Kollektiv Turmstrasse

With regular shifts in his musical direction and stylistic development, he is living proof that change means progress. As an artist who is focused on the liberated space between breakbeat, driving house tracks and anthems for the dancefloor, he is unique with a compelling discography. Also heading up his inclusive, community-focused event series, YAP (You Are Perfect), Kollektiv Turmstrasse is a complex, progressive, and intriguing artist. Nico Plagemann, the creative mind behind the Turmstrasse project, is deeply passionate about house music, but his sound doesn't get stuck in one repetitive cycle. Instead, he takes musical departures into exciting and winding avenues, leading us past breakbeat, indie dance, and techno to influences from hip hop and the catchy, but always high quality, elements of pop music. With his sound, Turmstrasse narrates his ongoing journey as an artist who has witnessed a plethora of musical trends over the years. “I let myself be inspired by new trends; to me, it is especially important to always bring in variety,” he says. “My sound is a crossover of everything I listen to – and that ranges from soul to techno.” Something that is evident on his latest album, ‘Unity of Opposites’. The wild ride began together with Christian at his side. Kollektiv Turmstrasse was founded as a duo in Wismar on the Baltic Sea in Germany, where the two lived together in the city’s “Turmstrasse”. Their creative partnership, as well as the artist name, was formed there. Things just flowed from the outset, and the first tracks were followed by their first gigs and, eventually, the legendary album “Rebellion der Träumer” (“Rebellion of the Dreamers”). Further releases followed on a range of influential labels, including Kompakt, Diynamic, Cocoon, Fabric and FFFR, bolstering their discography. The two moved to Hamburg and embarked on a slew of adventures together. But life is constant change, and so has Kollektiv Turmstrasse – and Christian decided to leave the project. “At some point, Christian’s priorities shifted. Because of the incredible time we spent together and the countless memories we created and shared, Christian will always hold a special place in my heart”, Nico says. “After all these years, we had to realise that our paths were leading in different directions. But there were no crazy arguments or blatant disagreements; it just worked out that way.” Since then, Nico has been on the road as a “one-man collective”. He performs at many of the best-known festivals around the world, appearing at world-renowned clubs and the most popular parties from Brazil to Australia and is one of the most booked live acts in the electronic music scene worldwide. Not only does he stand alongside the most groundbreaking musicians, he has long been one of them himself. Tracks like ‘Grillen im Park’, ‘Ordinary’ or ‘Last Day’ are widely acknowledged as definitive hits. In fact, it’s safe to say that without Kollektiv Turmstrasse, the world of German house and techno would be very different. “I love this shit, that's why I do this. How lucky am I!” says Nico when asked how he deals with the pitfalls of global touring. “It's worth it to me because, in return, I have the freedom to be in the studio and do what I love and what I'm good at... Apparently.” Of course, his discography also includes ‘Sorry, I'm Late’, the Turmstrasse superhit. “At some point, I played around with some hip-hop samples, just for fun. I played the result as the closing track at a gig - and people went nuts,” he says. “I didn't really understand it at the time. Solomun then wanted the track for Diynamic – and boom; we had a worldwide hit. Pretty freaky!” The accompanying video for ‘Sorry, I'm Late’ has over 11 million views and on Spotify alone, the song has been streamed nearly 50 million times. Nico's artistic development is linked to a high degree of self-reflection. “I always have the feeling that I can do even better,” he says, explaining the reason why it can take him a long time to complete his productions. He sometimes feels like a visual artist who is painting a picture; attention to detail is paramount. When producing, he constantly needs something new linked to his ADHD diagnosis, which he deals with openly. Nico wants to be surprised by music, but he has also realised that the secret of good electronic music is reduction. This is how the variety so typical of Kollektiv Turmstrasse and the depth of his sounds are created. Full of warmth and groove. For focus and balance, Nico’s main hobby is fishing. “I'm a predator angler. That means I'm constantly casting in and retrieving. But the chirping of the birds, the rustling of the trees and the whirring of the fishing rod is what satisfies me; it's like meditation.” Nico describes himself as a rather introverted guy who also likes to be alone, which suits this pastime. But in contrast, he also explores more extroverted topics like fashion and design. “I just like beautiful things,” he says. “I can also enjoy simple beauty, things like a flower growing out of the curb and has made its place.” Turmstrasse's series of events called ‘YAP’, which takes place in various venues in Europe, also fits in with this outlook. It reflects not only Nico's ideals but also the ideals that are the foundations of dance music culture: inclusion, community, and respect. YAP is short for ‘You Are Perfect’. Everyone is perfect, the musician says. “I want everyone to attend and everyone to be able to attend. 'You can't get in here' doesn't exist at YAP.” With his parties, he wants to take house music back to its origins and, in doing so, counterbalance the self-optimization we constantly encounter on social media today. Because Kollektiv Turmstrasse not only knows that self-promotion tends to get in the way of a good party but also that you shouldn't forget to look over your shoulder when changing lanes…