opposite of Devin.” So, might this be an autobiographical album? “It’s something personal” he says, “and I’m not gonna tell.”
  Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists Global Underground, City Rockers, Obsessive Recordings, PIAS and 6 more.

  Recently at Kosmos KG · often with Todd Edwards, Devoye, none of them here on Friday

• 

  DJ Koze

  Hamburg

  “DJ Koze, aka Stefan Kozalla, born in Marrakech, is a renowned German DJ and producer celebrated for his unique and genre-defying music styles.”

  their own biography

  the whole biography

  DJ Koze, aka Stefan Kozalla, born in Marrakech, is a renowned German DJ and producer celebrated for his unique and genre-defying music styles. His music transcends trends and creates its own universe, mixing psychedelic and unconventional elements, which makes him an outstanding figure in electronic music. He began his career in the hip-hop scene and gained recognition in the 1990s as a member of the legendary German hip-hop group Fischmob. Around the turn of the millennium, Koze formed the electronic pop band International Pony. The band released two critically acclaimed albums on a major label. DJ Koze's solo album Amygdala, released in 2013, showcased his ability to connect emotions with complex soundscapes, earning widespread acclaim. The album featured artists like Caribou, Apparat, Rhye, Matthew Dear, among others, and is a fascinating interplay of house, techno, and pop elements that is both danceable and deeply profound. In 2018, he followed up with Knock Knock, another masterpiece that further refined his style. The album retains its unconventional approach, bearing his unmistakable signature. It featured artists like Róisín Murphy, José Gonzales, Kurt Wagner, Sophia Kennedy, and others. One notable single from the album, "Pick Up," garnered widespread acclaim for its infectious energy and creative production. Knock Knock was praised by critics, reached the top 10 in the German Album Charts, and solidified his position as one of the most innovative artists in electronic music. Koze's remixing skills and productions have earned him significant recognition. His 2012 remix of Matthew Herbert's "It's Only" was named Resident Advisor's #1 Track of the Year, and his 2014 remix of Moderat's "Bad Kingdom" became iconic. His remix of Låpsley's "Operator," released in 2016, further exemplifies his innovative style and highlights his talent for elevating songs, solidifying his reputation as a leading figure in electronic music. His label, Pampa Records, has released works from leading underground artists. Koze remains highly influential, with his DJ sets, music productions, and remixes in high demand globally. In 2023, he produced Róisín Murphy's album Hit Parade, which was released on Ninja Tune. Hit Parade became Murphy's highest-charting album on the UK Albums Chart, peaking in the top five, and debuted in the top ten in Germany, as well as the top twenty in Belgium, Ireland, and Switzerland. In 2023, the visionary artist presented his Wespennest EP, his first solo release since 2018's global club hit "Pick Up." DJ Koze’s new album Music Can Hear Us, released on April 4, 2025, entered the official German album charts at number 4 and received widespread critical acclaim worldwide. Major publications such as Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, Wall Street Journal, Musikexpress, and many others have celebrated its brilliance. In the music scene, platforms such as Resident Advisor, Musikexpress, Groove, Diffus, MINT, HHV MAG, and BEAT Magazine have all highlighted the album’s magic and Koze’s unique artistic voice. Music Can Hear Us is destined to be one of the year’s most talked-about releases.
  SoundCloud ↗Bandcamp ↗Discography ↗
  Their RA profile lists XL Recordings, Ninja Tune, Cocoon Recordings, Warp Records and 6 more.

• einige bisherige Stationen hinter den Plattentellern

• Geburtstagsklub

• Resident im Spreerausch

• Schweiz

  2 bookings since Jul 2026

  Last at Humboldt Forum in Jul

• Tunnel Luzern

• Koh Chang

• Thailand

  4 bookings since Jun 2026

  Last at ÆDEN in Jun · often with Bangkok, Deacon Frost Jr, Based in Berlin, none of them here on Friday

• Sanatorium23

• Resident im Stereo33

• Index

• Schüttorf

• Weißer Hase

• Promenadeneck

• Süß war Gestern

• Birgit und Bier

• Destination Sound

• Bernau

• Kuhstall

• Straußberg

• Alte Post

• Spandau

• Maze Club

• Rosis

• Mein Haus am See

• Cosmic Kaspar

• Nachgalerie

• München

• Schron club

• Poznan

• Polen

• Vlkova26

• Prague

• CZ

• Freundetreffen Festival

• Rüdersdorf