DeWalta

DeWalta, also known as David Koch, is a Berlin-based dance music producer and DJ with roots in southern Germany. He grows up in a large family surrounded by theatre, literature and music, and his early musical training begins at the Waldorf School, where he studies French horn from the age of seven and plays in orchestral and ensemble settings.

Early musical background

His grandfather, a music journalist, introduces him to early American jazz on old lacquer records and later to music associated with the 1950s beat movement. He begins teaching himself jazz at 10, and by 13 he is playing in local jazz clubs. That experience leads to his first scholarship and to meeting his first significant teachers. Alongside jazz, he develops an interest in P-Funk, hip hop, pop and rock, and also tours internationally with classical symphony orchestras while earning money with young jazz ensembles.

Move to Berlin and transition to electronic music

In 1999 he moves to Berlin to study at a music conservatory and stays active in the city’s young jazz scene. Two years later he transfers to the Hans Eisler Music College, where he studies saxophone, piano, composition and music theory. He performs in a range of ensembles, including big band, free jazz, funk and Latin groups. By 2003 he starts questioning the limits of traditional musical training and moves toward composing and producing his own material. He begins building studio equipment, experimenting with sound, forming a disco band and helping to organise electronic music events. Berlin’s record shops also broaden his interest in electronic music.

Labels and releases

In 2007 he founds the Meander label and begins releasing his own electronic records. In 2008 he releases the Salgaro/Farina EP on Vakant, his first release for the label. His music is associated with minimal techno, electronic, minimal, house and deep house.

Style

DeWalta’s work develops from a background in jazz, improvisation and composition into production-oriented electronic music. His releases are noted for strong low-end presence and layered, expansive arrangements.