Since their first big break in 2012 the Adana Twins have established a sterling reputation, refining their sound constantly, pushing the boundaries of their musical ambition and evolving organically with the passage of time. Driven by a deep-seated desire to transmit emotion through electronic music while expanding their creative horizons, the German duo have been working together since 2006, merging Benjamin’s love of hip-hop and Friso’s passion for club music to produce a series of highly-regarded releases that form the foundation of their global success. Their early triumphs led to bookings all over the world, delivering their unique musical vision to dance floors on every continent, with support from a wide range of dance music luminaries including Radio 1 legend Pete Tong, Solomun, Tale Of Us and many more. Now firmly established within the global electronic music community and one of the most popular Indie Dance acts, the Adana Twins are universally respected as label owners, A&Rs, producers, and inspiring DJs who love to play long marathon-sets.

This week, the legendary Adana Twins treat us to a thrilling taste of TAU, featuring their favourite new and unreleased tracks. Plus, we chat with Ben & Jan about TAU’s humble beginnings, label life, industry changes, and more. Enjoy!

WWD: What inspired/drove you to start your own label?

The idea of starting our own label was always a part of us. We even had another label with two friends from Hamburg before TAU, which gave us a lot of experience. At some point, we decided to focus entirely on the Adana Twins project because we felt we were developing musically in a different direction. Eventually, we had the brilliant idea of opening a club in Hamburg. This club was to be called TAU. But sometimes things don’t go as planned, and bureaucratic hurdles got in the way of our vision for the club. Since we don’t do things halfway, we shelved the entire project two weeks before signing the lease. However, the fire to create something new to expand our Adana Twins cosmos was stronger than ever because of the club plans. And we thought the name TAU was really cool and catchy. So, we decided to finally start our own label under this name. And we think it was a pretty good idea, considering how far we’ve come so far.

WWD: In one sentence, how would you describe TAU’s sound/vision?

Forward-thinking club music that moves with the times but remains unique and distinct from much of what’s out there.

WWD: What aspects do you think contribute to the label’s success/uniqueness?

I believe it primarily has to do with the fact that we release good music that many DJs play. Additionally, the outward image we convey through our look is very important to us. Without sounding arrogant, I think it’s fair to say that there aren’t many labels out there that manage this as well as we do. Lastly, we’re a pretty likable bunch with artists who don’t come across as arrogant. That’s also very important to us. We only want to work with artists who don’t project an arrogant image. The world is already dark enough.

WWD: Which release is the most meaningful to you?

Actually, there are two. The first release from Innellea, which marked the beginning of TAU, and directly after that, the second EP from BOG. The Matthias Schober remix of “Jahar” hit immediately and sparked our first hype. After that, we were essentially in the game, and things ran smoothly.

WWD: Which release are you most looking forward to in 2024?

I always look forward to our Spektrum compilation. For me, it’s always a highlight where we can try out many things. So far, we’ve usually released 15-16 tracks per compilation. But this time, we’ll divide it a bit differently to focus more on the individual tracks.

WWD: Do you have any words of wisdom for aspiring producers with TAU on their minds?

Hehe, a classic question that’s always exciting to answer. In general, we think it’s great when artists make music they like without having us in mind. That’s how the most unique things come about. So, our advice: produce what you love and what you feel. Don’t worry about how it will be received or what others think. You have to love your stuff. And if you feel that the stuff fits us, then send it over.

WWD: Who were some of your favourite discoveries in the last couple of years and why?

There were actually quite a few. Innellea, Hardt Antoine, Biesmann, Mulya, Echonomist, or Upercent. All of these artists released on TAU in the early stages of their careers or still do, and they have all come a long way. I have to say, Innellea and Echonomist have achieved the most, even though both have developed in completely different directions. It’s just nice to see where the journey can go, and we’re really proud of them.

WWD: What’s the best part about owning a record label?

That you can live out your vision of club music and basically do whatever you want. That no one interferes, and it’s also allowed to make mistakes from which you learn and can pass this experience on to the artists.

WWD: How involved are you in the day-to-day operations?

We are fully involved in the creative process. Everything related to music, A&R, image, strategy, etc., is still completely in our hands. Other things like label management, statements, booking, etc., are in the hands of our wonderful team, without whom we would only be half as good. For the design, we work with wonderful artists. One of them is Lukas Haider, who, as Creative Director of TAU, is also the most important part when it comes to visual direction. He is essentially the reason why everything looks the way it does and why the quality is so incredibly high.

WWD: After all your years of experience in the industry as DJs, producers, and of course, label heads…what are some positive and negative changes you’re witnessing?

Sure, nowadays it’s much more about image, Instagram likes, phone moments, and not primarily just about the music. That’s perhaps a negative change. But it’s pointless to complain; instead, you have to play the game as best as you can and just keep doing your thing. In the end, good quality will prevail in the long term, and many of the aforementioned things will come on their own. Also, it is not as easy as it used to be to stand out from the crowd. There are endless tools like AI, production tools, etc., that make life extremely easy and thus automatically bring a lot of output into the world. So, even more motivation for us to keep the quality as high as possible to stand out from the crowd.

WWD: If you could only listen to one track for the rest of your lives, what would it be? TAU or otherwise 😉

Right now, at this moment, it’s “Why” by Carly Simon. A wonderful song.

WWD: That it is! Thanks for the chat, guys! 

TRACKLIST:

1. Sahar – Shakedown
2. Ditian – Mila
3. Ede & Deckert feat. Eryyy – Ghost (Alan Dixon Remix)
4. Adana Twins & Upercent – Fallin
5. Samer Soltan – Kiss Me
6. Argia – Found You
7. Hardt Antoine – I Want You
8. EdOne – Get Up
9. Adrian Roman – Domaine
10. Aikon – Big
11. A.C.N. – Hekima

Adana Twins: Facebook // SoundCloud
TAU: Facebook // SoundCloud