About Remixes and Collaborations
I still remember the day I bought my first 12-inch from Booka Shade. It was 1997, the record was called “Silk” on the Dutch label Touché. I couldn’t have guessed it then, but that early vinyl would end up marking a point on the map for me. I kept an eye on their path as they went on to form Get Physical with M.A.N.D.Y. and eventually broke through worldwide with “Body Language.” I was impressed watching them go from that first record in my hands to global recognition, but I never imagined I’d one day step into the same circle with them.
Booka Shade
It all started a few years ago when they asked if I’d be up for a remix. We met in Berlin-Wilmersdorf, not at a scene bar but a place that was small, cozy, and unpretentious. Sitting across from Arno, it hit both of us how long we’d been in this game. The conversation was easy, respectful. They treated me like a peer, not a newcomer or a hired hand, and that meant something. The first remix went well enough that it led to two more collaborations, one on their label and one on mine.
Jazzanova
A few years after I first discovered Booka Shade, I also came across Jazzanova through their now-legendary Remixes 1997–2000 compilation. Their 4Hero remix of “We Who Are Not As Others” was unlike anything I had heard before: breakbeats colliding with jazz, sound design that felt both futuristic and timeless. It knocked me sideways in the best way. A couple of years later, their track “No Use” with Clara Hill showed a softer, more soulful side of that same brilliance.
Fast forward, and suddenly I was at lunch in Prenzlauer Berg with the team at Sonar Kollektiv, Jazzanova’s label. The connection came through a mutual contact, and the meeting felt effortless, like old friends catching up rather than a first encounter. They told me they were planning a series of remixes of Jazzanova’s debut album, and “No Use” was part of it. For me, there was no debate. It was an honor, and I wanted to handle the track with satin gloves, giving it a fresh coat of shine without losing the heart of the original.
Poolside
And then there’s Poolside. Their sun-drenched West Coast sound had been a touchstone for Satin Jackets from early on, so when Jeff Paradise dropped me a line saying he’d be in Europe for shows and suggested a studio session, I didn’t hesitate for a second.
At the time, Booka Shade had a room at the Riverside Studios, one of Berlin’s best-known complexes. Arno generously offered it for the session with Jeff. Before we got there, though, I met Jeff for breakfast at the Michelberger. I remember sitting with a cup of tea, slightly nervous, until he came down with an easy smile. After a casual hello, we walked over to Riverside together.
We spent two days in that studio, writing, refining, and eventually carving out what became “Pull Together.” The track later landed on Ninja Tune, one of the most respected independent labels on the planet. For me, that was bucket-list territory, the kind of dream you quietly carry as a producer but don’t really expect to tick off.
Looking Back
These collaborations and remixes weren’t just career milestones, they were reminders of how music weaves people together across decades and continents. From buying a 12-inch in ’97, to reimagining the songs of the artists I admired, to trading ideas over breakfast with someone whose records shaped my own sound, it all feels like a single line running forward. And being part of that line still fills me with gratitude.
