The German minimal DJ returns to the spotlight with two hours of artfully subtle house and techno.

There's an old German proverb that goes "Der stete Tropfen höhlt den Stein." Literally, it means a constant dripping wears away the stone, but the point isn't about force but patience: slow, steady repetition can leave the deepest mark. It's an apt metaphor for the career of Kosta Athanassiadis, better known as XDB.

Active since the early '90s, first as a DJ and then producer by the decade's end, Athanassiadis has built a career less on hype than persistence. His catalogue spans labels like Dial, Metrolux and Echocord, alongside a steady trickle of EPs and remixes that have quietly cemented his reputation as one of minimal house and techno's undersung heroes.

That patience carries into his sound and production ethos. Where many of his peers embraced software upgrades and new workflows, Athanassiadis has long stuck to Cubase, a handful of trusty instruments and 30-year-old speakers he claims to have run "hundreds of thousands of tunes" through. He also still prefers to use inexpensive, straightforward gear—what matters, he insists, is not the tools but the feel. The result is a sound that’s stripped back, direct and enduring.

Lately, Athanassiadis has found himself back in focus. With minimal enjoying fresh attention, his calendar has filled, and with it a run of back-to-back sets—most often alongside PLO Man, a regular sparring partner this year. True to form, though, you won't find that his style has changed much. Over 30 years after his first gig, you can rest assured you'll still find him playing with patience, carving out long arcs rather than sharp peaks.

His RA Mix captures him in a reflective mood. Running just over two hours, RA.1003 is a hushed yet absorbing affair, moving seamlessly from the delicate atmospherics of Valentino Mora and Caldera to the machine funk of Robert Hood, Solid Gold Playaz and Marcellus Pittman. There are left turns folded into XDB's patient narrative arc, too: John Carpenter's brooding scores here, DJ Sprinkles' melancholic work with Will Long on "Acid Trax N (Acid Dog)" there.

It's the sound of a DJ who has been quietly chiseling away for three decades, and who understands the value of persistence as much as restraint.

@xdb

Find the tracklist and interview at ra.co/podcast/1021

RA.1003 XDB

@marie_thessa b2b Matthias Reiling

Matthias Reiling is beatmaker, bass player and record collector originally from Lüneburg, North Germany. One half of Session Victim, part of the Giegling collective.

If Marie is not in the DJ booth spinning records, you most likely find her on the floor. Though highly respected by her fellow jockeys for her mixing style and impeccable skill at that, she’s a fan first and a club kid at heart – which seems to be a major reason for her ability to immediately connect with different kinds of crowds in various settings. As a DJ, Marie is known for her dynamic and engaging sets, which seamlessly blend together different styles of house music. Her performances have taken her to some of the most prestigious festivals, including FUSION, GARBICZ or NACHTIVILLE and Clubs like Frankfurt’s ROBERT JOHNSON, Hamburg’s PUDEL or Berlin’s HEIDEGLÜHEN, to name just a few. Dabbling in beat making and production for quite a while now, Manchester based record label “DREAMING FOREVER” signed Marie for her first 12“Vinyl EP entitled IVY BLUES. Despite her growing success, Marie remains grounded and focused on her art, constantly pushing herself to evolve and experiment with new sounds and techniques. With her unique style and infectious energy, Marie Lung is definitely an artist to watch.

Marie Lung b2b Matthias Reiling @ coppi 07.08.2025

D'julz : home diggin' - 11 Octobre 2025

Prosumer, a summer night, and the full spectrum of house.
3 hours of groove, warmth, and joy — captured live at the festival this summer.

This set was played in memory of Tobias Blume ♡

Prosumer // Nachtipod live from NACHTI 25

Yoyaku Instore Session with Admo

Mark Farina at Waking Life 2025

Eli Verveine at Dekmantel Selectors 2025

From humble beginnings attending off grid parties in Iran to holding down residencies at clubs such as Panoramabar and Robert Johnson, PARAMIDA has, over the past few decades, grown to become a barometer for high grade electronic music. With such a wide remit for the gems that she has at her disposal, PARAMIDA is an artist that is consistently moving and evolving. Having founded one of the most en vogue labels in Love On The Rocks and in doing so cemented a self belief that has stood her well in progressing through the ranks at a cosmic pace. [continue reading at...https://trommelmusic.com/music/podcast/alphatheta-podcasts/trommel-232-paramida-powered-by-alphatheta/]

Trommel.232 - PARAMIDA [powered by AlphaTheta]

Can you feel it

Minimal Overdrive - Underground Tech House

Phantom Static - Underground Tech House Instrumental DJ

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Trommel.232 - PARAMIDA [powered by AlphaTheta]

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