Joachim Spieth is a long time DJ, producer and label boss of Affin. Whether through the music he produces himself, or the productions he releases on his own imprint, the sounds always operate in their own little pockets away from the norm. It all started with ‘Abi 99’ – one of the earliest 12”s Cologne stable Kompakt ever released. At the time it was supported by legendary UK radio DJ John Peel and, in turn, was followed up with more huge early success in the form of ‘Under Pressure’, a split single EP on Speicher with Michael Mayer. In the years since, there have been tracks licensed to The Orb’s Back to Mine compilation, appearances on labels like Paso, Traum Schallplatten and Tongut and a steady stream of remixes for the likes of Michael Mayer, Einmusik and Guy J, all of which have blurred the lines between techno, minimal and house music in the producers own unique way.
Chief amongst Spieth’s achievements are those of his wide-ranging label, Affin. As well as hosting a regular radio show of the same name on Proton and label nights at clubs across Europe, the imprint has clocked up 150 releases, spawned various Selected compilations (including one recently to celebrate its centenary release) and has championed music from artists like Arnaud Le Texier, Samuel L Session, Gez Varley, Truncate, Reggy van Oers and so many more.
Most recently, the six-year-old outlet has started Affin LTD, a sub-label putting music out on vinyl, with great looking and sounding results. It’s no wonder, then, that revered contemporary DJs like Derrick May, Ben Sims and Laurent Garnier regularly include Affin records in their sets around the world.
Spieth himself plays a range of top European clubs on a regular basis, impressing crowds at respected venues like Culture Box, Denmark, Tresor, Berlin, Hive Zurich in Switzerland, Kater Holzig in Berlin, and many other European hotspots with his deft blend of groove, melody and atmosphere. His latest vinyl EP release ‘Sensual’ might just be his greatest to date, with the likes of Scuba playing it in his Essential Mix, Depeche Mode’s Martin L Gore (a pop hero for Spieth) charting it on Beatport, Juan Atkins dropping it during his live Beatport stream and many other accolades across the board.
