After something of a hiatus since 2009, Dan Berkson and James What are back to working together and back doing what they do best: making raw house and techno and playing live shows that are as engaging to listen to as they are to watch. In making this welcome return, the London based pair is also opening a new chapter in the form of new label Modelmaker. It kicks off with a couple of great new EPs and a long overdue debut album that is already picking up support from those in the know.

"We have a very wide taste in music", explain the pair that first broke through off the back of some killer EPs on Poker Flat and Crosstown Rebels. "Electronic music is just a small part of the influences we like to try to bring to our sound: Jazz, dub, experimental music and vintage equipment all get leaned on, and we even used a poem text from British writer Patience Agbabi on our debut album."

Said album is sure to combine all those influences into a soundtrack that is both physically assertive on the dancefloor, but that also fires cerebral synapses and engages listeners on an emotional level, as have their previous works dating back to 2006. Alongside being an accomplished studio do that really knows how to get the bets out of their carefully curated selection of analogue and outboard gear, Berkson & What are also standout live performers that have commanded crowds everywhere from Sonar to Fusion, Fabric to Panorama Bar. Such sets are ever evolving things filled with a real sense of energy, but also an artistic musical element that separates it from the loop based best of the rest.

Individually this pair has also won plenty of acclaim. Chicago born Dan has been a professional musician since his mid teens and spent his early years as a successful keyboard player, touring the States with various jazz bands during the late 90s. After relocating to London to study music yet further, he soon found favour with clubbers and DJs everywhere thanks to his slick fusions of classic and contemporary ideals on revered labels like Mood Music, Simple, 2020Vision and Compost.

James, meanwhile, as well as DJing solo everywhere from Robot Heart at Burning Man to across both Americas, Europe and Asia, has previously hooked up with Crosstown boss Damian Lazarus as Zod, releasing with the dance music legend on his other label, Rebellion. So too has his original solo work, which is a knowing concoction of gruff techno, slick minimal and classicist house aesthetics, come on labels such as Crosstown Rebels, Poker Flat and Murmur, with remixes being commissioned by Rue de Plaisance, CityFox and My Favourite Robot. As well as the forthcoming album, Berkson & What are to release on Dogmatik, Lee Burridge's Get Weird label and Seth Troxler's new Play It Say It all before the end of 2014. In doing so, then, this dynamic duo will no doubt re-establish themselves as one of the most consistently entertaining duos anywhere in the house and techno world. Dan Berkson and James What are a London based electronic music production and Live performance duo. Meeting in London in 2006, Dan and James discovered similar and eclectic musical backgrounds and a shared passion for forward thinking house and techno. They began to produce a blend of their individual soundscapes, debuting their Live Show at the infamous Sonar festival in the summer of 2006. The success that has followed has seen the duo tour extensively with a Live performance that is not only engaging to hear but equally mesmerising to watch.

James What studied music and sound engineering at the acclaimed LCM and SAE in London and released his initial solo productions in 2005. He has since gone on to make and release his solo and collaborative music with Dan Berkson on some of the industry's most recognized labels such as Pokerflat, Crosstown Rebels, Murmur and Dessous. Chicago born Dan Berkson has been a professional musician since his mid teens and spent his early years as a successful keyboard player before studying at the New England Conservatory of Music in Boston. Numerous projects in jazz and funk saw him tour America and in the late 90's Dan relocated to London to study music production. Dan has gone on to produce and release for labels such as on Exun, Crosstown Rebels, Hypercolour and Gourmet as a solo artist and alongside James.

Their combined and mutual influences of jazz, techno, house and funk find themselves layered to create a truly unique sound niche. An mix of raw classic house and the shrewd darkness of organic minimal and techno ride of each other's core elements, resulting in a solid yet emotive signature. Stripped down and meticulously produced, the duo use laptops, synthesizers and drum machines as their key tools to create improvised tech house with a jazz edge. Elegantly arranged, classic yet head strong, Dan Berkson and James What's cut's are a firm staple in dj boxes worldwide.

