Selectors Series: Never Going Home Mix w/COEO

Our next episode shines light on two longtime friends whose music is built on a deep love for vinyl digging, late-night jams, and the art of making people move. Their journey started with a shared obsession for hip-hop and soul, but it was their love for house music that set things in motion. From Munich’s underground clubs to festival stages everywhere from London and Paris to Mexico City and Melbourne, COEO has carved out a refreshingly modern space in the dance music scene. 

The German duo, composed by Andreas Höpfl and Florian Vietz, have spent years perfecting their blend of house and disco, crafting tracks that feel as timeless as they do fresh. Since their breakout releases on Toy Tonics & Razor-N-Tape, COEO has delivered a steady stream of dance floor heaters, from ‘Back In The Days’ and ‘Cabrio Mango’ to their widely loved ‘Like It Is’, racking up millions of plays. Their tracks have been rinsed by the likes of Disclosure, Gerd Janson, and Moodymann for their deep grooves, jazzy melodies, and a strong nod to the golden era of disco.

Now, with their latest releases, they’ve taken things even further into expansive territory, diving deep into the worlds of Italo and house. At the heart of Eternal Waves EP lies a contemporary approach where synth melodies and funky bass guitar intertwine with crisp progressive house textures and dreamy arpeggios. Currently sold out but with a repress on the way, their Planet Earth EP, released on the UK label Shall Not Fade, denotes their evolving musical identity and versatility, crafting deep, dancefloor-ready cuts—a clear sign that their journey is still unfolding. And with no signs of slowing down, these boys remain one of the most exciting duos in house music today. 

As they join us to chat about their journey, inspirations, and what’s next, expect nothing less than pure groove from two selectors who know exactly how to set the tone for the new season.

Your music often bridges classic disco and modern house. How do you maintain that balance between retro and forward-thinking in your sound today?

Florian: You can probably find a lot of retro elements in our productions and DJ sets because we’re big fans of that era even though we weren’t actively involved in shaping the 80s and 90s, since we were still kids. House music has many subgenres, so that there are still new things to discover after all these years. You don’t stand still, you keep exploring, always looking for something that sounds fresh, because other things have already been heard a thousand times or played to death on the dancefloor. That’s how more progressive or modern elements find their way into our productions. Music keeps evolving – it’s like a loop, you are constantly jumping back and forth through time.

You've been working together since age 15—sampling and experimenting with sound—what can you tell us about the evolution of your creative process since those early days?

Andi: In the beginning we were just fans without a big musical background and experimenting a lot. Our approach was mainly trial and error and we tried to recreate our favorite songs with sound snippets on cheap DAWs like Sonic Foundry's Acid. Today, our experience has given us a different approach. Compared to the past, you can realize ideas much better, although the inspiration factor is still as important as in the beginning. You listen to a lot of music and look for innovative pieces that inspire you to create and evolve your own productions.

Florian: An example: Just before a set in London, I heard the song Flying Birds In The Sunset by Innershades and thought the idea of changing the octave of the organ during the song was so great that I really wanted to play the track there. The song and the record were “vinyl only” at the time, so the record wouldn't have arrived in time. So I sat down the day before the gig and produced the song Rush Hour, which was released on Shall Not Fade one year later, and was able to play the song in a raw form at the party.

Andi: And another thing that has certainly changed in our production process is that we put more thought into the overall concept of an EP than we used to.

Do you have a ritual you stick to as a duo?

Florian: A ritual that still exists in our productions is that we normally don't start a new song completely "empty". We open up an old project and jam on the existing stems first, to save ourselves the time it takes to build drums, for example. This gives us more time for the creative process right from the start. Afterwards we gradually replace elements of the old track.

What’s currently inspiring you outside of music—visual art, film, travel—that’s feeding into your recent work?

Andi: There are a lot of pop cultural influences in our music. For example, the song Joe Armstrong Theme (in House of Disco records) is strongly inspired by martial arts movies of the ’80s, as our fathers liked to watch these kinds of movies when we were kids.

Florian: Somehow, this simple yet unique Paul Hertzog Bloodsport soundtrack had a strong influence on me. But I never managed to reinterpret the sound and made an American Ninja track instead, haha.

Andi: Our song Kawasaki Racing Club is strongly inspired by the racing games on game consoles, where the Wipeout or F-Zero soundtrack, among others, are also legendary.

Florian: Last year I read Stefan Zweig’s The World of Yesterday, which is not only about the impending world wars and the downfall of Europe, but above all about the value of culture in society and the importance of maintaining ideals—even in difficult political times. Perhaps some of that can be applied to the present day as well. In any case, it’s very motivating.

I can also recommend the Philippe Parreno exhibition The Voice, which I saw in Seoul and Munich. The way the sound interacts with space and objects in this exhibition is extremely well done and very inspiring. Maybe these kinds of spatial concepts could even find their way into future club productions—that would be super interesting.

When you’re digging for music, what makes a track stand out to you?

Andi: The best chance of catching my attention is to be unique in some sort of way or at least have some elements in it that don't follow the usual pattern.

Are there any “holy grail” records you’re still hunting for?

Florian: Of course there are still records we are hunting for! We usually don't buy 80€+ records—which means there are still some City Pop and Brazilian pieces out there we’re patiently waiting to add to our shelves. But there are some labels out there doing such an excellent job that we sometimes just have to wait a little longer for that one record we’re after to finally get a proper reissue. One of my favorite City Pop records is Toshiki Kadomatsu – After 5 Crash, and I would love to see it rereleased.

Andi: We’d love to share more Holy Grails, but... let’s not decrease our chances of getting them ;D

Are there any particular pieces of gear or software you’ve fallen in love with lately that are shaping your newer productions?

Andi: We usually buy a piece of hardware or a plugin after every EP to discover new things and develop our sound. But what can be found in almost all of our productions is gear from Korg.

What’s been one of your most memorable dance floors recently—and what made it special?

Andi: We recently played at the Planète House Party at Cabaret Sauvage in Paris. This huge circus tent, paired with the oversized globe hanging right above our heads and surrounded by the crowd, created a sensational atmosphere. Simply an outstanding night.

Florian: On top of that, it’s great to see nightlife concepts evolve that also serve a greater cause alongside music. The Planète House Party donated parts of the entrance fee to climate projects. Or, for example, our night at Minimuzikhol zikhol in Istanbul earlier this year, where all proceeds went to support stray cats and abandoned dogs.

How did you put the mix together—what was your approach in crafting the overall vibe, and how did you decide on the track selection?

Since there has been a lot of bad news about the Clubsterben – the dying of clubs – last year, we wanted to record a mix that hopefully gets you in the mood to go clubbing. We were largely scouting tracks that come up with that dancefloor energy but also have these positive vibes you can also listen to in joyful anticipation on your pre-party hangout.

Looking ahead, what’s something new—whether a sound, format, or collaboration—you’re eager to explore in the next chapter of COEO?

Andi: The best things are often just around the corner, so we don’t like to plan too far ahead. But one thing’s for sure—we definitely want to do an LP at some point.

Florian: Since we’re also listening to a lot of ambient, I’d like to experiment in that field in the long term as well.

💎 Don't miss out COEO's pre-orders. Follow them on Revibed:

👀 Discover more about COEO's recent work and upcoming productions:

Their latest release 'Eternal Waves EP'

Their Remix for Benjamin Fröhlich's Love Dilemma Remixes

Their 'Planet Earth EP' in the Shall Not Fade label

Their 2020 'Habibi EP' in House Of Disco records

Their releases in Toy Tonics label

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