Munich-based DJ and designer Chelo reached out to us with a special proposal: He was going to visit select German cities with part of his vinyl collection, telling the story of how it all began when he started spinning records as a kid. The concept of a personal, toned-down evening with wines paired to the music raised our interest, so we happily agreed.
The venue, an industrial hall turned photo studio, was covered with pillows to bring guests down to earth with their host. Low speakers, no table, a single soft light, and a living room carpet to replace the DJ booth. Instead of the usual equipment, Chelo brought only a single turntable and a rotary mixer, which we connected to our speakers with a classic, powerful hi-fi amplifier.
The evening was paired with a drink selection by German winery Knebel, adding another sensory layer to the music and the stories being shared. An intimate atmosphere was present, making the session seem more like a hangout among friends than an actual event – also in part due to the fact that there was no real advertising or announcement beforehand.
We presented the audience with a rich, room-filling sound that perfectly matched the expressive track selection by Chelo. Oldschool hip-hop, R&B, soulful pop – from boom bap to Sade, the music was as warm as the stories. It was a refreshing take to hear each song start to finish, only interrupted by the hosts personal angle and maybe a new glass of wine being poured.
We were happy to be a part of this personal night, and it was touching to hear our speakers come to life in such a setting – with music we ourselves had previously only played on them at home on much lower levels. This also marked our first public setup with an analog source. We learned a lot from it, and were excited to run the signal chain with a mixer by our colleagues at resør electronics in it.
