29.Jun.2019 Drei Farben House ‘Supreme Beats Series‘ (Tenderpark 022) – out now!

The Soulpop Continuum – by Arno Raffeiner

Six songs, one sound signature, one vision. Supreme Beats Series by Drei Farben House is an album that firmly stands in the tradition of the big records of the disco era: a vinyl disc full of kicks and licks, just as much as two sides in amazing sound quality can hold.

The album is the latest work of Michael Siegle, the Berlin-based producer and owner of Tenderpark Records. 13 years after Drei Farben House’s first full-length on the acclaimed Force Tracks label, it features contributions by singer and songwriter Mavin and none other than Robert Owens who’s voice shaped house music forever. The trademark sonic elegance of Drei Farben House blends perfectly with the timbre of the man behind Fingers Inc.’s Mysteries Of Love. Siegle’s work as a producer is not so much about turning this rich heritage upside down, but about refining it and creating a space within that realm that’s very much his own.

The title of the opening song with Owens states it: I’m Remaining Here. And Supreme Beats Series invites you to come over and stay there, too, in a refuge of class and funkiness. The record offers dense layers of rhythm, vintage keyboard sounds, chucking guitar, and vocal samples that indulge in a many-voiced conversation. Not to forget the prominent, singing rather than walking bass lines performed by the hands of Michael Siegle himself with his bass guitar.

You could think of Supreme Beats Series as a cross-section in time and space. It allows you to take a closer look at the here and now of a much bigger picture, both aesthetically and socially. Siegle uses the vocabulary of house music in a way that transcends its conception as merely a genre and speaks of the historic evolution and the profound roots of this music as a movement. His record takes inspiration from 60s Motown hits as well as the blue eyed soul of the 80s, you can discover influences ranging from Philly’s pre-disco craze to new jack swing and on to the heyday when house-pop divas stormed the charts. By drawing these lines, Siegle deliberately opens up the space of a visionary Soulpop Continuum.

In the 1950s, the American issue of Vogue magazine had their say about Coco Chanel’s work and its ever-lasting impression on fashion and design. They claimed it was all about “infinite variety within narrow limits,“ and meant that as a compliment, of course. Michael Siegle likes to think about Drei Farben House in a similar way. And you should, too.

04.Okt.2017 CROMBY ‘RUSHMORE BASEMENT TRACKS’ (TENDERPARK 021) – OUT NOW!

After moving from London to Berlin Cromby is back on Tenderpark with his second EP for the vinyl label. The young man recreates our love for Deep House with two sample-based tracks which showcase his ever advancing skills with the old school Akai sampler MPC 2000 XL as well as his cool understanding of mixing haunting melodies with gripping groove patterns. The remix on the flip side comes from Hip-Hop super producer gone House lover Hodini who has collaborated with the talented bass player Chez Kerim for this funky workout.

The cover image shot by Achim Valbracht is the start of a new artwork series developed by Tenderpark art director Till Sperrle which revolves around critique of investor-driven architechture that has been dominating Berlin for several decades now. The speciously precious and glittering image displays a normalised and globally standardised kind of beauty but at the same time reveals a strong sense of loneliness.

As always both the mastering and as well as the lacquer cut of this record have been carefully executed by vinyl sound mastermind Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering.

23.Apr.2017 Drei Farben House ‘Fluency Fabrics’ (Tenderpark 020) – out now!

For all of his life Berlin based musician Drei Farben House has been thrilled by the artistic concepts of repetition and modifying resemblances. Small but precise and perceptible variations of (musical) themes have been fascinating him throughout his life as a lover of dance-infused Pop. The artistic concept of handwriting has been questioned in the world of fine arts with some justification, but Michael Siegle aka Drei Farben House has remained a strong advocate of this artistic principle which in his view has resulted in so many impressive musical expressions in the history of Soul and Disco – reference points which have been particularly important to Siegle’s creative work.

The album’s sleeve shows the ‘Doris and Norman Fisher House’ in Hatboro (a suburb of Philadelphia) designed by Louis I. Kahn from 1960-1967. Kahn, based in Philadelphia and one of the most influential architects of the twentieth century, was already in his sixties and progressively getting famous around this time for his sensitive combination of concrete and brick in larger scales. The almost spiritual sensibility of his buildings and his poetry of light created deep, fundamental connections between the spaces and their inhabitants.

