B: Be Real (11:23min)

As a live performance group, the Wareikans find common ground on the dancefloor by pushing basslines, synthesizing emotions and by using emotive vocals. They bring a “concert” to the club, creating a unique sound.

“Impulse” – our first association was the following: Carl Craig and a snake charmer are having a few drinks at a grubby jazz bar. Wonderfully musical, with a break able to make the world a better place.

“Be Real” – is a deep and soulful Chicago affair. Smoothly jackin’, it draws you into a sea of meandering synths. Florian’s Chicago chants give this marathon House tune the final polish, leaving you astonished that this deep and soulful voice actually comes from a white bread.

A2: No More Tears (Quarion Rmx) (9:27min)

Today he’s producing solo or with partners like Dandy Jack, Quenum or Paris the Black Fu on prestigious labels like Crosstown Rebels, Imploz and Num, beside his work in the contemporary art section, for theatres and movies.

“No More Tears” is a genuine summer track with an alluring groove, mysterious oriental-sounding vocals and an excellent percussion work, which is tailor-made for deep and moody techno sets.

Drumpoet Community’s man of the moment - Quarion – delivers an outstanding interpretation. Even though the groove is really deep, this track gives you a permanent uplifting feeling until a wonderful detroitish string theme lets the track end in an epic, but never overloaded state of happiness. Perfect Open-Air tune!

02: Wareika – Fantasy (Wareika Rmx) (6:14)

03: Andrès Garcìa – Invisìvel* (9:29)

04: Ripperton– Amarone* (6:52)

05: Estroe – Does It Ring A Bell (6:53)

06: Daso – Booker (6:06)

07: ZoëXenia – Forever (6:36)

08: Patrick Chardronnet – Percussiontrack (8:16)

09: Sebastian Roya – Contracorriente (6:38)

10: Kollektiv Turmstrasse – Lüchttoorn* (7:10)

11: Federleicht – On The Streets (5:41)

* CD compilation only

Connaisseur Recordings proudly presents the second edition of the annual label compilation ”Grand Cru“. This year’s vintage, “Grand Cru 2008”, captivates not only with subtle, deep and more complex flavours but also shows the whole bandwidth of the connaisseur family’s taste in music. This fine drop will be released in May on vinyl, as a double CD and digitally.

Last year’s compilation was a pleasurable success which was proven by being ranked as 11th best compilation of the year 2007 in the German Groove magazine. Along with this the Grand Cru Tour stopped in the best European clubs like the Watergate (Berlin), Loft (Barcelona), Propaganda (Moscow), Doornroosje (Nijmegen), and Club Q (Zurich), always sporting a wonderful audience and excessive vibes.

“Grand Cru 2008” offers a brilliant melange of known artits from our roster like Patrick Chardronnet Ripperton, Kollektiv Turmstrasse, Daso, Sebastian Roya and the two wonderful ladies from the Netherlands: Estroe and ZoëXenia. Apart from that Connaisseur presents new outstanding talents like Art Bleek, Andrès Garcìa, Wareika and Federleicht.

Since Grand Cru stands for a marriage of the finest grapes, the 2008 vintage again captivates with a great variety of exquisite electronic music, which has been compiled not only for the dancefloor.

Our french newcomer and boy wonder Art Bleek enchants us with a wonderful melange of dreamy Deep House, Jazz, Funk and a pinch of Detroit.

Wareika, our Dub and Afrobeat specialists from Hamburg, who already provided for collective ecstasy with „Men Village“, now present a dubby bassline monster which will make even the most tired dancers highly awake again.

Daso is in charge for the deeper moments in the clubs – 20.000 miles below the ocean surface for the deepest pleasure in listening and dancing.

Percussion and rhythm are the main focus of Patrick Chardronnet and our Superstar from the Canary Islands, Sebastian Roya. Sebastian conjures an absolute peaktime burner with weird rhythms. Patrick Chardronnet, however, resurfaces in a new musical style on „Grand Cru 2008“ after a extensive creative break and gently woos the moments of an afterhour with his „Percussiontrack“.

ZoëXenia has already proven to be the new Barbara Tucker with „Cherish“. Her contribution to the compilation called „Forever“ is not inferior to that track and shows again that she currently has the most soulful and powerful voice in electronic music.

Meaningful melancholy and classical detroitish electro beats make up the mixture with which Estroe enchants us this time. Music that can make one cry.

Federleicht are Marc Bammann and Florian Schirmacher (also a member of Wareika, among others). Both are musicians from the whole of their heart and their contribution shows that there is no need to always try to be club compatible. „On The Streets“ tells the sad story of a Romanian street child. This track touched us so much that we decided to record our first music video.

Label newcomer Andrès Garcìa, coming from the wonderful Geneva, makes his Connaisseur debut with a trippy Deep House killer which again broadens Connaisseur’s spectrum.

Ripperton, one of the artists who work with Connaisseur from the very beginning, has to be featured on ”Grand Cru 2008”, too. „Amarone“ is not only one of the most flavoursome wines but in this case also a universal and incredibly deep hybrid of techno and house.

To top it off, it’s needless to say that we also selected our shooting stars Kollektiv Turmstrasse with their beautiful track „Lüchttoorn“. It’s again a piece of music that touches but at the same time leaves no-one sitting on their chairs.

It’s almost a tradition to say that CD 2 features a free bonus mix. This year it has been compiled and mixed by our label impresario Alex Flitsch who presents upcoming pearls and and highlighs from our back catalogue in his deep trip.

Tracklist - Alex Flitsch Bonus Mix:

01: Plasmik – Mindpattern (Afrilounge’s Deep String Mix)

Taken from [cns20a-6]

02: Rekleiner – Dos Caminos

Taken from [cns016-6]

03: Afrilounge – Lux Dementia

Taken from [cns019-6]

04: Estroe – Driven

Taken from [cnss004-6]

05: ZoëXenia – Cherish

Taken from [cns018-6]

06: Sebastian Roya – Distancias

Taken from [cns0012-6]

07: Andrès Garcìa – No More Tears

Taken from [cnss011-6]

08: Daso – Pars Tensa

Taken from [cns022-6]

09: Wareika – Men Village (Reboot’s Women City Rework)

Taken from [cnss009-6]

10: Ripperton – Zugunruhe (Daniel Stefanik Rmx)

Taken from [cnss008-6]

A2: NU (Brendon Moeller’s Filthy Dub) (6:36min)

B1: Watching Over Spacelines…Fly Away (07:10)

B2: Into Deep (06:17)

“NU” is a wonderfully positive House tune with subtle Dub-influences. The whistling main theme running through the track as a major thread is captivating and catchy.

“Brendon Moeller” – NYC’s dub specialist and man of the moment with his releases on the excellent Third Ear imprint, turnes “NU” into a really crazy dub-monster. His “Filthy Dub” features a great driving groove and trippin pitch effects.

“Watching Over Spacelines…Fly Away” is a great floating tune somewhere between House and Techno. Eventhough the groove is really deep, it suggest an uplifting feeling…like flying over incredible scenery.

“Into Deep” – what a wonderful pearl. Almost Pop but still deep and alluring as only electronic music could be. This track will hit you in the middle of your heart.