Phace

Phace is the drum and bass alias of Florian Harres, a producer and label owner from Hamburg, Germany. The project begins in 2000 with Nicolas Ruoff, who works with Harres as a long-time friend and collaborator. Phace is associated with drum and bass and electronic music, with work that also draws on electro, bass, dubstep and glitch.

Style and sound

Phace’s music is known for atmospheric and powerful production, with deep cinematic elements, strong rhythmic experimentation, twisted bass sounds, contrasting ambience and smooth pad synthesisers. The project is also noted for precise, energetic DJ sets.

Releases and labels

Phace releases music on a wide range of labels, including Vision, Shogun Audio, Invisible, Virus Recordings, Lifted Music, Subtitles Music, Renegade Hardware, Neosignal, mau5trap and OWSLA. The debut album Psycho appears on Subtitles Music and becomes a breakthrough release, while the second album From Deep Space follows in 2010. Both albums help establish Phace within neurofunk, a sub-style of drum and bass.

Neosignal and collaborations

In 2008, after Nicolas Ruoff leaves the project, Phace works with Michael Braeuninger, known as Misanthrop, to form the record label Neosignal. Phace and Misanthrop later develop this into an electronic band project also called Neosignal. The project appears first through remixes, including Noisia’s “Stigma” on mau5trap, Rockwell’s “Childhood Memories” featuring Kito and Sam Frank on Shogun Audio, and KOAN Sound’s “Eastern Thug” on OWSLA. Phace also collaborates with Noisia on several occasions.

Recognition

Phace receives Germany’s Future Music Awards recognition for drum and bass production and DJ work, winning Best National Drum & Bass Producer and DJ in 2006 and Best National Producer in 2009. Psycho is voted Album of the Month in Mixmag and gains support from Andy C, Noisia, Pendulum, Goldie, Ed Rush & Optical and Friction.