Introducing German House Duo Withus

Withus are the hottest House duo to come out of Germany this year with their first release back in August 2019 reaching critical acclaim and several incredible releases since. Both Alex and Stefan had different musical upbringings but as they merge their influences together they work in perfect harmony to produce standout Tech House, Disco infused dancefloor hits. With their newest EP ‘Up Down freshly released on Motive Records, we caught up with the boys to find out a little more about them.

First off, for those who don’t know you, tell us a bit about yourselves?

We are Withus! Two guys named Alex and Stefan, both in our late 20s, based in and around Munich. We came together on the streets of our neighbourhood and started this new project in early 2019. Our style varies between House and Tech House spiced up with some Disco elements. We’re all about catchy tunes, sometimes raw, sometimes full of little, playful elements. Our first release was actually back in August 2019.

How did you first get into music?

Alex: I started making hip-hop beats when I was 13 years old. Let me quickly calculate. Wow… that’s now 16 years ago! When I was growing up my deep love for House and dance music was awakened at one of the first festivals I ever went to. Later I studied audio engineering naturally started to DJ too.

Stefan: My entrance into the music scene was at the age of 15, when I started a small internet radio show with friends. I began collecting and playing tracks and shortly after my first DJ gigs were booked. I quickly realized I also wanted to know how to produce music to play my own stuff and so I got into using a DAW and picking up song ideas.

What was the moment that made you fall in love with dance music?

Alex: I was at an Indie music festival where a lot of different genres were played and there was a certain Stefan Biniak track. It just completely overwhelmed me! At this moment, I knew I had to make some own songs and step away from hip-hop and more into melodic deep house.

Stefan: I think it was my first DJ gig in a local club. It was just an incredible feeling to play music in front of all those people and to see them just having a good time. The magical thing about the music and being a DJ is having so many opportunities to influence the crowd and the outcome of their night.

Who are your musical influences?

It’s hard to pick someone in particular. There are so many great artists around these days. In the past years our influences have been people like David Penn, Sonny Fodera, Purple Disco Machine, the old Andhim stuff, the whole Defected and Toolroom family, just to name a few. Recently the raw sound of artists like Fisher and Biscits caught our attention. In the end its super important to find your own style. We’re big fans of chunky, bass-heavy grooves with super catchy (sometimes classic) vocal hooks and jacking percussion.

What has been your biggest career achievement so far?

We were one of the headliners at the biggest festival in our area back home. It was a fantastic and breath-taking experience to see a crowd of like 1000 people cheering and dancing to our music. It almost had an unreal touch.

What’s your opinion on the current dance music scene?

We don’t want to talk too much about the commercial side of it because, yeah… it’s always the same and all about money, but we’re in a specific and very underground related genre. We appreciate the comeback of disco and the really raw, dirty and groovy sound a lot of new, upcoming artist produce these days. It’s definitely all going into the right direction.

Where do you see ‘Withus’ in 5 years?

That’s a pretty hard question. Of course, it would be awesome to headline some huge festivals with thousands of people or to have a song played on heavy rotation at commercial radio stations, but that’s not what we want to achieve. Our main goal is playing at beautiful places around the world and celebrating life with the crowd. Just having a good time and play our music that’s what we want to accomplish. To enjoy life through music.

Do you have any hobbies outside of music?

Alex: I recently adopted a German Shepherd, so the little girl takes a lot of my free time! I like mountain biking through the woods, to get back in touch with mother nature. The quiet peacefulness is the perfect contrast to noisy clubs and heavy partying. Also, I’m always up for a round of Madden Football or Battlefield on PS4.

Stefan: Since my trip to the blue mountains in Jamaica I discovered my passion for coffee. I’ve been so engaged with it for years now and there’s still so much about a good coffee you wouldn’t believe. I bought a professional espresso machine and a grinder, so if anyone will visit us in the studio, you’ll always get the perfect coffee!
Traveling is another thing me and my girlfriend enjoy. We love to discover new places and cultures. Playing tennis is the ideal change for me to the creativity you need for music.

If you could produce any other genre of music, what would it be and why?

Alex: I have another project which is all about melodic Techno. It’s a welcoming contrast with all its playfulness and experimenting with sounds and shapes. Also, I would like to leap into hip-hop once more for a few songs. I really like the soulful, old school vibe in the scene right now. A lot of German electronic music artist like Boys Noize, Lexy & K-Paul or Robot Koch produced some really cool hip-hop beats lately.

Stefan: It would be awesome if I could sing by myself. You’ll have so many opportunities to shape your sound, but right now there’s no chance haha!
I’m a big fan of disco and especially Purple Disco Machine. Disco instantly creates a good mood and you immediately want to shake your body. This style would definitely be an adventure to make when I have some spare time. Perhaps there’ll be one or two Withus disco tunes in the future!

What’s next in store for Withus?

Our new EP Up Down just released a few weeks ago so we can definitely recommend checking that out. We don’t want to say too much about the next big thing at this point, but we’re currently working with some great artists and we were non-stop in the studio the last month. There are some really nice labels we’re talking to right now, so see what surprises are coming in the future. Stay tuned!