Antonelli Electr., aka Antonelli, is the best-known alias of
Stefan Schwander, one of Germany's most prolific, esteemed, and stylistically diverse minimal techno/house producers and also the co-founder of the Cologne-based label Italic. Based in Düsseldorf,
Schwander began his recording career as a bandmember of
the Bad Examples (in which he played piano, Hammond organ, and guitar), who released their debut album, Slow Music (1995), on the label Ata Tak. Subsequent albums by the band include The River, the Night, the Moon, Temptation and You (1997),
Elektro Tiki (1999), and Profis Like Us (2002).
Schwander made his solo recording career as a producer of electronic dance music in 1997, debuting as
Antonelli Electr. on the label Stewardess with the Handclaps EP. A full-length
Antonelli Electr. album,
Peng Peng Baby (1998), followed.
Schwander subsequently co-founded the label Italic in collaboration with Marc Knauer and inaugurated it with a series of four EPs (
I Don't Want Nobody Else But You,
Dubby Disco,
The Source,
Automatic Music -- all released in 1999) and a full-length album,
Me, the Disco Machine, also released in 1999. Another full-length album,
Click, followed in 2000, along with several additional EPs.
Schwander continued his Antonelli Electr. output in subsequent years, releasing the albums Love and Other Solutions (2002), The Blackout Quintet (2005), Soulkiller (2008), and much more. In addition, he adopted several other aliases. As Rhythm Maker he released the album Landing (2001) on Background Records, along with several EPs. As Repeat Orchestra he released the albums Themes from Repeat (2002) and The Original Dimensions (2004) on the label A Touch of Class, along with several EPs. As A Rocket in Dub he released the album If Music Could Talk (2003) on Italic, along with several EPs. As Swimmingpool (a collaboration with Michael Scheibenreiter) he released the albums Anything That Doesn't Move (2003) and Good Old Music (2006) on Combination Records, along with several EPs. As Pop Up (a collaboration with Jörg Burger, aka the Modernist) he released a few EPs on an Italic offshoot. ~ Jason Birchmeier, Rovi