Track? !D.

When Dixon entered the Berlin club circuit in the early 90s, he made his name on the strength of his djing. Back then, confidence or experience from releasing mixes online didn’t matter as much as it does now. You had to do your practice, of course, but when your sound was good and your mixing tight enough to take it to the clubs, there were opportunities out there. But with those opportunities came responsibilities. A residency did not mean playing the same club every once in a while, it meant playing the same club every week. The crowd didn’t consist of people who pick and choose club nights and their guest djs as the weekly hype commanded them. These were people who headed straight to a certain club night because they were sure its resident dj would deliver the goods this week as he did last week, and the next weeks to come. As long as that happened, there was no need to move on.

It was clear from the beginning that this label intended to make a difference, and that here all the connections Dixon had made with like-minded souls should come into fruition. It was a platform conceived to keep up the house tradition to which all those involved stayed so faithful over the years, but it also intended to breathe fresh life into it. And so it did. If Dixon’s famous rework of Tokyo Black Star’s Blade Dancer knocked on the door, then the second release, Âme’s future classic Rej EP, broke it off its hinges. It was around this time that the label parted from the Sonar Kollektiv mothership and became independent. The following releases by befriended artists confirmed the almost instantly strong reputation of the imprint and within a short time it became obvious that this label had achieved something rare: it had created a sound and an identity that began to seep through the scene, affecting the music other labels recruited and released. While it was developed on the back of a long-running tradition, Innervisions kicked house back into the present focus, and many others were happy to join in, either again or for the first time. 

Over the years, the Innervisions sound has become a stable reference point, adding a continuous context and substance to Dixon’s dj sets. And in turn, his appearances at clubs and festivals provide a constant source of crowd feedback to help finely adjust the label’s musical course. Dixon’s performances and the label’s releases share a number of recognisable values: an emphasis on rigorous selection, attention to detail and enduring quality. But also a preference for emotion over function. In both a musical and visual sense, Dixon is not averse to using bold colours and theatrical flourishes. No wonder his selection skills have also been called upon by the fashion industry (and following his taste in shirts has become a side hobby of dance music aficionados...).

Crosstown Rebels founder Damian Lazarus unearthed Fur Coat and promptly signed and released their debut EP “Space Ballad”. However It would be their release ‘ You and I’ featuring vocals from Cari Golden in 2012 that would put the name Fur Coat on the tongue of weekend warriors across the globe. ‘ You and I’ became a global anthem and added fuel to the Fur Coat fire that was already blazing bright. Their debut album ‘Mind Over Matter’ quickly followed and was a smooth blend of club bombs and downtempo grooves that received rave reviews. 

As a result the guys found themselves racking up the airmiles and rocking the dance floors of the most prestigious clubs in the world on a weekly basis. Their longstanding friendship and musical kinship came into its own when in the DJ booth, seeing them able to piece together breathtaking sets and wowing crowds at clubs such as DC10 in Ibiza, Watergate in Berlin, The Warehouse Project in Manchester, Rex Club in Paris, Fabric in London, Verboten in New York, Warung Beach in Brazil and many more.

Another landmark was reached as the guys released their first original material since Mind Over Matter. The 'Theres No Time’ EP came out on Hot Creations, followed quickly by 'The Right Move EP' for Ellen Allien's legendary Berlin imprint Bpitch Control, which featured the vocal talents of Jaw from DOP, again cementing Fur Coat’s name at the top of the industry. The duo’s made their much anticipated return to Crosstown Rebels with the killer ‘U-Turn EP’ and its eponym lead track adding a new global dance anthem under their belt. On top of another year of intense touring, it led them to enter the prestigious RA Top 100 Poll straight into the 66th position. 

Many other acts would have stuck with the same tested recipe for success, but Fur Coat evolved their production prowess towards a darker techno sound, delivering bombs that both implode and mesmerise the dance floor at peak-times. This change didn’t go unnoticed, coming with reworks request for the likes of Stephan Bodzin, Matador and Röyksopp. Their dexterous skills were promptly picked for the infamous Balance mix compilation series and for the highly respected Essential Mix on Pete Tong’s BBC Radio 1 show. 

The duo also played to crowds at the biggest festivals around the globe such as Coachella, Lovelands, DGTL Festival, Snowbombing, Marvellous Islands, Day Zero, Audio River and Balafon Sounds. 

Their music has garnered respect from some of the biggest names in techno from legendary DJ and producer Sasha to Slam, Tale of Us and Nicole Moudaber. Fur Coat have kept up the relentless workflow with releases such as the “Interstellar” EP on the renowned Berlin imprint Watergate Records. 

On top of all of this the pair have plans to launch their own label Oddity Records so it’s not hard to see why their rise shows no sign of stopping. 2017 is set to be another defining year for the duo, whilst developing new material for upcoming releases the pair have a rigorous schedule of key shows across Europe, North & South America and Asia. Fur Coat’s story continues as they carry on pushing boundaries and delivering their deep, driving sound to ears within the most revered venues globally.