Florian Kruse & Dilee D Join Forces for a Transatlantic Balance Selections Mix…

From the storied streets of Hamburg and Berlin to the deep-rooted house culture of Chicago, Florian Kruse and Dilee D bring together two musical journeys into one creative partnership. Their paths converge in a shared passion for emotional, forward-thinking electronic music and a healthy respect for the scene’s storied past. With solo releases spread across imprints like Mobilee and Idyllik Records, they’ve each carved out distinct identities—but now unified through their collaborative Clockwork Mind EP recently released on on Sasha’s Last Night On Earth.

In this Balance Selections mix, Florian and Dilee channel their transatlantic experiences and deep studio chemistry into a session that’s both personal and precise. Featuring tracks from Max Cooper, WhoMadeWho, and AFFKT, as well as their own unreleased work, the mix reflects their belief in storytelling through sound.

Name: Florian Kruse / Dilee D
Location: Hamburg & Berlin / Chicago
Alias/Producer name: Moshic
Labels affiliated with: Contrast Records / Bedrock Records

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Florian:

When I think back to my first musical discoveries, songs like Marky Mark & ​​The Funky Bunch – Good Vibrations feat. Loleatta Holloway or Kris Kross – Jump come to mind. That must have been around 1991/1992, when I was 8-9 years old. I remember going to school with my clothes on backward, just like Kris Kross in the music video I saw on MTV.

My older brother Vincenzo (known from labels like Pokerflat and Anjunadeep) was a huge musical influence on me back then. It was in his room that I first heard Depeche Mode, A Tribe Called Quest, Matthew Herbert, and Moodymann. The year 1998 was very inspiring for me.

During this time, I started buying house records at the Underground Solution record store in Hamburg and saved money working as a paperboy for my first Technics SL-2010MK2.

Dilee:

Growing up, music was always present in my life. My earliest memories are tied to a mix of traditional Sri Lankan music and the pop and dance records my family played at home. My parents weren’t musicians, but they loved music and made sure it was part of our daily life.

There was always a variety classic Sinhala songs, 80s and 90s pop, and later, when I started exploring on my own, a lot of electronic and dance music that really caught my ear. That early blend of cultural sounds and global influences shaped my curiosity and eventually led me to producing and DJing.

Florian:

That was pretty early on. I still remember one of my favourite birthday presents from my brother: the CD Baby D – Let Me Be Your Fantasy. That was probably my first contact with electronic dance music.

I also remember buying the CD Prodigy – No Good (Start The Dance) at a flea market. From then on, I became interested in electronic music and bought records by Carl Cox (The End Of The Clique) and Laurent Garnier (Crispy Bacon), which I still own today.

Dilee:

I first got into electronic music thanks to my uncle. He worked at a record store in Hong Kong in the early 90s and used to bring me cassette tapes whenever he visited. That’s how I got exposed to music from different countries electronic music, and even some experimental stuff I didn’t fully understand at the time.

I was lucky because, while most kids around me were listening to whatever was popular locally, I had this window into a whole other world of sound. As I got older, that curiosity grew alongside my interest in computers. Once I discovered I could create and arrange music using computers, it opened up a whole new creative world for me and set me on the path to producing.

Florian:

When I was 15, I was allowed to stay overnight with my brother in Hamburg. He took me to a club on the Reeperbahn where Ian Pooley was DJing. Back then, I loved watching VIVA on television (a kind of German MTV). They had the show Housefrau with house and techno music videos. Ian Pooley was on repeat. He was a superstar to me, and that night I decided I wanted to become a DJ and music producer one day.

Dilee:

I was used to listening to electronic music at home or on tapes, but seeing a DJ control the flow of the night and how the crowd responded that was something completely different. It made me realize that DJing wasn’t just about playing tracks; it was about crafting an experience.

I’ve always been a deep researcher when it comes to electronic dance music. For me, it’s not only about the music but also about understanding who’s playing it and where it comes from whether it’s the roots of Chicago house, London’s progressive scene, Detroit techno movements.

That perspective has shaped how I listen, perform, and produce throughout my career.

Florian:

My musical tastes are quite broad. My absolute favourite artists include Daft Punk, Cassius, The Chemical Brothers, Little Dragon, Moderat, Digitalism, Caribou, The Streets, A Tribe Called Quest, Bon Iver, Incubus, Erykah Badu and even more.

There are a few albums that particularly stick out in my mind and that I listen to over and over again.

For example, A Tribe Called Quest – Love Movement, Erykah Badu – Mama’s Gun, Bon Iver – For Emma, ​​Forever Ago, The Streets – A Grand Don’t Come For Free, Cassius – 1999 or Daft Punk – Homework. These were milestones in my life, and when I listen to this music, I connect it with memories of the past. That’s actually the best thing about it and the greatest thing a piece of music can bring out.

