X-Dream

Born in May 1968 and February 1970 respectively, Marcus C. Maichel and Jan Mueller have operated out of Hohenfelde, Germany since forming their creative partnership in 1989. Maichel, shaped early by electro and reggae, had already begun producing electronic music by 1986, while Mueller completed sound-engineering studies toward the close of the decade. Their first joint session took place in 1989, and by 1991 they were recording under the name X-Dream. Initial output leaned toward techno and appeared on Tunnel Records, yet exposure to Hamburg’s burgeoning trance community in the early nineties prompted a decisive shift in direction. Over the ensuing years they issued material under the aliases C.o.p., the Delta, the Pollinator, Moondust and XME. In October 1996 the duo entered a lasting relationship with the British trance imprint Blue Room Released, issuing the single “The Frog” and placing the track “No” on the compilation Trip Through Sound. The following year their Delta release “As A Child I Could Walk On The Ceiling” earned favor among leading trance selectors, notably Mark Allen. In 1998 they unveiled the debut album Radio alongside the singles “Brain Forest/S.T.O.P.” and “Radiohead.” Concurrently they supplied remixes for Johann, Koxbox and the Saafi Brothers. Although their productions adhere to the straightforward four-on-the-floor patterns associated with the Goa style and rely heavily on riffs, X-Dream maintain a singular identity built on robust low-end architecture, expansive atmosphere and vivid psychedelic detail, setting a standard few have matched in this production domain.