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HThere’s something about Iron Curtis that’s always fascinated me, the way his sound balances warmth and precision, nostalgia and innovation. When news broke that Dial Me In would become Hudd Traxx’s first-ever full-length album, it felt like a perfect match. Curtis has been part of the label’s DNA for years, shaping its sonic identity one release at a time.
Listening to Dial Me In is like following a late-night radio signal through time: ambient tones, deep grooves, and emotional textures all seamlessly stitched together. From the meditative Speak to Me Baby (Ambient Mix) to the hypnotic sway of Troubles, this album feels both personal and timeless, the kind of record that grows on you with every listen.
In this Track Talk, Iron Curtis shares ten records that shaped him, from Westbam’s rave anthems to Moodymann’s soulful chaos. It’s a journey through decades of influences that still echo in his new album today.
My first true DJ-fanboy moment was with Westbam. “Celebration Generation” was on heavy rotation on Viva and MTV – a pop-rave anthem and the soundtrack to the first wave of Love Parade and Mayday’s rave commercialisation. I was 11, and it hit me: this track was undeniably pop, and probably hated by many techno purists at the time. But it contained all the elements that would make young me fall in love with electronic music: rave pianos, breakbeats, relentless 909 kicks, vocal chops, and melancholic strings.
As a producer, Klaus Jankuhn managed to channel all the messy turntablism, new beat, hip-hop, punk, and acid energy that made Westbam such a unique and iconic DJ into crossover dance tracks. Shortly after, I got A Practising Maniac at Work on CD, which I listened to nonstop. It was Westbam’s first album and another Jankuhn production, super catchy and sample-rich, leaning more toward house and EBM than rave. Brilliant stuff.
Homework was, and still is, probably one of the most influential electronic albums for many in my generation. So it’s hardly surprising that I had to include a Daft Punk track on this list. Back then, I had two copies of the album to practice beat juggling. The sheer variety of styles, the rawness, and pop appeal completely overwhelmed me. I knew the lyrics of “Teachers” by heart, even though at the time I didn’t know most of the producers mentioned. Musique is the B-side of the Da Funk EP, and I discovered it a bit later: French house in its purest form. One sample, filtered, a shuffling house beat, all overcompressed and boom! Magical, to this day.
Thomas Meinecke regularly hosted Zündfunk Nachtmix, a radio show on Bavarian public radio, where he played everything from R&B to indie, electronica, and – his big love – Detroit house. That’s where I first heard Forevernevermore by Moodymann. The samples were different, something always seemed slightly off, imperfect, subtly skewed. But just a loop away, it sounded warm and comforting, just like my dad’s soul records when I was a kid.
The Setup isn’t the most prominent track on the album, but it captures that rawness, unpredictability, and cool detachment that I love so much in Kenny Dixon Jr., Theo Parrish, or Rick Wilhite productions.
I’ve always loved house and techno from Scandinavia, Finland in particular. Jori Hulkkonen’s F-Communication albums are essential parts of my collection, especially When No One Is Watching We Are Invisible. It’s so versatile – ranging from downbeat to electronica, future jazz, deep house, and then the stand-out track Whispers. I was 16 when I heard it on the radio; its haunting, otherworldly melancholy completely got me.
Needs represents a somewhat meandering subgenre of house that deeply shaped me: soul- and jazz-infused music that didn’t come from Detroit or the US. Artists like Atjazz, Jimpster, Matthias Vogt, Netto Houz, Jazzanova, and releases on Compost Records all shared that sound. The Barthkuhn brothers had their own playful take on the spiritual Chicago and New Jersey vibe.
Some of their records and remixes sound a bit overloaded or cheesy to me today, but others – like “Flash Fried” (later re-released in a version titled “Piano Groove”) – still stand the test of time. My love for Needs also led me to discover Anthony Nicholson, Ron Trent, Chez Damier, Charles Webster, and Nick Holder.
My first club gigs were at Lead With The Bass – a somewhat legendary club night in Nuremberg, known far beyond the city for its well-curated events with an eclectic mix of international guests. Gilles Peterson, Seiji from Bugs In The Attic, Yam Who?, Dixon, Attica Blues, Metro Area and Quantic all played there. Anything was possible, everything had soul and funk. The DJs would play a warm Detroit techno tune followed by a J Dilla record, or a disco edit could lead into liquid drum & bass. Madness!
Back then, I completely immersed myself in Broken Beat (mainly from West London), absorbing everything happening in and around it. 4Hero were the masterminds and guardians of the scene. Dego was everywhere, involved in countless projects, just like Kaidi Tatham. And together with Face, they created probably the most heartbreakingly beautiful broken beat song ever.
Back to Detroit: Aaron Carl’s music ranged from relentless ghettotech to haunting house. He always kept a low profile but was highly influential throughout the 1990s and 2000s – not only for his sound but also as an openly gay man in the Detroit scene. His remix of Hardlife hit me just as hard as Transition and countless other Underground Resistance productions. To this day, I play it out, and it creates that raw energy on the dancefloor that I like so much.
I chose In Fail We Trust” because it perfectly represents my love for Playhouse (the record label) and the German minimalist approach to house. Jens’s releases are so focused and stripped down to the bone, yet they have this unique depth, warmth, and edge.
There were plenty of other producers from the Playhouse era who influenced me, like Isolee or Losoul. Ata and Heiko M/S/O also reissued several Blaze records on Playhouse, many of which deserve a place on this list too, like Funky People or Love Comes Around.
All of Me is a sublime Kerri Chandler production: Essential soulful, gospel-infused garage house. Through Kerri’s and Blaze’s music, I discovered Tony Humphries, Movin’ Records, and the “Jersey sound”. It was hard to pick a favorite, as Kerri Chandler is the artist I probably own the most records by.
No further words needed. Just listen and you will know.
Massive thanks to Iron Curtis for opening up and sharing his story with us. Dial Me In isn’t just a milestone for Hudd Traxx, it’s a statement of what deep house can still be: soulful, forward-thinking, and deeply human. Go stream Dial Me In now on all major platforms, and while you’re at it, share this exclusive Track Talk feature on your own socials. Let’s keep this one spinning, it’s pure Curtis magic.
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DJ | MUSIC CURATOR & SELECTOR | PODCAST MAKER | BLOGGER Professional online interpreneur. Coffee practitioner. Electronic music culture maven. Total music guru. Infuriatingly humble problem solver. Food & sports fanatic.
Every once in a while, a record drops that reminds me why I fell in love with funk-driven house in the first place. “Feeling Wide” by FSQ is one of […]
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