German DJ and music producer
Danilo Plessow is a music producer and DJ (born c. 1985), perhaps best known for his work as the alias Motor City Drum Ensemble (MCDE).[1][2]
Raised in the German town of Schwäbisch Gmünd,[3] Plessow played drums from the age of 6 years old and began creating his own music using a computer and samples from the age of 11.[4] Musical influences include Moodymann,[5][6] Marvin Gaye,[1][3][6] 70s jazz and 90s hiphop including early J Dilla and Pete Rock.[7][8] In his formative years he would travel into the nearby city of Stuttgart to collect vinyl records.[1] The alias Motor City Drum Ensemble is a nod to his Detroit musical influences as well as referencing Stuttgart (home of Mercedes Benz and Porsche) and his collection of drum machines.[1][4][5][9]
Plessow is famed for the Raw Cuts series[10][11] and has released singles and remixes on over twenty record labels.[8][12] He has also co-founded labels such as MCDE Recordings,[3] Four Roses Recordings[13] and Space Grape Records, the latter of which is focused on live contemporary music, such as with Jéroboam, musicians from Kyoto Jazz Massive.[14][15]
As an international DJ he frequently travels around the world to perform at clubs and festivals.[1][16][17]
He was a radio presenter for Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM[18] and was a curator for Nuits Sonores in Lyon 2016.[19][20]
Other aliases: Inverse Cinematics,[1] Vermont,[5] Jayson Brothers[7] and Basic-Variation.[20]
References