Dublex Inc. - Phoenix
(CD/Digital) INFRACom! IC152-2, 2009-09-11

Tracklisting :
01. Shine feat. Sandhy Son Doro
02. Rainy Day feat. Mayka Edjole
03. The Game feat. Ashley Slater
04. It Takes Time feat. Bridgette Amofah
05. Changes feat. Stee Downes
06. Rockstar
07. Hell In A Handbag feat. Tuomo
08.Un Peu Mais Pas Trop feat. Rosa Pöttinger
09. Black Pearl
10. Unfold feat. Spoonface
11. Something's Missing feat. Stee Downes
12. My Thrill feat. Mayka Edjole

Links :
dublex-inc.com
myspace.com/dublexinc
infracom.de
myspace.com/infracom

Press Release :
"Message In Our Music" - such is the name of a song by Philly soul group The O'Jays. But it could also be the album's motif by the four Stuttgart DJs and producers of Dublex Inc.. Because "Phoenix" - the album's title, turns out to be a classic soul album, transporting a 'message'.

'Soulful sounds' protagonists of which nowadays are called Amy Winehouse, Raphael Saadiq or Duffy, are dominating the clubs and stages worldwide - soul music connects them all. However, the reason for the four of them to go out and buy the same suits and record a soul album wasn't the hipness factor. Dublex Inc. want to tread new paths, convey a message, and be authentic. They reinvented themselves on the way - just like a "phoenix rising out of the ashes".
And by the way: they look great in their suits!

The quartet had their breakthrough back in 2001 with the club hit "Tango Forte", which turned them into co-producers of the Sugarbabes' hit "Round Round". Three years later their first album "Eight Ears" appeared. One remix chasing another created a heavy workload for Dublex Inc.'s studio. This explains why the long-awaited follow-up album took a little longer.

"The album was created out of our musical preferences."

"Phoenix" lets these gentlemen and their music shine in a bright light. It is a mature product which richly blends and puts together the different influences and musical preferences of Felix Stecher, Florian Pflüger, Rino Spadavecchia und Robin Hofmann aka Dublex Inc.. Much was thrown into the reference bag for that: beat, Northern soul or movie soundtracks - the reference points became more diverse and the desire to create a great, coherent oeuvre influenced the method of work stronger than previously. Just take the best of it and blend it with a considerable grain of Dublex Inc. spirit and sound! Such was the motto, resulting in a modern soul album which avoided to blunder into the retro trap.

"We wanted to bring more life into the studio, wanted to get away from pure sampling."

The direction was quickly set: to get away from pure sampling to more music playing. Guest musicians were to bring more life into the studio; various singers were to convey the album's 'message'. They went into a studio equipped with much vintage gear, and produced the instrumentals. Only after that the singers were chosen - in an up-to-date manner. Naturally musicians and producers are networking worldwide via the internet. Myspace is the magic word here, a platform which chiefly serves the self-portrayal and promotion of musicians and bands. But it also functions as a social network between artists. In the case of "Phoenix" Myspace played a pivotal role in the production process. Dublex Inc. undertook a thorough search for possible singers. And they took their time to find the right people. The fact that they were from Jakarta, Berlin, London, Helsinki, Dublin and Madrid was no problem at all, because the worldwide web facilitated the exchange of music over national borders. This is what gives "Phoenix" this special, this international appeal, which befits this album outstandingly.

The 49 minutes of "Phoenix" are a round affair - an album which was born out of musical friendships, and which forged a lot of real friendships. It doesn't include a masterplan for world improvement, but it shows possibilities to change things on a small scale, in your immediate environment, through friendship and love. And it is an album which could be YOUR friend with its message. In quick manner. Because just like the O'Jays sing:

We got a message in our music / There's a message in our song / So open your ears and listen here! / You don't have to do anything more!

Biography :
The Dublex collective was originally founded by Stuttgart based DJs Felix Stecher and Florian Pflueger in 1998. Two years later they met Rino Spadavecchia and Robin Hofmann and got together to host the weekly Thursday night at Le Fonque club - one of Germany's most famous venues for innovative electronic music. Very soon the four lads discovered their mutual interests in producing own ideas within the DJ team. "Dublex Inc." was born.

Their first Single "Tango Forte" was released in 2000 and was licensed to several advertising commercials (Coca Cola Light, Peugeot, L'Oréal, Shell). In 2003 the already wellknown quartet co-produced the Sugababes¢ gold selling #1 hit "Round Round" and dropped their first album "Eight Ears" in 2004. Several 12" and about 60 remixes for international artists like Kurtis Blow, Kool and the Gang, Rodney Hunter, Shantel and Re-Jazz followed up.

Four years after their first album release Dublex Inc. created another outstanding piece of musical work named "Phoenix" and is due to be released in 2009 on INFRACom! featuring artists such as Sandhy Son Doro, Ashley Slater ("Freakpower"), Tuomo, Bridgette Amofah, Markus Birkle, ("Die Fantastischen Vier" tour band) Rolf Kersting and many more.

Two years of studio work's result is a soulful album that plays with both, analogue and electronic elements and still feels as easy as it can only feel between the famous wine yards of Southern Germany. Various musical influences and styles ranging from big band sounds, jazzful anthems to funky soul tunes, breakbeat treatments and electronic dance music were blended to create a unique and homogeneous album. Although each tracks stands for itself, the whole album can be recognized as Dublex Inc.'s strongest conceptual unit.