“Every building must have . . . its own soul”, this famous quote of Kahn can easily be seen in the modest and wonderfully warm Fisher house which consits of two intersecting cubic volumes created from cedar wood – finished at the same time when only twenty miles away the newly founded Sigma Sound Studio recorded the Delfonics first record, installing the basements of Philadelphia Soul which was later leading to Phillysound, Disco and House.

Drei Farben House likes his new album ‘Fluency Fabrics’ to be seen as a piece of work using Disco as a main inspiration source, but steers clear of aesthetically imitating the pioneering sounds of the 70s and 80s from New York and Philadelphia. Instead, this album strongly emphasizes a claim to contemporariness and unmistakably locates itself in the House music scene of the presence. Still, the references to the times of classic Disco are all there: from the laid-back tempo which leaves room for the dancers to breathe and unfold to the traditional format of a vinyl record. Remaining true to this classic Disco format of vinyl 12”s results in certain limitations to the amount of how many tracks can be pressed on a record without loss of quality. However, Drei Farben House considers these limitations of format as a welcome challenge and an act of concentrating on the essence of the album.

Concept, art direction and graphic design of ‘Fluency Fabrics’ have been created by Till Sperrle of ITF Grafikdesign, one the most sought after conceptual designers in the field of electronic & independent music. The cover photograph has been photographed by the leading architectural photographer Tom Crane. As always all tracks have been thoughtfully mastered and cut by sound engineering proficient and vinyl expert Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering.

09.Jan.2016 CROMBY ‘PLANETS AND PARKS EP’ (TENDERPARK 019) – OUT NOW!

Cromby is an exciting addition to the London House music scene: Originally hailing from Belfast he has made camp in the British capital and brought his MPC 2000 XL with him. The young man who has grown up listening to Chez Damier and Moodymann makes use of the Japanese sampler from Akai in a highly fresh and creative way combining raw drums with sweet and melancholic pads and chords. On his ‘Planets And Parks EP’ Cromby displays a very nice balance between a traditional Deep House understanding and a forward thinking attitude and is thus just perfect for Tenderparks’s idea of musicality. As far as the artwork of the record is concerned the beautiful black and white image is the last part of Tenderpark’s current series concieved by art director Till Sperrle and photographer Magdalena Bichler. And as you’ve come to expect from Tenderpark all tracks have been mastered and cut by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering once more.

01.Sep.2015 Embezzlement Society ‘Rough Quarters EP’ (Tenderpark 018) – out now!

Embezzlement Society takes us back to the early days of 80s Hip-Hop with his ‘Rough Quarters EP’. On his record the man from Belfast heavily relies on Funk-based drum loops as were popular in the glorious days of old school Hip-Hop. The results are two super casual tracks with a cool Hip-House attitude – just perfect for Hip-House lover Drei Farben House who took the chance to contribute a remix in his slick and smooth style, merging the raw drums with some tender Rhodes. Tenderpark regular Roman Rauch finishes off the EP and slows down the tempo in his remix concentrating on the originals of the samples and displaying his mastery with the MPC once more. As always all tracks have been mastered and cut by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering.

14.Mrz.2015 Borrowed Identity & Mechanical Soul Brother ‘Caps and Chords EP’ (Tenderpark 017) – out now!

There is quite a charming story of mutual love between Borrowed Identity and Tenderpark behind this record. The two have been exchanging letters of enthusiasm for each other for quite some time. And so the idea of this joint record has grown very naturally. For the ‘Caps and Chords EP’ Borrowed Identity teams up with his longtime musical partner Mechanical Soul Brother once more. As the title of the EP suggests, the two studio wizards come up with three very elegant Deep House tracks which are indulging in tender chords complemented by sweet Soul vocals und Funk samples. Add Borrowed’s powerful trademark beats and you get an incredibly accomplished Deep House release which reflects the two men’s mastery and perfectly fits Tenderpark’s musical route. As always all tracks have been mastered and cut by Helmut Erler at Dubplates & Mastering.

26.Nov.2014 Tenderpark 016 out now!

