In under two years, Anja Schneider’s mobilee label has become one of Berlin’s most exciting organizations, capturing the energy of the city’s infamous club scene, unleashing a host of new talents upon an unsuspecting public and inspiring DJs around the world with mobilee’s unfailing style of rave-tested minimalism. (Or is that “minimal-tested rave-ism”?) Now, with 14 singles under its belt, mobilee proudly announces the release of Back to Back, the label’s first-ever CD release. The double-CD compilation collects nine of the label’s best tracks on one disc, giving the turntable-impaired their first encounter with a catalogue that vinyl lovers have quickly come to treasure; on disc two, Schneider delivers a seamless mix of eight exclusive in-house remixes, all commissioned especially for this release and unavailable anywhere before now. As if that weren’t enough, a four-piece vinyl series will make all eight tracks available for DJs and collectors. With a roster including Schneider, Sebo K, Daniel Stefanik, Exercise One, Pan-Pot, GummiHz, Nhar and Sleeper Thief – plus remixers Shyza Minelli, Und, Duplex 100, Magda, Sub Static/Karloff’s M.I.A., and Jennifer Cardini & Shonky – this band of dark horses has galloped into the record boxes of the world’s top DJs. Mobilee tracks have been featured on many acclaimed compilations and mix CDs, including Richie Hawtin’s DE9 | Lite: Electronic Adventures and Kiki’s Boogy Bytes Vol. 1. confirming mobilee’s stature both at home and on the world stage, Anja Schneider was invited to DJ the main stage at this year’s Loveparade – proof that mobilee’s recipe for intricate, exuberant dance music, while rooted in underground clubs like Watergate and WMF, offers something for crowds of all stripes. Whittling down mobilee’s catalogue to nine tracks wasn’t easy, but disc one easily captures every facet of the label, from Sebo K’s opening “Moved (featuring Prosumer)” – a timeless, deep house gem recalling Carl Craig and Innervisions – to Pan-Pot’s fidgety “P.O. Box” and “Black Widow”, which prove that there’s more to “minimal” than simple clickety-clack. Tracks from Exercise One (“Debaya”), Sleeper Thief (“Full of You”) and GummiHz (“Isolate”) round out the collection of corkscrewing grooves, along with both sides of Anja Schneider’s “Lily of the Valley/Addicted” single. Best of all, Anja Schneider and Sebo K’s club smasher “Rancho Relaxo” is here in all its ragged glory, a reminder of the potency of Detroit’s legacy at a time when so many electronic-music styles seem to have run out of steam. Disc two is a family affair, a tricky game of telephone carried out on a party line. Exercise One tackles Sebo K’s “Horizons.” Sebo K reworks GummiHz’ “Isolate.” GummiHz take a scalpel to Anja Schneider’s “Addicted,” Anja has her way with Daniel Stefanik’s anthem “The Bells,” and Stefanik – not to be bested—does his magic on Exercise One’s “Debaya.” Letting out their own inner ravers, Pan-Pot take on Anja Schneider & Sebo K’s hit “Rancho Relaxo.” In the only cameo appearance here, London’s Jesse Rose (Dubsided) puts his chunky house signature on Pan-Pot’s “Black Dog.” Finally, Prosumer gets the upper hand on Sebo K, recreating the latter’s “Moved (featuring Prosumer)” in Prosumer’s own image. And you thought dude was just a singer—think again. “Think again” might as well be mobilee’s motto, for the way the label lays bare the skeleton of rave music—and the way it amplifies Berlin minimal into something throbbing, overwhelming, all-consuming. Watch your back: mobilee is coming up from behind, and Back to Back is the rearview image of the shape of rave to come. cd 2 (mixed by anja schneider) 1.anja schneider „addicted“ gummihz remix 2.gummihz „isolate“ sebo k remix 3.pan-pot „black dog“ jesse´s pots & pans edit 4.anja schneider & sebo k „rancho relaxo“ pan-pot black ranch mix 5.sebo k „horizons“ exercise one´s sleepless in san juan mix 6.exercise one „debaya“ daniel stefanik remix 7.daniel stefanik „the bells“ anja schneider back from the valley mix 8.sebo k „moved prosumer“ stop dub