Überdruck

Überdruck is a hard trance DJ and production collaboration from Germany, made up of David Rzenno and Dirk Nothroff, who also performs as The Crow. The project begins in 1993 in the Reactor Club in North Rhine-Westphalia, one of Germany’s early techno clubs, where Nothroff starts as resident DJ under the name The Crow after already building up more than a decade of DJ experience. He later hands the club over to Timo Maas so he can focus on bookings and developing his own sound in the studio.

Formation and early releases

After ending a previous production partnership, Nothroff works with Rzenno and the two form Überdruck around a shared approach to music. Their first collaboration is Drugface, a picture-disc release that appears at the start of 2001 and gains strong support in clubs and among DJs, as well as radio play in the UK from names including Judge Jules and Dave Pearce on Radio One. Follow-up releases Now Or Never and Bloody Slut continue that momentum and are licensed to compilations around the world.

Studio work, aliases and labels

Dirk and David produce all Überdruck singles in their own studio. They also work under a number of other names, including The Crow, Drugface, C4, Toolboy, Schalldruck and Lazard. Under The Crow, they achieve four sales chart hits, including entries in the UK, while Lazard reaches number 35 in the German sales chart. The pair also make remixes for DJ Shredda, Signum, Organ Donors, Fallout Boy, Lazard, Drugface and the Gladheads.

Label and scene presence

Überdruck Records develops into one of the better-selling techno, hard trance and hardstyle labels in Germany and the UK, giving a platform to other producers. The label’s highlighted releases include the licensing of Drugface to Bulletproof in the UK, the Drugface picture-disc singles Fat as Fuck and Fill Me, and Blue Pill by the Überdruck Boys.

Performances and touring

Überdruck perform regularly in the UK at events and organisations including Helter Skelter, Slammin Vinyl, Escape, Goodgreef, Frantic, Antiworld, Tidy, Tranzaction, Dance Academy and Technology, among others. They also tour widely across Australia, New Zealand, Russia, Poland, Finland, Canada, Switzerland and much of Europe. Dirk handles most of the international DJ bookings, though David sometimes joins him on tour.

Style and standing

The act is associated with hard trance and related electronic forms, with an emphasis on acid-leaning, hardcore-influenced club music. It is presented as a major German hard trance act and remains centred on the partnership between Rzenno and Nothroff.