Magical things happen when Berlin DJ-producers Hauke Freer and Matthias Reiling surrender to the disco gods and channel those cosmic funk-soul frequencies.
"Session Victim refers to the way we jam in the studio," Freer tells Crossfade, explaining the duo's unique choice of moniker. "We don't aim to write a particular kind of track, and just follow wherever inspiration takes us. It's usually a promising sign when the music works on us and not the other way around."
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That inspiration has certainly earned this pair a fair share of love from the international house community -- in particular, from vinyl purists who champion the deep soul-inflected wax cuts on Session Victim's home label, Delusions of Grandeur. After all, vinyl conservationism is essential to Freer and Reiling's M.O. -- they are seasoned crate diggers and master samplers in the studio.
"Most of our production sessions start by going to a record store and picking up some records for sampling," Reiling points out. "We buy all genres. There's really no recipe for how or where to look for the right sound. Maybe parts of recordings where a lot is happening without too much going on."
"We try to open our ears to as much as possible," he adds. "As DJs, we also play a wide range of old and new music, but certainly most of those records will be good to dance to."
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Session Victim fans will be stoked to know that Freer and Reiling are currently working on their sophomore album, a follow-up to 2012's much-lauded The Haunted House Of House.
"Right now, we are fully concentrating on the second album," Reiling confides. "We are currently staying in San Francisco, where we have rented a studio for a few weeks. Luckily, this turns out to be a fantastic place for us to jam and make music."
As for the pair's upcoming DJ set as part of Nightdrive Miami's Scaramouche party at the Electric Pickle on Friday?
"This time in Miami, it will be an all-vinyl session," promises Freer. "We are really looking forward to it, as we will be playing a three-hour set. It's supernice to play other people's productions and be able to react to the floor."
Session Victim. With Laura of Miami and Patrick Walsh. Presented by Scaramouche. Friday, January 10. Electric Pickle, 2826 N. Miami Ave., Miami. The party starts at 10 p.m. Call 305-456-5613 or visit electricpicklemiami.com.
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