Berlin-based duo Barker & Baumecker produce an immersive strain of dub-tinged techno defined by fluid rhythmic shifts and intricate sonic textures. Long before their paths crossed at Berghain, each had already spent years immersed in electronic music. Originally from Frankfurt, Baumecker worked in A&R for UCMG Germany and founded the label Freu_nd, which later became Freundinnen; its first release was Isolée’s 2002 single “It’s About.” He also served as a resident DJ and booker at Ostgut before joining Berghain’s staff in the same capacities when the club opened in 2004. Barker, who studied music in Brighton and participated in the city’s experimental scene, gradually assembled a collection of analog synthesizers and began releasing material under the Voltek moniker. After securing employment at a booking agency, he relocated to Berlin in 2007. The pair first connected while coordinating a 2008 Autechre concert, an encounter that soon gave rise to the experimental event series Leisure System.
Their initial joint production was a remix for Seattle band Sleepy Eyes of Death. Further original tracks earned them a deal with Berghain’s affiliated label Ostgut Ton. The EP Candyflip surfaced in 2010, followed in 2012 by A Murder of Crows and the album Transsektoral. A 2013 EP titled Remixes contained reworkings by Machinedrum and Blawan, while Clark included his version of the duo’s “Spur” on the compilation Feast/Beast. Barker & Baumecker themselves became sought-after remixers, delivering versions for the Field, Sinkane, and Letherette. They resurfaced in 2016 with the 12-inch Love Hertz/Cipher and their second full-length album, Turns.
