Upon.You Records

It depends upon you. Said and done. That’s what Marco Resmann, Marcus Meinhardt and Hawks Grunert told themselves when founding a platform for their own music as well as by befriended producers and exciting newcomers. The Vut & Vat EP from Marco Resmann (previously known as Phage) heralded a marathon of releases that such young labels are rarely able to achieve. Now in its fourth year, over 30 records have appeared bearing the Upon You logo. Along with meeting the demand for continuous output – and more important – is the label’s quality, as evidenced by constant presence in the charts and sets of Tiefschwarz, Steve Bug, Karotte, Brothers Vibe and many other internationally recognized DJs.

The headquarters of Upon You lies in Berlin, where, since the 90s, our three protagonists individually discovered their own sounds and approaches. They each grew independently as DJs, producers and/or professional event organizers. Resmann is one of the capital city’s most accomplished producers, for both his solo work and as member of Luna City Express and (formerly) Pan-Pot. Meinhardt, meanwhile, steadily rose as an exceptionally gifted DJ and party promoter. Grunert spent many years working for music magazine Frontpage, co-ran the label Timing Recordings and established a DJ escort agency. Now, having met with a mutual vision, the trio has joined forces and bundled their energy into Upon You. And although Berlin is their center, the focus aims to reveal their musical versatility and love for detail on an international level.

On the surface, the sound of Upon You could be categorized as tech-house, but with every release, new nuances of ambitious and functional club sounds emanate from the vinyl grooves. Upon You strives to be more! The stylistic diversity is aided by a varied roster, including the Cheapers, Channel X, Ruede Hagelstein, Santorini, Re-UP, Mathias Mesteno, and of course co-founders Resmann and Meinhardt. Bylate 2009, the label’s main roster began to fill up, but fresh and exciting tracks were still finding their way into the ears of the Upon You team. This led to the launch of Sweet & Sour, a sub-label serving as a base for similar house and techno sounds from outside producers such as Acumen and Gunnar Stiller. Such new tracks could now be released as quickly as possible, while the main label would retain its core identity.

Of equal calibre is the label’s visual identity (created by Berlin firm Eat, Sleep + Design) as well as its European label nights organized by Upon You Bookings (itself a merging of the label and the formerly named agency Mind the Crap). One project brought to life by this alliance of talent and experience is Home Sweet Home, the name of both their recurring extended afterhour parties and acclaimed 12” compilation series. With an online shop, regular label nights at Panorama Bar and Arena Club, and of course more beats cooking in the lab, Upon You simply won’t rest!