MRI

During the ascent of German minimal house in the early 2000s, as documented by imprints such as Force Tracks, Kompakt, and Perlon, MRI stood among the most successful and celebrated producers. The Frankfurt, Germany, production duo Stephan Lieb and Frank Elting—who also record elsewhere—elevated Force Tracks to one of Force Inc.’s most favored sub-labels beginning in 1998. In 1999 Force Tracks issued the duo’s debut full-length, Rhythmogenesis, which assembled three earlier EPs: Dauerläufer, II, and To Be Honest. The album earned widespread acclaim, helped by the simultaneous attention given to Luomo’s Vocal City and Andrew Weatherall’s Hypercity DJ mix for the label, the latter featuring several MRI tracks.

Continued momentum from Rhythmogenesis, MRI’s commitment to touring, and the Nightclubbing at Home EP led to the 2002 release of their second album, All That Glitters. Expectations ran high amid the expanding popularity of German minimal house in the early 2000s. Even so, MRI again drew substantial praise, this time for progressing beyond basic minimal house. The duo added vocals to several tracks and introduced a broader dynamic range, with some cuts oriented more toward the dancefloor and others leaning more dubby.