Dilee:

There are several artists who’ve had a huge impact on me. Sasha, John Digweed, Carl Cox, and Laurent Garnier were some of my earliest inspirations. Each of them brought something unique Sasha and Digweed‘s ability to craft deep, progressive journeys; Carl Cox‘s unmatched energy and connection with the crowd; and Laurent Garnier‘s forward thinking approach to both DJing and production. I still remember hearing Sasha‘s Xpander for the first time it felt like a glimpse into the future of music.

Over the years, I’ve also been inspired by newer artists like Florian Kruse, David August, Schlepp Geist, Stephan Bodzin and CIOZ, who continue to push boundaries while keeping the emotional core of the music alive. Beyond producers, I find a lot of inspiration in technology, nature, and the constant evolution of sound itself.

Florian:

My studio setup is a mix of hardware and software. I use an old MACKIE 1402 VLZ Pro mixer, which is where everything comes together. I own several devices from the Roland AIRA series, such as the TR-8, TB-3, SE-02, MX-1, and VT-3, as well as an SL 73 studio keyboard with a super-comfortable feel. Otherwise, I use Native Instruments Maschine Studio, and the heart of my production is my DAW Logic Pro X.

Internally, I use the Roland Cloud and am personally very enthusiastic about the Plugin Alliance products. My sound interface is the Apollo Twin from Universal Audio, and my two pairs of monitors are from Genelec and Neumann.

That’s basically it. My DJ setup at home consists of a Pioneer DDJ-400 controller and a Technics SL-1210 MK2 turntable. When I DJ at gigs, I naturally use PIONEER CDJs and my first choice is also the PIONEER mixer and not the Allen & Heath like most of my colleagues these days.

Dilee:

My studio setup is a hybrid of hardware and software. I use Ableton Live as my main DAW, combined with hardware like the Moog Subsequent 37 CV, Waldorf Iridium, Elektron gear, and a Eurorack modular system. Sequencers like the Oxi One and Toraiz Squid are central to both my production and live workflow. On the software side, I work with Native Instruments, Arturia, Roland Cloud, Plugin Alliance, Slate Digital, and select Max for Live devices. I use a UAD Apollo interface for its solid performance and sound quality.

For DJing, I primarily use USBs with Pioneer CDJs. I started out mixing with CDs and also have experience with vinyl. After years of using Native Instruments Traktor, I transitioned to Rekordbox when it launched. The Pioneer setup gives me the flexibility and reliability I need, letting me focus fully on the music and connecting with the crowd without worrying about technical issues. It’s been an essential part of my club and festival sets.

For my live sets, I combine hardware and software, incorporating synths, sequencers, and Ableton Live. I continuously explore new techniques to ensure each performance is unique, whether by introducing live synth elements or programming dynamic sequences in real time.

Florian:

Dilee and I just had a release on Sasha’s Last Night On Earth label called ‘Clockwork Mind’ which is still fresh.

On the horizon we have a remix for ‘hape.’ and his track ‘Mirrors’ which is coming out before summer. We’ve both been super productive in the studio over the past few months, both as collaborators and as solo artists, and we’ll have more to announce soon.

Dilee:

I have several projects in the pipeline. My recent collaboration with Florian Kruse, the Clockwork Mind EP, was just released on Sasha’s Last Night On Earth, and we’re already working on new music together. I also have a new single titled Shadow Realm, out on Olatu Recordings. Beyond that, I’m continuing to develop my live set and working on fresh productions that fuse deep grooves with cinematic elements and innovative sound design. There are also a few more collaborations and remixes in the works, which I’ll be announcing soon.

Florian:

Feel free to listen to my latest guest mix on John Digweed’s Transitions radio and my latest appearance on Wuza’s Waves podcast on Soundcloud. You will find out about upcoming gigs on my instagram profile, so let’s get connected there.

Dilee:

I moved to Chicago two years ago and have been working to find my place in the city’s rich and respected music scene. As someone new to a city with such deep roots in house and electronic music, I’m focused on building connections and collaborating with promoters and agents to explore opportunities here and in other cities across the U.S.

Recently, I’ve had the chance to play at venues like Spybar and Concord Music Hall. As I continue developing my live set and releasing new music, I also share mixes and updates regularly through my social media and website.

Florian:

Dilee:

Florian:

Dilee:

Florian: My favourite spot in the world is in Sweden and it’s a house in the middle of the woods near by a lake in the area of Smaland. Especially in summer it’s amazing.

Dilee: My favourite holiday destination/hotel: Sri Lanka, Marriott Hotel

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