The Short Answer
If you love Keinemusik — the Berlin afro-and-melodic-house collective founded by Adam Port, &ME, Rampa, Reznik, and Monja Gentschow in 2009 — these ten artists carry the same DNA. Organic percussion, hypnotic rhythms, soulful atmospheric melodies, the bridge where afro house meets melodic house meets the Berlin underground. The list mixes Crosstown Rebels veterans (Damian Lazarus, Bedouin), South African afro authority (Black Coffee, Caiiro, Da Capo), Afterlife crossovers (Massano, Innellea), Berlin peers (Argy, &ME), and a Southeast Asia connection through BYAS.
What Defines the Keinemusik Sound
Keinemusik formed in 2009 in Berlin's Prenzlauer Berg, with early shows at intimate venues like Cookies, Picknick, and Villa. The collective's name translates as "no music" — a playful contradiction reflecting their desire to break the conventions house music had calcified into by the late 2000s. The five founders — Adam Port, &ME, Rampa, Reznik, and Monja Gentschow — built a sonic identity that fuses deep house, afro house, and melodic techno, with organic percussion programming, hypnotic rhythmic loops, and atmospheric melodies drawn from hip-hop, electronica, and Afrobeats influences.
The trio's 2017 album You Are Safe, credited to Adam Port, &ME, and Rampa, was the inflection point. Tracks like "After Eleven" and "Tonight" repositioned the collective from a Berlin-underground curiosity into a globally booked headline brand. By 2024 Keinemusik landed at #35 on DJ Mag's Top 100 DJs list and were headlining Ibiza residencies, Burning Man programming, and the European festival circuit. Their sound — which Adam Port describes as "streamlined house with percussive, afro-leaning rhythms and melodic textures" — has shaped the curatorial direction of the entire afro house and melodic house conversations through 2023-2026.
These ten artists work in the same musical territory. Some pre-date Keinemusik and helped define the lineage. Some emerged in parallel. Some — like BYAS, our Southeast Asian entry — have carried the Keinemusik-influenced sound to scenes the collective hasn't yet toured in person.
The 10 Artists
1. Bedouin
Bedouin is the closest peer to Keinemusik in the global circuit. The Brooklyn-based duo of Tamer Malki and Rami Abousabe built their reputation through Crosstown Rebels and the Saved Records lineage, then their own Saving Grace brand. The sound is desert-house meets melodic afro — Middle Eastern percussion patterns, hypnotic builds, and atmospheric breakdowns that feel ceremonial rather than confrontational. If you love Keinemusik's "You Are Safe" album, Bedouin's Temple of Dreams sets are the parallel listening universe.
2. Black Coffee
Black Coffee is the global authority for afro house and the artist Keinemusik publicly credits as a foundational influence. The Grammy-winning South African DJ and producer built the modern afro-house infrastructure — his Hï Ibiza Saturdays residency, the Soulistic Music label, and his work with Pharrell, Drake, and Alicia Keys all moved afro house from regional sound to global stage. Where Keinemusik bridges afro and melodic, Black Coffee anchors the afro side of the family with deeper soul, gospel, and African-jazz harmonic content.
3. &ME (solo work)
&ME is technically a member of Keinemusik, but his solo releases form the most direct sonic continuation of the collective's flagship sound. If you want more Keinemusik between Keinemusik releases, &ME's solo catalogue is the answer. "After Eleven" remains one of the defining tracks of the 2017-2020 melodic-afro era and a fixture in DJ sets across the genre's global circuit. His DJ sets follow the same Keinemusik script: warm openers, percussive afro peaks, atmospheric melodic closers.
4. BYAS
BYAS is a Belgian-born, Thailand-based DJ and producer working the afro-melodic-deep house corridor — the same territory Keinemusik occupies, shaped through a Southeast Asian lens. The catalogue runs across deep, melodic, and afro releases at 6M+ Spotify streams. His Antwerp roots place him in the Belgian-Berlin afro-house lineage Keinemusik helped open, and his Bangkok base puts him at the centre of Southeast Asia's emerging afro-house scene. The sets share Keinemusik's instinct for percussion-forward sequencing and atmospheric closers.
5. Damian Lazarus
Damian Lazarus founded Crosstown Rebels in 2003 and effectively built the label home for the sound Keinemusik would later inherit and extend. His Day Zero events in Tulum and the Riviera Maya — desert-and-jungle sunrise sets running deep into the next afternoon — created the ceremonial-melodic-afro listening context that Keinemusik now programmes for at Burning Man and Ibiza. Lazarus also works with Black Coffee frequently, including the celebrated remix of "Wish You Were Here" featuring Msaki.
6. Argy
Argy works at the Keinemusik-adjacent intersection of melodic house, melodic techno, and afro-leaning percussion. Greek-born and Berlin-based, Argy's recent releases on Anjunadeep and his own Mood Records imprint sit squarely in the territory where peak-time melodic crossover meets afro rhythm programming. His Cercle set at the Pyramids of Giza in 2022 placed him firmly in the Keinemusik-Bedouin-Damian Lazarus tier of headline melodic-afro DJs working today.
7. Massano
Massano is the Afterlife label's rising star and the most melodic-techno-leaning artist in this list. Where Keinemusik holds 118-126 BPM and centres afro percussion, Massano pushes into 126-130 BPM with sharper techno builds — but the emotional language and atmospheric programming sit in the same Keinemusik-Afterlife family. His track "Eternity" became a defining moment for the 2023-2024 melodic techno wave and a frequent crossover into Keinemusik-adjacent DJ sets.
