Michael Mayer (DE)

As a DJ, producer and remixer, Michael Mayer remains one of Germany's core celebrities in dance music. It's no secret that he spends his weekends traveling around the globe. It's likely throughout his career he's played in front of millions. Then, as a co-owner of Kompakt, he spends his weekdays deciding what will be released on the label and working with the label's artists and overseeing Kompakt's distribution wing - the home of over 50 record labels. Amazingly enough, he manages to sneak into the studio on occasion to produce his own music and remix the likes of Pet Shop Boys, Depeche Mode, Foals and Rufus Wainwright. And of course there is Supermayer but more on that later. It's safe to say he loves being challenged and regardless of the pressure is never putting less than 100% of his heart and soul into everything he does. Born in 1971 in the Black Forest, he was exposed to DJing as a young teen when he befriended a neighborhood DJ and light designer who gave him mix tapes and snuck him into the local club. "The image of someone standing behind the turntables is carved into my memory. I knew at once that was what I wanted to do". Taking up the trade of a paperboy a wee 14 year old Mayer managed to earn enough for turntables and a mixer. Soon after, he was the star of the school dance and maestro for the local birthday parties. At the tender age of 18, Mayer graduated to the world of disco and became Saturday night resident of Achern's leading club at the time, Why Not. Sadly short-lived, Michael's musical tastes didn't match the crowd's bid for commercial cuts and so he was banished to peruse more "underground" projects.