| DJ Sets ::M.A.N.D.Y (Patrick Bodmer
& Philipp Jung)
The Get Physical story begins on a tennis
court in Saarbrücken, near the German-French border.
That's where Patrick Bodmer met Philipp Jung on a summer's
day twenty years ago. Their lifelong friendship and musical
partnership was sealed on their next meeting, at the high
board of the local swimming baths. After many hours of discussion
they were jumping, and were virtually brothers from then on.
Together they ran wild and wished for a life that could only
be about their great loves - collecting records, throwing
parties and meeting girls. They dreamt of a way to live as
a child, running happy and free. When youthful desire had
to make way for sensible adult concerns they parted ways.
At 25 Patrick and Philipp were reunited in Frankfurt, then
the hub of Germany's flourishing house and techno scene. Philipp
worked for Snap's record company; Patrick studied and lived
as an artist. They began their first musical activities with
releases on local independent imprints and devised their unofficial
Lust (eng: joy, zest, delight) parties as an excuse to play
records. Later Patrick acquired an old brewery as an atelier
that served as their cauldron for ideas, art and wanton personal
experimentation. They stopped in 1997 and the final twang
of traditional career values saw Philipp move firstly to Cologne
as A&R of Jive, and later to Berlin to do the same job
for V2. Patrick finished studying before taking a sensible
day job he quickly detested.
Over the next years they consumed music, raved and span records
at every opportunity. DJ T and Patrik (The Sunsetpeople),
from Frankfurt's Monza club, heard them play at a party and
noticed them on the dancefloor, stamping their feet and ripping
their clothes. They became close friends, and M.A.N.D.Y. have
held a Monza residency since 2001. The same year their old
pals Arno and Walter (Booka Shade) moved from Saarbrücken
to Frankfurt. The four intensified their work together and
again talked of starting a label. The first official M.A.N.D.Y.
release, a remix of French electronic band Galleon, was chosen
as the official German single and went stratospheric sales
charts. DJ work poured in but they couldn't reconcile with
the commercial scene and abandoned it after a few short months.
M.A.N.D.Y. liken their next moves to a last exit, a final
chance to do something special before time ran away from them.
They decided to create a label with their friends Booka Shade
and DJ T, utilising the talent of the close friends in their
circle. They called it Get Physical: in tribute to the dancefloor;
in memory of their meeting; for their love of disco, acknowledging
the obsession with Olivia Newton-John. It was born from pure
desire, the need to create something tangible from their lifelong
passion. In 2002, M.A.N.D.Y. and Booka Shade moved to Berlin
seeking a new creative kick. What they found was a confluence
of artists and ideas, and a constant shower of music that
washed over and immersed them. It was productive, intense
and satisfying. Living and working together their strong relationships
provided the perfect foundation for future growth.
Since the creation of the label, M.A.N.D.Y. have come into
their own as artists and DJs. Their natural easy friendship
allowed their skills to gradually flourish and their heartfelt
excitement for what they do ignites every floor. Mixing the
first Get Physical label compilation in 2004 sent their sound
beyond Europe and they're sought after remixers working with
artists as diverse as The Knife, Seelenluft, the Sugababes,
Hans Peter Lindstrom and Fisherspooner. And though they travel
the world they treasure the family vibe that supports them
in Berlin. For M.A.N.D.Y. this isn't a job and isn't about
success. It's about partnership and friendship and a realisation
that dreams can come true.
