Saturday, November 21, 2009
Philip of M.A.N.D.Y
with Bryce

5-7: $3 drafts, wine, champagne-1/2 price menu

The story of M.A.N.D.Y. begins on a tennis court in Saarbru¨cken, near the German- French border. That’s where Patrick Bodmer met Philipp Jung on a summer’s day over twenty years ago. They grew to become great friends, and together dreamt of a way to make a living out of their shared loves: collecting records, throwing parties, meeting girls, making friends and laughing. Alas, these idle plans soon had to make way for sensible adult concerns and they parted ways.

At 25 Patrick and Philipp were reunited in Frankfurt, then the hub of Germany’s flourishing house and techno scene. Philipp worked for Snap’s record company; Patrick studied and lived as a painter. They began their first forays into music with releases on local independent imprints and devised their unofficial Lust (eng: joy, zest, delight) parties as an excuse to play records. Later Patrick acquired an old brewery as an atelier – this space served as a cauldron bubbling with their ideas, art and wanton personal experimentation. This period came to a close in 1997 and the final twang of traditional career values saw Philipp move firstly to Cologne as A&R for Jive, and later to Berlin to do the same job for V2. Patrick finished studying before taking a sensible day job he quickly came to detest.

Over the next years the pair consumed music, raved and span records at every opportunity. DJ T and Patrik (The Sunsetpeople), from Frankfurt’s Monza club, heard them play at a party and noticed them on the dancefloor, stamping their feet and ripping their clothes in sheer delight. The four became close friends, and M.A.N.D.Y. have held a Monza residency since 2001. In the past couple of years Monza has spread its wings to Ibiza, London and beyond to become a truly global concern.

Soon after their old pals Arno and Walter (Booka Shade) joined M.A.N.D.Y. in Frankfurt. The four intensified their work together and once again there was talk of starting a label. The first official M.A.N.D.Y. release, a remix of French electronic band Galleon, became a big-selling chart sensation; DJ work poured in but they couldn’t reconcile their musical values with the commercial scene and they abandoned it after a few short months.

M.A.N.D.Y. liken their next moves to a last exit, a final chance to do something special. They decided to found a label with their friends Booka Shade and DJ T, utilising the talent of their circle of close friends. They called it Get Physical: in tribute to the dancefloor; in memory of their meeting; and for their love of disco, with a nod to Olivia Newton-John. Get Physical was born of pure desire, the need to create something tangible out of a lifelong passion. In 2002, M.A.N.D.Y.and Booka Shade moved to Berlin seeking a new creative kick. What they found was a confluence of artists and ideas, and a constant shower of music to immerse themselves in and be inspired by – M.A.N.D.Y., Booka Shade and Get Physical have been based there ever since.

Over the past five years M.A.N.D.Y. have come into their own as artists and DJs. Mixing the first Get Physical label compilation in 2004 sent their sound beyond Europe but it was their collaboration with Booka Shade, ‘Body Language’, which sealed their reputation: the track became a bona fide anthem across the globe and was voted Ibiza’s Track of the Season and DJ Magazine’s Track of the Year for 2005. This was followed by the ‘Body Language Vol. 1’ mix CD – DJ Magazine’s Mix CD of the Year - wherein Philipp and Patrick joined the dots between electro-influenced house and disco and the prevalent minimal techno sound In 2006 came M.A.N.D.Y.’s contribution to the ‘At The Controls’ mix series – a double CD which flitted effortlessly between genres and which showed a more sensuous side to the M.A.N.D.Y. sound without compromising their underground, electronic house edge. The mix picked up a host of awards, including Mix CD of the Year from Resident Advisor, BBC Essential Mix and Mixmag in the UK. They kick started 2008 by brining their talents to the Fabric mix series and are currently working on a new album.

Philipp and Patrick are much sought after remixers, having worked with artists as diverse as The Knife, Tiefschwarz feat. Tracey Thorn, Sugababes, Hans Peter Lindstrom, Joakim, Royksopp and Fischerspooner, The Klaxons, Mathew Dear; the “12
Great Remixes for 11 Great Artists” compilation collects some of their finest efforts on one disc and is testament to the variety and reach of their productions. Meanwhile, their DJing talents are in constant demand across the world, and they regularly rock floors and festivals from Buenos Aires to Sydney, New York to Moscow.

Though they travel the globe on what seems to be a neverending tour, they nonetheless treasure the family vibe that gave birth to them as artists and continues to support them in Berlin. For M.A.N.D.Y. this isn’t a job and it isn’t about success; it’s about partnership and friendship and a realisation that dreams can come true. It’s about seriously good music, and it’s still about those four things which bonded them in the first place: collecting records, throwing parties, meeting girls, making friends and laughing…