Wow – Black Dynamite’s second strike for Tenderpark ventures even more into Hip-Hop territory than his successful first EP back in 2012. Ivano Tetelepta, the man behind Black Dynamite has created three casual and well-hung tracks which form a fascinating hybrid between leftfield House and instrumental Hip-Hop. All tracks have been recorded on an oldschool analogue tape machine to create a warm vintage feeling which subtly underlines the musical deepness of these beat-centered creations.

The cover design is the second part of Tenderpark’s new black and white artwork series which has been concieved by the label’s art director Till Sperrle and photographer Magdalena Bichler. As with previous artworks this series illuminates the various shades and interactions between man-made and natural environments.

13.Apr.2014 Tenderpark 015 out now!

Tenderpark celebrates its 15th release with new signing Tilman. On his Mild Western EP the young man from Mainz pleases with two very funky and soulful House tracks which just perfectly fit the label’s musical philosophy. This is Deep House with a strong sense for the music’s roots in Soul and Disco implemented in a decidedly modern and fresh fashion. The remix of Tilman’s track “Whip Me Up” comes from CMAT who is quite a well-known artist having released on Tenderpark before and who will soon come up with a new record on the label. CMAT is still a secret alias of his, but his identity will be revealed soon. With catalogue number 015, Tenderpark also initiates a new artwork series once again concieved by the label’s art director Till Sperrle, this time cooperating with photographer Magdalena Bichler from Berlin. The picture series will continue Tenderpark’s interest in the interaction of artificial and natural as seen in the interplay of landscape and architecture.

09.Sep.2013 Drei Farben House ‘Choice Item’ Tenderpark 014 – out now!

Drei Farben House returns on Tenderpark with his third album ‘Choice Item’, consisting of eight light-footed slices of Soul and Disco as perceived through House-tinted glasses.

Most cuts on ‘Choice Item’ are based on Philly grooves – born out of a deep respect and love for the Philadelphia Soul tracks of the late 70s and early 80s. It’s from this period that Michael Siegle (aka Drei Farben House) draws his inspiration for this long player. As Soul and Disco lost their initial freshness and novelty, the music matured into something warmer – which perhaps already contained a sense of its own passing. Drei Farben House delves into this feeling, delivering an album as warm and welcoming as a late summer or early autumn afternoon.

Each track sees Siegle balancing Pop sensibilities within a House music context – re-contextualising the commercial Soul music of the last decades. Taking snippets of this glorious musical past and feeding them through Drei Farben House’s colourful prism results in the creation of something new and fresh: Part homage to the Pop/Soul sensibilities of the commercial side of Afro-American music, part forward-thinking House album. The record is also an expression of Drei Farben House’s love for two particular instruments – the warm, muted sound of the acoustic snare drum and the dynamic tones of the bass guitar – both of which were dominant during the Philly era and which feature heavily throughout this record and thus fully complement Siegle’s soft, emotive vocals.

The sublime artwork comes courtesy of long-time Tenderpark collaborator Till Sperrle. With the recent Tenderpark release photography based on details of a building by Pierre Vago in Berlin’s Hansaviertel, the new artwork decorating ‘Choice Item’ now makes use of a modernist building from the era of the former GDR (DDR) in Jena called ‘Glashaus Paradies’. While the Hansaviertel in West Berlin, completely designed according to the ideas of the international style, was also an ideological counterpart to the Stalinallee in East Berlin, a statement to tell the tale of the superiority of the western systems, the ‘Glashaus Paradies’ in Jena by architect Friedhelm Schubring shows that the ideas of modernism, which are still and have always been about a fair, equal and creative global society are not bound to political ideologies.

12.Jun.2013 Tenderpark 013 out now!

YNK’s third EP for Tenderpark sends us straight to Dub House heaven with the lush and chord driven deepness of “Paradigms Lost”. Just as dreamy as it’s thrilling, the track perfectly illustrates YNK’s highly musical approach to House which he further underlines with “Colorit” on the flip side: This fresh and funky piece of music is overflowing with Philly Soul Rhodes pianos and vocals. So Philly lover no. 1 Drei Farben House obviously just had to contribute a remix in which he carves out the classic harmonies of the original and adds an ultra funky Disco groove. Also, with this release our third artwork series draws to a close.