As part of the legendary duo known as Tiefschwarz, Alexander “Ali” Schwarz has held a longstanding career for over 20+ years performing both in the duo and solo, championing brilliant dance music throughout his illustrious, ever-expanding career. His profession has taken him far beyond his hometown of Stuttgart, Germany to cities across virtually every corner of planet earth. This journey has allowed Ali opportunities to perform in the world’s most legendary venues and produce exciting music with a plethora of globally recognized artists. His ambitious production discography includes 4 full length albums as Tiefschwarz, more than 100 remixes to his credit, several compilations and endless 12” singles released throughout his career. Alongside this, Ali has found the time to manage the longstanding Souvenir imprint, boasting over 100 releases. Ali’s well-rounded experience in the dance music industry clearly confirms his long-lasting status at the top of dance music’s pyramid.
Already an established musical force in the early 90s, Ali helped develop the Stuttgart underground scene with his ‘On-U’ nightclub (1989-1993), which then followed with his ‘Red Dog’ venue project (1993-1997). Both spaces allowed the artist to hone his craft of sonic storytelling, with a dedicated crowd enjoying the music he was celebrating as well as the regular appearances from inspiring guest DJs alike. This is also the time when Ali (and his brother Sebastian) formed the legendary Tiefschwarz project, which would lead to early singles for Francois Kevorkian’s ‘Wave Music’ imprint (NYC), and their debut album release, ‘Ral 9005’ released on Stuttgart label Four Music. These initial Tiefshwarz releases helped set a template for what would soon be the world famous ‘Tiefschwarz sound,’ a blending of dark melodies, deep rhythms and an admiration of the latest technological advances. This sound from Ali and his brother helped shape a new face of underground dance music – appreciated globally, pushing the Tiefschwarz name into the ears of clubbers and music lovers alike.
Relocating to Berlin in 2002, Ali’s career blossomed even more, with incredible releases for some of the top labels during that era. These releases helped the Tiefschwarz brothers gain followings in the top clubbing destinations, with gigs soon arriving creating a relentless tour diary which has since continued to fill up on a weekly basis. From top tracks on the UK’s Classic Music, Four Music and International Deejay Gigolo, the sound coming from Ali’s studio was gaining strength with each 12”. His masterful studio work as Tiefschwarz grew even stronger, with remixes for Masters At Work, Ultra Naté, Freaks, Isolee, The Rapture, Cassius, Minimal Compact, DJ Hell, to huge crossover pop stars like Missy Elliot and Kelis. As Tiefschwarz, Ali’s remix of Spektrum’s ‘Kinda New’ became a worldwide smash hit, exploding the Tiefschwarz name from out of the underground and straight to the top of the dance charts.
Over the next decade, Ali’s focus on the Tiefschwarz project has stood strong, steadily creating some of the biggest club weapons, albums and sleeper smash hits, equally effective for prime time DJing and late night headphone sessions. Evolving with the changing musical landscape, Ali’s sound has developed into a fusion of Techno, House, Deep House, Electro, and more, the sound remaining relevant and true to the spirit of Ali and Sebastian’s sonic aesthetic. Remixes for Depeche Mode, Roxy Music, Madonna, Booka Shade proved the strength of Ali’s work under the Tiefschwarz name, keeping his career standing strong at the top of the industry. Alongside brilliant releases, Ali has continued to grace the decks at the top venues worldwide, recently holding residencies at Frankfurt’s famed ‘Robert Johnson,’ London’s iconic ‘Fabric,’ and both ‘Watergate’ and’ Weekend’ clubs in his home town of Berlin (not to mention appearances in Ibiza, Tokyo, Sao Paolo, and elsewhere worldwide).
When he’s not behind the turntables, Ali continues to focus his creative energy on the delightful Souvenir Music imprint, which has focused its musical attention towards pushing new and innovative electronic music sounds to the labels followers around the globe. Ali’s brilliant A&R skills have helped develop the career of many up and coming producers, each artist fully embraced by the label and supported with the same admiration the music world has given to Tiefschwarz. He has also been busy recording and releasing brand new music, both as Tiefschwarz and as a solo artist, with a focus on the heads down, deeper approach to the scene (as a confident contrast to the legendary mainstream status the Tiefschwarz name has achieved).
Always evolving, adapting and staying slightly ahead of the rest, Ali Schwarz has remained a vital figure in the dance music industry and shows zero signs of stopping. Supporting both the mainstream and underground scenes with equal passion, Ali has been able to create his own musical journey with incredible results. Always on the quest to develop the music into new and unexplored territories, the sounds from Ali’s mind remain inspiring and exciting – his passion for the dance music world just as vibrant as when he first heard the sounds of electronic music so many years ago. As a DJ, producer, and label owner – the best is definitely yet to come.
