Digitalism
Digitalism, the Hamburg duo of Jens Moelle and İsmail Isi Tüfekçi, formed in 2004 and began as DJs after meeting at the Hamburg record store Underground Solution, whose owner, Ollie Grabowski, suggested they team up to play a party together. For their first gig they used an adaptor allowing two sets of headphones to plug into one socket so they could mix in sync, a low-budget setup that shaped their early approach to shared DJ sets.
As their reputation grew, they sought out obscure records to energize crowds, and by 2001 they were burning their own edits once CD writers became affordable, including an early edit of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army made specifically for their sets. Signed to the French label Kitsuné as well as Virgin Records and Astralwerks, they became known for indie remixes of acts including Klaxons, Test Icicles, Cut Copy, and The Futureheads, work that built their crossover appeal with rock and indie audiences alongside electro and techno clubbers.
Their live and DJ setup evolved from a porta-studio staged solo performance toward a fuller band arrangement over time. Active for two decades, Digitalism's career has combined DJ sets rooted in Hamburg's record store scene with a production catalogue spanning electro, rock, and techno influences.