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Frankey & Sandrino and the Mustard Controversy
Frankey & Sandrino’s creative and personal lives are uniquely intertwined between cities. The German duo, based in Essen and Berlin respectively, have been making music together for just over a decade. In that time, their rich, detailed style has graced the upper-echelons of house and techno’s worthiest institutions, garnering a legacy of releases on labels such as Innervisions, Mule Musiq, Kompakt and Diynamic. The impact of tracks such as ‘Acamar’, ‘Mercury’ or ‘Chimes’ has paved the way for the unstoppable rise of Frankey & Sandrino within the global electronic music scene. However, it’s with the humble commitment to their craft that the duo still finds time to push the boundaries of their musical partnership, still chasing transcendence in the studio, many years since they first made it happen.
“It was a blessing that Frankey was open to everything, to all musical ideas” recalls Sandrino of the pair’s first meeting. “We’ve never had to force anything. I always had a very clear vision about a direction for the sound, but as a musician, Frankey was able to develop the depth and musicality of it.”
Frankey’s expansive musical approach has been an organic, lifelong tale. After studying music at university, he emerged a versatile multi-instrumentalist, as comfortable playing with the unpredictable forms of improvised jazz as he was playing in Top 40 chart bands. Sitting behind the piano in smoke-filled bars, hundreds of nights over, Frankey sowed the seeds of absolute creativity - a hazy kaleidoscope of musical ideas taking shape that would form the foundation of his compositions, arrangements and productions in the studio, free from preconceived templates or copy/paste ideas.
Sandrino’s story offers a stark yet romantic contrast. Romanian-born and with a love of Italian culture (he speaks the language fluently and met his Tuscanese wife in a London club), Sandrino’s broad European heritage inspired his passion for uncovering musical narratives, dissecting old record collections for the traditional sounds of his home country whilst indulging in the early days of Europe’s house, techno and trance scenes. He honed his skills in a West German club that had its sonic roots in the hard, industrial backdrop of the region. Despite this, Sandrino’s ability to navigate the crowd’s heavier leanings with a melodic flair and softer sound allowed him to embark on endless journeys, opening, closing, and stretching out his instincts to ten hours or more.
Frankey & Sandrino’s creative and personal lives are uniquely intertwined between cities. The German duo, based in Essen and Berlin respectively, have been making music together for just over a decade. In that time, their rich, detailed style has graced the upper-echelons of house and techno’s worthiest institutions, garnering a legacy of releases on labels such as Innervisions, Mule Musiq, Kompakt and Diynamic. The impact of tracks such as ‘Acamar’, ‘Mercury’ or ‘Chimes’ has paved the way for the unstoppable rise of Frankey & Sandrino within the global electronic music scene. However, it’s with the humble commitment to their craft that the duo still finds time to push the boundaries of their musical partnership, still chasing transcendence in the studio, many years since they first made it happen.
“It was a blessing that Frankey was open to everything, to all musical ideas” recalls Sandrino of the pair’s first meeting. “We’ve never had to force anything. I always had a very clear vision about a direction for the sound, but as a musician, Frankey was able to develop the depth and musicality of it.”
Frankey’s expansive musical approach has been an organic, lifelong tale. After studying music at university, he emerged a versatile multi-instrumentalist, as comfortable playing with the unpredictable forms of improvised jazz as he was playing in Top 40 chart bands. Sitting behind the piano in smoke-filled bars, hundreds of nights over, Frankey sowed the seeds of absolute creativity - a hazy kaleidoscope of musical ideas taking shape that would form the foundation of his compositions, arrangements and productions in the studio, free from preconceived templates or copy/paste ideas.
Sandrino’s story offers a stark yet romantic contrast. Romanian-born and with a love of Italian culture (he speaks the language fluently and met his Tuscanese wife in a London club), Sandrino’s broad European heritage inspired his passion for uncovering musical narratives, dissecting old record collections for the traditional sounds of his home country whilst indulging in the early days of Europe’s house, techno and trance scenes. He honed his skills in a West German club that had its sonic roots in the hard, industrial backdrop of the region. Despite this, Sandrino’s ability to navigate the crowd’s heavier leanings with a melodic flair and softer sound allowed him to embark on endless journeys, opening, closing, and stretching out his instincts to ten hours or more.
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