Michel Amato's contribution to electronic music can hardly be overestimated. Like The Hacker, and under various pseudonyms, it has inspired generations of dance music fans and artists. Since his first release in 1996, Amato has gone through a Techno phase, has immersed himself in EBM, in Electro with a sci-fi nuance and in the New Wave, but is perhaps more famous as one of the founding fathers of Electroclash. He met a kindred spirit in Miss Kittin and together they became one of the most iconic electronic music duo, with hits like 'Champagne' (1998) and 'Frank Sinatra' (2000) that have sold hundreds of thousands of records. In 2004, Amato released his most acclaimed album to date, 'Rêves Mécaniques', and the following years saw Amato release a wide range of club mutations on many prominent labels, including a double LP for his Zone label. Today it is still in demand, with a highly acclaimed album, 'Le Théâtre Des Opérations', released on Dark Entries in 2017 and contributions to tastemaker labels such as Helena Hauff, Erol Alkan and Veronica Vasicka. In the live and DJ environment, Amato is as revered as he is in the recordings, playing at high-profile events such as Dekmantel, Berghain, Nuits Sonores and Off Sonar.

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Alessandro Adriani is many things: producer, DJ, live performer and owner of a label, but above all he is a tireless musical researcher. The Berlin-based Italian goes beyond the normal “vinyl finder” in searching for information on sounds, styles, artists and record labels, dedicating countless hours to discovering the unpublished stories behind the music he loves, regardless of when it was created. Adriani's obsession has naturally shaped his other musical efforts, especially Mannequin Records, the label he founded more than a decade ago, voted label of the month by Resident Advisor in 2017. Over the years, the label has received praise from both buyers and critics for its open blend of impeccable re-issues, archival collections, and new productions. The intriguing and unconventional mix of material offered, including techno, electro, cold wave, industrial, EBM, minimal synth and more, is naturally a reflection of Adriani's varied and eccentric tastes (as you would discover if you were to quickly browse his vast and growing record collection). Adriani is distinctly attracted to the dark and the dark, and you can feel this approach among the long and prolonged selections of his equally eclectic DJ sets. Alessandro has contributed exceptional mixes for Resident Advisor, FACT, Crack Magazine, Bleep, Cxema and Dekmantel. On the festival circuit, he has made appearances at Dekmantel, ADE, Dimensions, Neopop, Positive Education, Signal and more, along with his bimonthly dates at the Berghain and Panorama Bar, a residence he has held since 2016. As a producer, Adriani's output naturally draws on these inspirations, but also reflects his obsession with electronic hardware. Under his name, Adriani has earned a reputation for delivering heavy, angular and decisive club cuts for famous labels such as Stroboscopic Artefacts, Jealous God, Pinkman and, of course, Mannequin Records.

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