Press Play #14: Finn Johannsen

Press Play goes 80's, no not naf 'Banarama vs Bros' 80's, more like early 80's, synthy, left of center, New Wave made for dancing and thinking at the same time 80's. So bands like Cabaret Voltaire, Clock DVA, Soft Cell and more, fuel this absolute corker mixed by Berlin based Finn Johannsen.

Lets see, Finn is 38, born in Northern Germany and has been living in Berlin for several years. He's been collecting records voraciously since he was a kid. Finn started DJ'ing in the 80's, playing Northern Soul on the all-nighter circuit, then got hooked on House in Hamburg's seminal Front Club. These days he plays anything from Disco obscurities, forgotten house gems, to Post Punk to current electronic sounds for audiences across Germany and Europe. He also writes for de:bug magazine, as well as some other publications and runs Macro Recordings with Stefan Goldmann. Finn believes you have to share the knowledge, instead of posing like you own it, hence he writes & DJ's prolifically and shares a healthy back catalogue of his mixes on various sites; check Finn Johannsen, his Myspace, a blog he and a few like minded individuals contribute to, de:bug and Macro Recordings to experience some of this mans formidable talents. The programming and mixing here are just superb, it beggars belief just how fresh this sound still is...

Personal fact: I danced to many of these tracks during my first years of clubbing at a place called The Rez - a rough, edgy, arty crowd attended, danced like ridiculous angled shards of breaking glass, drank too much, and tried to look 'fierce'. I felt the warm/cold buzz of electronic body music deep in my veins. I would never be the same again. As always check the sidebar for the link or simply go here...

Oh and massive thanks to Finn for joining the best mix series in town...

track list:

B-Side - Bones
Cabaret Voltaire - Sensoria
Clock DVA - Sound Mirror
Act - Snobbery And Decay
The Fyling Lizards - Hands 2 Take
400 Blows - The Charmer
Soft Cell - So
Visage - Again We Love
Japan - Life In Tokyo
Shriekback - Accretions
Godley & Creme - Woodwork
Altered Images - Disco Pop Stars
Matia Bazar - I Bambini Di Poi
Thomas Dolby - Urges
The Residents - Excerpt From 'For Elsie'
Tuxedomoon - Atlantis
Gentle Ihor - Psalm 151
Yazoo - In My Room
A.P.O. - O Superman