Tensnake

Since the mid-2000s, German producer and DJ Tensnake has kept dance floors energized with his singular fusion of house, cosmic disco, and synth pop. The sparkling, tropical-tinged single “Coma Cat” from 2010 marked his breakthrough, entering the U.K. singles chart and prompting an upswing in remix requests from Pet Shop Boys, Lana Del Rey, Little Dragon, and many more. He launched his own True Romance imprint and kept delivering crisp, meticulously crafted club cuts while also pursuing a more song-oriented direction on the 2014 album Glow and the 2019 debut release by his electro-pop trio Gemini Rising.

Born Marco Niemerski in Hamburg in 1975, he absorbed soul, funk, boogie, and pop during his formative years. As a teenager he obtained his first drum machines and synthesizers, then began focusing seriously on music production in 2000. His commercial debut under the Tensnake name came with the Restless EP on Mirau in 2006. Further EPs followed on Radius Records, Endless Flight, and Players Paradise, yet the 2009 release In the End (I Want You to Cry) on Running Back brought notable critical attention. Two tracks from that EP appeared on Resident Advisor’s poll of the year’s top 50 records, and he was invited to compile a mix for the site’s weekly podcast.

Tensnake issued the Coma Cat EP on Permanent Vacation in 2010. After Defected licensed the title track for the United Kingdom and it became a hit, his remix schedule intensified. Among the subsequent reworkings were Aloe Blacc’s 2010 track “I Need a Dollar,” Lana Del Rey’s 2012 single “National Anthem,” and Pet Shop Boys’ 2013 song “Thursday.” Closing out 2013, he released the Prince-indebted downtempo cut “58BPM” featuring vocals from Fiora; the track later appeared on his debut album Glow, issued in 2014 with contributions from Stuart Price, Jamie Lidell, and Nile Rodgers.

Through his True Romance label he continued to put out singles such as 2015’s “Keep On Talking” and 2016’s “Desire,” while performing at festivals including Coachella, Glastonbury, and Tomorrowland. With Fiora and producer/songwriter Lester Mendez he formed the synth-pop trio Gemini Rising, whose first album Best Case Life surfaced in 2019. After signing with the Dutch label Armada he issued dance-pop tracks such as “Automatic,” again with Fiora, and “Somebody Else” featuring Boy Matthews, setting the stage for his second solo full-length, L.A.