Motor City Drum Ensemble

Behind Motor City Drum Ensemble is German producer and DJ Danilo Plessow, born in Stuttgart in 1985 and later based in Cologne; his moniker nods both to Detroit and to the house and soul tradition. Emerging as a teenager from the broken beat and nu-jazz scene, Plessow first released records under his own name and as one half of Inverse Cinematics before launching Motor City Drum Ensemble in 2007. The project quickly made its mark in deep, soulful house with an approach steeped in jazz, funk and disco, showcased on the Raw Cuts EP series released between 2008 and 2010, which established Motor City Drum Ensemble’s signature of slow-burning grooves, grainy textures and reworked soul samples. Alongside his productions, under the Motor City Drum Ensemble alias Plessow developed a DJ practice built on eclectic selections connecting classic house, deep house, disco, boogie and 1970s/1980s African-American music, documented by mixes for specialist platforms and several official compilations, including DJ-Kicks: Motor City Drum Ensemble in 2011. Appearing on labels such as Compost, MCDE Recordings and !K7, Motor City Drum Ensemble has largely favored EPs, remixes and compilations, pursuing a warm, organic aesthetic and a close relationship with the club, from European scenes to major international festivals.