Sound? There is no good producer without his own sound. Every good production sound always needs a broad vision first. And then, to become a trademark sound, it needs a certain amount of steady creativity, yet enough space for constant evolution also – as well as, for sure, that certain bit of „soulful“ uniqueness that only develops with time and experience. Stefan Obermaier, Austrian producer / keyboardist / dj of „the next generation“, brings all of the above mentioned assets to the table in big doses. After deeply inhaling on the vibes of his fathers’ magic collection of Jazz, Funk and Soul music during the teenage days, it was Vienna’s mid nineties downtempo and dub influenced electronica that basically changed Stefan’s life forever. There it was: the essence of his fathers’ tapes, sort of like refined and filtered through european minimalism and artful reduction... made possible by the unmistakeable „viennese“ attitude of simply „being cool and feeling funky“. But for Stefan, it was never about simply copying or reinterpreting. Ever since his early 20s, the young man draws his own conclusions from all the great sound heritage he was socialized by. After shaping his vision with the „Zero:Zero Kollektiv“, Obermaier did some serious Vienna research, with the first result being „Inna Fat Dub Combo“, a smart and slick contribution to the fourth volume of „Vienna Scientists“ in 2004. Quite a crunchy proof for the surprising fact that Stefan managed to join the family on eye level. „I am still really inspired by the feeling of downbeat and dub that manifested itself a decade ago in this country really. Nevertheless, these are different times and I am not looking backwards. So I try to go deeper and further, that way, I can give the music a lot more of myself...“- and so, Stefan found his very own sound before he even knew. With tight remix productions for the Greek Timewarp Inc. label („The Obsession Bug“) and Cologne based reggae cohort Razoof („Spirituality“, released on the De-Phazz driven imprint Phazz-a-delic), Stefan showcased his remarkable abilities on an international level throughout the last months and outlined a unique vision in sound, easily fusing comfortable home listening pleasures and uplifting dancefloor vibrations. Anyone who ever witnessed one of Stefan’s vibrant dj-sets caught a glimpse of what it is exactly that fuels his vivid ability to create this special sound, always moving forward. „It is always a certain mood that I am aiming for“ says Stefan with a smile – his music is fresh, positive and breathes quite an amount of new life. So apart from having that sound and sharing his vision, there are a lot of aspects in his songs dealing with heritage and knowledge as well. Maybe that is why some people „in the know“ call him „keeper of the flame“. So don’t get fooled by the age and looks of the man they call Stefan Obermaier – if there’s one thing he’s definitely not, than it’s being a newcomer...