Berkson & What "Worship Feat. Qzen " (2014)

Modelmaker MDL02

listen

Berkson & What "Seraphim / Firebird " (2014)

Modelmaker MDL01

listen

Prince vs Luca C & James What "The Future " (2012)

No. 19 / Vinyl Only Bootleg

listen

Sasse Feat. Big Bully "Took My Love (James What Remix)" (2012)

My Favourite Robot

listen

Mark Henning "Chicago Sunrise (James What Acid Edit) " (2012)

Cityfox - CF015

listen

Varoslav & David K - "Better Talk (James What Remix)" (2012)

Rue De Plaisance RDP004

listen to "Better Talk (James What Remix)"

Zod - "Rise Before Zod" (2012)

With Acid Pauli and Shadow Dancer Remixes

Rebellion RBL007

listen to "Rise Before Zod"

Alex Jones - "Stamp (Dan Berkson Remix)" (2011)

Hypercolour

listen to "Stamp (Dan Berkson Remix)"

James What - "It Feels Wrong" (2011)

Poker Flat

listen to "It Feels Wrong"

listen to "It Feels Wrong (Lee Curtiss Remix)"

listen to "In The Dark"

Dan berkson & James What - Deep Electronic House (2011)

Loopmasters - Artist Series Sample Pack

listen to Demo track

James What - "Going Back" (2011)

Murmur - STATE02

listen to "Going Back"

Dan Berkson - "Anything For You" (2011)

Crosstown Rebels - CRM074

listen to "Anything For You"

listen to "Secrets"

James What - "About Love" (2011)

Crosstown Rebels - CRM071

listen to "About Love"

listen to "A Target For The Scene"

Dan Berkson & James What - "Ghosts" (2009)

Poker Flat Recordings - PFR107

listen to "Ghosts"

listen to "In Person"

Dan Berkson & James What - "Systems Remixes" (2009)

Sounderground - SRD09

Remixes by Cesare vs. Disorder, Touane, Patrick Zigon, Stefan Tretau, Laurine Frost and Simon Li.

Dan Berkson & James What - "Keep On feat. Robert Owens" (2008)

w/ Two Armadillos, Stimming and King Britt remixes

Dessous Recordings - DES82

listen to "Keep On feat. Robert Owens (original mix)"

listen to "Keep On feat. Robert Owens (live mix)"

Dan Berkson & James What - "Indigo" (2008)

Poker Flat Recordings - "Dead Man's Hand" PFRLP20 / PFRCD20

listen to "Indigo"

Dan Berkson & James What - "Reflections feat. Robert Owens " (2008)

Poker Flat Recordings - PFR93

listen to "Reflections feat. Robert Owens"

listen to "Onika feat. Monica Soldan"

D'Julz - "Runny (Berkson & What Remix)" (2007)

Poker Flat - PFR85

listen

Matzak - "Girl In Water (Berkson & What Remix)" (2007)

Boxer - 46

listen

Dan Berkson & James What - "Asteroids" (2006)

Poker Flat Recordings - "Bets'n'Bluffs" PFRLP19 / PFRCD19

listen to "Asteroids"

Dan Berkson & James What - "Cantina" EP (2006)

Poker Flat Recordings - PFR77

listen to "Cantina"

listen to "Mescaline Circus"

listen to "Last Train"

Daniela Stickroth - "Ghost In The Attic (Berkson & What Remix)" (2006)

Meerestief -10

listen

Dan Berkson & James What - "Systems" EP (2006)

Sounderground Recordings - SR01

listen to "Systems"

listen to "Mesatennis"

Dan Berkson & James What - "The Dig" EP (2006)

Poker Flat Recordings - PFR70

listen to "The Dig"

listen to "If I Was a Man"

listen to "Zig Zag"