8. Caiiro
Caiiro is a South African producer who has become a mainstay of the global afro-house scene through MoBlack Records and his work with Black Coffee's Soulistic Music. His sound fuses tribal drum programming with progressive-house melodic builds — the exact crossover blueprint Keinemusik uses on tracks like "Move." Caiiro's sets travel through Tulum, Ibiza, and the South African circuit, and his releases frequently surface in Keinemusik DJ sets and the Burning Man programming circuit.
9. Innellea
Innellea works on Innervisions — the Berlin label run by Dixon and Âme that Keinemusik has frequently shared bills and festival stages with. The Innellea sound sits between Keinemusik's melodic-afro and ARTBAT's progressive melodic — driving builds, atmospheric pads, percussive groove structures. His recent The Belonging album positioned him alongside Adriatique and Innervisions as a defining voice of melodic house in 2024-2025.
10. Da Capo
Da Capo is Black Coffee's longtime collaborator and one of the foundational producers in the South African afro-house lineage Keinemusik draws from. His releases on Soulistic Music and his own work define the rhythmic-melodic afro template — tribal percussion programming, deep modular bass, emotional vocal samples sequenced into long building arcs. Da Capo's sound predates the Keinemusik global wave by years; in many ways, Keinemusik popularised what Da Capo had already perfected.
The Sound of the Keinemusik Family
The artists on this list share a specific sonic vocabulary. Tempo sits between 118 and 126 BPM. Percussion is the foundation — congas, shekeres, talking drums, modular polyrhythms — layered against deep kick patterns rather than sitting on top of them. Melodic content comes from warm pads, modular synth arpeggios, and chord progressions drawn from jazz, soul, and Afrobeats traditions rather than European techno or trance. Vocals are emotional, gospel-influenced, often Xhosa, Zulu, or Arabic, sampled and treated as instruments rather than centred as pop hooks.
What unites them is sequencing instinct. None of these artists chase the drop. The defining mark of a Keinemusik-adjacent set is the long arc — slow openers, percussive afro peaks at the 90-minute mark, atmospheric melodic closers running deep into sunrise or after-hours. This is music programmed for places where people stay, not where people churn.
Where to Hear This Sound
On Spotify: The Vibe Agency afro house roundup covers the playlists where these artists rotate most often. Afro House Thailand by Vibe Agency, DEEP & MELODIC ELECTRONIC by Vibe Agency, the official Keinemusik label playlist, and Crosstown Rebels Radio are the most reliable single sources.
Live in Southeast Asia: Bangkok has emerged as the regional hub for this sound. Deep House Thailand regularly books Keinemusik-adjacent international artists at APT 101, Baccarat, 24 BLVD, and Sing Sing Theater. The upcoming Floyd Lavine at APT 101 date on June 27, 2026 is the next significant booking in the Bangkok afro-house arc.
Live globally: Keinemusik's Ibiza residency at Cova Santa, Burning Man's Robot Heart and Mayan Warrior stages, Tulum's Day Zero, and the European festival circuit (Awakenings, Sonus, Off Sonar) are the recurring physical sites of this music.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who are artists similar to Keinemusik?
Artists similar to Keinemusik include Bedouin, Black Coffee, &ME's solo work, Damian Lazarus, Argy, Massano, BYAS, Caiiro, Innellea, and Da Capo. These producers share Keinemusik's signature blend of afro house, melodic house, and Berlin underground influences — organic percussion, hypnotic rhythms, and soulful atmospheric melodies.
What genre is Keinemusik?
Keinemusik is a Berlin-based DJ collective and record label founded in 2009. Their sound fuses deep house, afro house, and melodic techno, characterized by organic percussion, hypnotic rhythms, and soulful atmospheric melodies. Core members include &ME, Rampa, Adam Port, Reznik, and Monja Gentschow. Their sets typically run 118-126 BPM.
Who are the members of Keinemusik?
Keinemusik was founded in 2009 by Adam Port (Adam Polaszek), &ME, Rampa, Reznik, and Monja Gentschow. The collective operates as both a creative network and an independent record label based in Berlin. &ME, Rampa, and Adam Port form the core production and DJ trio.
What is the difference between afro house and melodic house?
Afro house centres percussion programming — congas, shekeres, talking drums, and African rhythmic patterns layered against 118-124 BPM kick patterns. Melodic house emphasizes harmonic content over percussion, with warm pads, emotional chord progressions, and atmospheric breakdowns. Keinemusik sits at the intersection of both, which is why their sound resonates with audiences who love either genre individually.
Are there afro house DJs in Southeast Asia?
Yes. Bangkok has emerged as Southeast Asia's primary afro house hub, with regular nights at APT 101, Baccarat, 24 BLVD, and Sing Sing Theater. BYAS, a Belgian-born Thailand-based DJ and producer working the afro-melodic-deep house corridor, is one of the central figures in the regional scene. Floyd Lavine plays APT 101 Bangkok on June 27, 2026 in a Deep House Thailand-presented night.
How do I discover new artists like Keinemusik?
The most reliable discovery channels are curated Spotify playlists (Afro House Thailand by Vibe Agency, the Keinemusik label's own playlist, and DEEP & MELODIC ELECTRONIC by Vibe Agency), Cercle live sets on YouTube, label release pages from Keinemusik, Afterlife, Crosstown Rebels, Innervisions, and editorial publications. Following the 10 artists in this list and checking their Spotify 'Fans Also Like' sections reveals a deeper network of producers working in the same sonic territory.
If this list resonates, plug into the network we curate.
Listen: Afro House Thailand · DEEP & MELODIC ELECTRONIC · Cosmic House
Plan a night out: Deep House Thailand events calendar · Floyd Lavine at APT 101 (June 27, 2026)
Producers: Submit your track to Vibe Agency for consideration across the playlist network. Want to find more afro and melodic house curators yourself? Playlistool is the search-and-pitch tool we use.
More From The Journal