Import Export

Import Export, that's dialogue, transfer, contrast. Those are ones and zeroes, shades of gray and shock colors, slow motion and time-lapse, Josi Miller and Stefan Heinrich. The haptically-linear, city-infused sound of the producer duo moves stylistically between the tensions of indie, electronica, house, and lo-fi hip-hop, and is primarily just one thing: extremely innovative. This is proven not least by the stage performances of the duo, accompanied by live drums and extravagant visuals.

A quick overview: Josi Miller has been one of the most sought-after DJs in the Federal Republic for years, having played pretty much every notable venue between Hamburg and Zurich by now, and began producing her own music in 2018. A cold stage withdrawal due to Corona, dozens of treasure hunts at Berlin vinyl markets, and countless nightly Ableton Live sessions later, Josi has become a pro at sampling defunct records and chopping her own vocals. Stefan Heinrich, who joined that creative process early on, is also a long-time professional musician in search of new artistic challenges. He's a walking pop encyclopedia, guitarist, bassist, and drummer, forming the indie-pop band KLAN with his brother since 2016, and complements Josi's modern sound sensibility almost perfectly with his classical engineering skills. That Stefan and Josi come together in spring 2020 and within a short period of time create a highly interesting musical dialogue that results in the founding of a band project may be a bit of fate, but it's certainly no coincidence: The two have been friends since their youth in Leipzig, traveled together, busked on the streets, and ultimately chose the same adopted home - Berlin. Import Export becomes audibly present to the outside world in May 2020 with the release of the weighty-driving debut single "Berlosin." In the first half of the following year, alongside "Tetris," their most successful release to date, "If I Wrote You," with Novaa, is released on the Leipzig lo-fi label Golden Ticket. But all of this is just a prelude. With SNACKS, Import Export's first full-fledged release, the duo definitively grants access to their universe in the early summer of 2022 in six acts. Completed in an Italian forest hut, the EP contains a colorful bowl of acoustic sweets, from vinyl samples to field recordings to choirs and 808s. With the EP release, Import Export celebrates their live debut, headlining the Für Hilde Festival in 2022 and playing as a secret act at the Rausgegangen Secret Concert at Hole44 in Berlin-Neukölln. And it won't be long before they make themselves heard again after their debut EP: in December 2022, they release "Don't Go Calling Me a Liar," the first precursor to a next EP entitled "MEDS." The first single is followed by the 2023 releases "Blind," "Lost Myself," "Group Therapy" featuring Luxembourgish rapper Maz Univerze, and "Tired." The year 2023 is marked for Import Export by the further development of their live show, including full concert visuals. Import Export experiences their first proper festival summer with shows at co pop, MS Dockville, Fuego de la Isla, Singoldsand Festival, or Nürnberg Pop, before celebrating their stage-year's end with a solo show at Häkken in Hamburg. After a successful live year in 2023, 2024 will again be characterized by many planned releases for Import Export, starting with the eponymous song of the next EP, "MEDS," in March, followed by the EP release in May 2024.