Collection: Über mich

Music, Zeitgeist, and Passion – My Journey...

At the age of 12, I had my first encounter with Digital Underground - The Humpty Dance. My parents at the time exclusively rented to US soldiers. One soldier had to move out quickly and left a cassette on the floor - a treasure for me.

At 13, I heard New Jack Hustler from New Jack City with Ice-T for the first time, and that changed everything. Visits to my aunt in New York in the 90s ended with suitcases full of hip-hop cassettes, hip-hop posters, and hip-hop T-shirts. By 14, I had a fine tape collection. In 1991, I sat in front of the TV in New York and saw the images of Rodney King, didn't understand it, but then listened carefully to RAP (Rhythm And Poetry) and learned.

At 15, my dad drove me to Waldstadion Frankfurt every other Saturday, and as a passenger, I got to control the radio on the way home in the evenings. One night, I turned on HR3 and things went wild – I'd never heard anything like it before. I asked my dad what it was, but he didn't know – I said: step on it and drive faster, I have to record this at home on cassette. HR3 Clubnight with Sven Väth was playing on the radio. That changed everything again. To this day, I have a shoebox full of Clubnight tapes.

At 16, I secretly snuck out through the basement door and somehow walked part of the way, 12km over country roads to Holzheim/Langgöns – every Thursday evening to La Boum, where Pascal FEOS played Hardtrance – we gave him cigarettes and were allowed to write down the titles he played. Then immediately to Downtown Records Gießen or DumDideldum-Delirium Töngesgasse or BOY, there was that too, and bought the records. I used to get the playlists of the Väth Clubnights by fax. I was at the 2nd Loveparade Berlin, numerous raves, and in the late 90s, early 2000s, I was a "Heimkind" (home child) – Stammheim Kassel, but I also experienced Aufschwung Ost. Legendary: 2001 - A Bass Odysee.

In my mid-20s, I stood behind the turntables myself as "Jay Deluxe". I was a resident DJ at Club Quadrat Gießen, Relax2000 Gießen, and Kunstkeller Gießen. From disco house to techno to nu-jazz, beats & breaks, most recently influenced by artists like Thievery Corporation and Ursula 1000. Today, after over 35 years of vinyl passion, I have arrived at Ska/Rocksteady and Afrobeat.

30.04.2026 - ZIBB Gießen:

history...

In 1997, I completed a commercial apprenticeship and three years later, I earned a business degree. Most recently, I worked for years as an IT buyer, but at some point, I realized: My calling had been right in front of me the whole time – my record shelf!