Johnny D--The Radio Sessions - Electronic Beats On Air, 2009-06

Johnny D undoubtedly influenced club music and its reception internationally this year. The Eritrean-born, Mannheim-bred producer’s ‘Orbitallife’ sent a clear signal to the techno community (via Oslo Records): the so-called "minimal" sound (which was becoming a negative buzzword for a while) had to get on the next level, by getting hybridized with deep house structures and hints of tech-funk.

Since bridging the gap between club music, deep house and minimal and establishing himself as one of the most influential producers in 2008, Johnny has been booked to play quite a few very cool clubs. Problem is: it’s near impossible for him to get visas to visit other countries. Therefore he created his own monument and brought the attention home, with a focus on the "Mannheim Kollektiv": Ray Okpara, Federico Molinari, Nekes and the labels 8Bit and Oslo.

With Johnny’s help, Mannheim is fast becoming one of Germany’s most creative places. Perhaps it will soon be an option for the thousands of producers who moved to Berlin and are now lost in techno, trying to get their career back on track. It’s anybody’s guess.