Flashbaxx mastermind Daniel Stenger began working on an album to follow the EP in 2008, but inspiration was fleeting and music making was difficult, and Daniel was not satisfied with his early drafts. He seemed to lose his enthusiasm, so the producer decided to take a break from Flashbaxx and devote himself to other projects. Not that Daniel was resting … rather, he was restless. He expanded his record label BaxxBeatMusic, produced and recorded other bands and artists, composed music for commercials, and frequently performed as DJ. From time to time a Flashbaxx loop appeared on his sequencer, but he still was not able to complete the puzzle. But after a few years of all this activity and exposure to the music of others (in the clubs as well as the studios) Daniel’s inspiration returned and he was finally ready to push the Flashbaxx musical vision into 2013.

The fog first lifted in 2011 when Daniel produced “So Close To Midnight” in a single evening, signaling a triumphant return to the studio. In the next eighteen months Daniel prodded Flashbaxx back to life, track by track. It was like awakening from long creative hibernation, and Daniel’s newfound creative joy is evident in the album’s music. After the foundation was set, the work on the album concept began. When the Aschaffenburg-based producer couldn’t find a sonic connection between two songs he remedied this by producing a new joint to fill the gap and complete the desired arc of the record. Eventually the thirteen tracks formed a cohesive excursion, and Daniel’s feeling of accomplishment inspired the album’s title: Something To Believe. Certainly the strength of the album lies in its versatility. To begin, Stenger combines soulful downtempo and smooth soul with brass kicking nu-funk. The album then takes a trip down the coast of Latin America while grooving through disco and deep house-influenced club tracks. Eventually, things resolve surprisingly in a Bill Conti manner, transporting the listener to when the movie Rocky had just appeared in cinemas. Following his passion for funk and jazz Daniel gave much attention to the organic details, combining this with more loop oriented songs, settling for a sound somewhere between the couch and the dance floor. It’s a bit ‘old school,’ but far away from being frumpy … sometimes laid back, sometimes demanding body motion. Flashbaxx isn’t reinventing the wheel, but the truck now has some cool new slippers.

Besides guest musicians like The Haszlbeatz and Christoph Matyaschek, Flashbaxx worked with vocalists Tanja Proessler and Mathias Fischer as well as the very brilliant Seth Sharp from distant Reykjavik. The appearance of guest musicians and vocalists marks a first for Flashbaxx and gives Something To Believe the stamp of a producer album. Flashbaxx is back … and he’ll make you a believer.