Efdemin

Phillip Sollmann crafts Efdemin productions as lucid techno compositions free of clutter yet rich in intricate layers, weaving a hypnotic and immersive storyline throughout. His approach draws from minimalism and dub alongside deep house and Detroit techno, shaping material suited equally to dancefloor energy and domestic playback. Since entering the scene in the late '90s, he gained swift underground recognition through the 2007 debut album Efdemin. Subsequent full-lengths, individual tracks, and DJ mixes appeared, among them the 2008 collection Carry On - Pretend We Are Not in the Room, while regular appearances at Berlin's Berghain paired with understated white-label 12" releases on his own Naïf imprint. The fourth Efdemin album, New Atlantis from 2019 and issued via Ostgut Ton, moved farther from club functionality than prior efforts by folding in greater experimental elements drawn from the avant-garde output Sollmann sometimes issues under his given name.

Born in Kassel, Germany, Sollmann performed with the alternative rock group Derrick throughout the mid-'90s before shifting toward techno releases at the close of the decade. He formed the duo Tobin alongside Alexander Polzin, resulting in a single 12" during 1999 whose track "Reis 1" featured on Kompakt's Total 1 compilation that same year. Shortly thereafter, Sollmann began issuing material as Efdemin through the Dial label, with the debut EP Kleine Wirrniss arriving in 2004. Relocating to Berlin in 2005 led to consistent bookings at Berghain, Weekend, Watergate, and additional venues, while he also launched a minimal techno partnership called Pigon with Oliver Kargl. Although a drone album appeared under his own name in 2006, the self-titled Efdemin full-length followed in 2007 and earned widespread praise. The mix CD Carry On - Pretend We Are Not in the Room surfaced in 2008 on Curle Recordings, an outlet that also handled multiple Efdemin 12"s.

The album Chicago emerged on Dial in 2010 and was succeeded by Decay in 2014. Sollmann further joined forces with Marcel Fengler as DIN, contributing an album to Ostgut Ton's Masse Box during 2014. In 2018, Efdemin placed EPs on both Curle (Move Your Head) and Stroboscopic Artefacts (Wrong Movements) while delivering the second mix CD Naïf, titled after his label yet released through Curle. New Atlantis, his initial full-length for Ostgut Ton, arrived in 2019 and incorporated wooden percussion alongside hurdy-gurdy, employing just intonation as well.