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From Berlin for the world. It is according to this motto that Jean Elan works in the enigmatic music scene of the city. This is where he makes his productions in a style which has little to do with the regional techno traditions. He works internationally but has his feet firmly on the ground, his base is in Berlin and at the weekends he DJs throughout Europe and even does short tours in the USA, Canada and Brazil. His Artist name, which was a spontaneous idea, has a strange effect “Everywhere in the clubs people talk to me in English or French, but in the long run it suits my understanding of sounds”. Jean Elan’s music is a cosmopolitan mixture of sounds - electronic without a puristic departure, House Music with a forceful groove but a certain lightness is also always a part of the production.
2010 has brought enduring recognition for his varied sound. He was nominated for a Grammy in the “Best Remixer”- category for his remix of “The Girl And The Robot” – Röyksopp feat. Robyn. He is only the 4th German ever to be nominated in the Remix-category (after Paul van Dyk, Mousse T and ATB). “At the end of the day David Guetta won the prize” said Jean Elan “but just the respect to be nominated with these other great international competitors, proves that I am on the right track with my ideas”. Having produced 20 remixes for other projects and 7 own Singles, Jean Elan has been able to build up his own strong profile within a short time.
A fresh start in his career is part of Jean Elan’s history, which made the present success possible. Jean Elan’s original roots are in the Ruhr district of Germany (he was born in Gelsenkirchen), where he was a driving force in the regional club scene at the end of the ’90s. He still works closely with the guys from his old home as they are well-tuned production team. However it was his move to Germany’s capital which led him to the label Ministry Of Sound” and which gave the “experiment” Jean Elan new drive. “I just wanted to try my hand as an Artist one more time” he says to his double roll as Label Manager and musician. The celebrated debut Single from 2008 “Where’s Your Head” created quite an impact. ”This cover version of Basement Jaxx was Top Ten in various Dance Charts worldwide. Really just the perfect start” remembers Jean Elan.
His debut Single was followed by a groove-orientated remix of the Norman Doray track “Krystal”. Then he turned on a very special hit machine for Dahlbäck, Diaz & Young Rebels feat. Terry B!’s “Can’t Slow Down”. His 2nd Single “Shake Me” shows too that Jean Elan does not want to retreat into the specialist’s corner – the main floor is really an option for him. His 2009 remixes alternate between keyboard harmonies and minimalistic effects. In his remix work for Jeanette’s “Material Boy (Don’t Look Back)” he does his new home Berlin great honour and lets a fierce bass track boom. His solo production “Killer”, on the other hand, pulls out all the stops and focuses on wild techno breaks.
Jean Elan has developed a soft spot for crossover tracks because of this DJ-orientated beginnings. “It was very important for me to build a strong base in the clubs. It is possible to create a real hit from this basis, without really “selling-out”.” he says. “Hypes come and go but other qualities are what count behind the decks”. With his open-minded mixture of progressive, electro and House influences Jean Elan can’t be put in a drawer. It is no wonder, that he appreciates the varied tracks of his Scandinavian colleagues and politely declines to follow short-lived trends like “Dirty Dutch”. He knows the world of electronic music well enough to be able to do that – Jean Elan’s music preaches diversity, following one direction is something he will leave to the others.
