music style: TECHNO WITH ELECTRO-INFLUENCES

Since 1997 Vanguard is succesfully releasing productions on Frisbee Tracks. On their second album "1 Bit Bass" (release 01/05), Axel Bartsch and Asem Shama signalise the electric Rock 'n' Roll to represent a mighty force that has come to reanimate the ailing club body. The direction is: straight ahead and through the vault wall while the impulse generators are reliable, freshly tempered tools which are solely operated by high-tension current.

Rather, as their project name implies, they take the lead with "1 Bit Bass" – from a new energy syndicate, you know. They award the Electronic Body Music and Techno monoliths a common up-to-date profile by letting their massive sound matters collide with each other on the playground of fervid emotions. Their interpenetration creates a striking and steady structure of beamy beats and powerful melodies with a high potential of freakout and recognition. With much sense of suspense and great gestures Vanguard pile up athletic tracks that are transparently processed by largely incorporating female and male singing. On the occasion obvious influences shine through, that are transformed to a unique, funkily bouncing dance workout.

Since "Feierarlarm" already as White Label became an global Underground-Techno-Hit in Top-Playlists of Sven Väth, Marco Bailey, Richie Hawtin, Cari Lekebusch, Chris Liebing, Tobi Neumann, André Galluzzi and Tom Wax and it’s live-version meanwhile was burning down the main-floor at Japan’s Wire festival in July (kind of japanese Mayday) during the peak-time, Speedy J and Vanguard decided to top it ! The result is even more in your face than the Original and Speedy J’s remix really is an honour from one of the most important techno producers! Already plays by Chris Liebing. The record will be released in January 06.

2003 Frisbee-Tracks released the bootleg of "Flash" featuring the original Freddy Mercury vocals which was rocking dancefloors of the upfront clubs allover the planet. Being based on the original Samples of Queen`s tiltlesong appearing on cult-movie "Flash Gordon", Vanguards track was sticking in every clubbers mind. It got instant support by many top djs like Richie Hawtin, Carl Cox, Timo Maas and Moguai, marking the peak of their sets through massive crowd reaction.

When the track got licensed to Virgin Records, Queen got personally involved and they liked the remake so much that they even agreed to name the project "Queen & Vanguard". Now "Flash" was ready to enter the charts and it did, climbing to rank 17 of the German Media Control Charts and some weeks later the song did peak on position 15 of the U.K. charts. Performing live on the biggest events like Mayday, Timewarp, Energy (CH) or Shockers (NL), just to name a few, Vanguard were pleasing their fans.

"Dort wo alles begann..." ("The place where everything started...")

It all began with Hip Hop, Acid House and their common denominators... Axel & Asem started out as completely unprejudiced non-musicians who merely bought records and partied during the euphoric phase. It is sometime during this period where they sense an affinity to DJing which is expressed soon after during their at-home-mixing-sessions. It becomes a little more serious for the then seventeen-year-old Asem, as a friend decides to build his own home studio. Asem soon produces his first hip-hop tracks in this studio, and along with his studio partners, they cause furore on diverse local hip-hop jams. The high and end of this period though, is Asem's first production on vinyl, a track resulting from a jam session with Asher D (Daddy Freddy's partner) later released on Asher's album ”Still Kickin' ”.

Meanwhile one hears the stomping of powerful techno beats arriving from a distance, and by 1992 during a vacation in Spain where Axel & Asem get hold of their first techno tape, they find the massive urge to become active participants of the "movement”. The first result is "Ravesyndrome", the starter to the legendary event series, which catapults Hannover in an uncontrolled party hysteria in the winter of 1992, providing the possibility for them to DJ with the stars of the music scene back then. By the end of 1993, in total fourteen very successful events take place in the ex-cinema "Weltspiele". Meanwhile, Axel & Asem build their own studio and begin their mission as techno producers. Their live P.A.- Debut under the pseudonym "Raveraid” took place at the 52 hour nonstop Ravesyndrome event in Weltspiele on the New Year’s Eve of 1994. The location is torn down shortly after, bringing tears to the eyes of many party maniacs. Axel & Asem both agree: "The Weltspiele days were decisive for our evolution, it was where everything was molded.” In 1994 Axel & Asem found their own label Syndrome Audio, with seven Releases under the pseudonyms "Raveraid” - later "Digital Age” - experimenting with combinations of Acid, Breakbeat, and diverse other styles.

They achieve international recognition in 1996 with releases on Bush Records "Surreal E.P" (Bush 038), Planet of Drums (05), and Party Rock "Crossroads". ”At that time, we had cultivated our style, and realized exactly how we want to sound.” In 1997, Axel & Asem receive a telephone call from Klaus Löschner, better known as DJ Good Groove, who expresses interest after hearing a demo tape. This demo becomes Vanguard "March on Washington" (FT 001), the very first release on Frisbee Tracks. The basis for an extremely productive cooperation is set, resulting in further releases on Frisbee Tracks like Vanguard "Running Scared" (FT 007), Vanguard "Swamp" (FT 010) "Dort wo alles begann..." (FT15) the Remixes (FT 022) and the clubhit "Shizo Disco" (FT026). This also leads to their presence as DJs and Live PA throughout the Frisbee Tour. Asem begins to produce on a solo basis in the summer of `99 with FT 019 "The Gateway”, releases on Utils and Shokoy follow and he just founded his own label "Ghostline". In October 2000 they released their debut-album on Frisbee Tracks "Alles Oder Nichts " and presented it live on the Frisbee "Crusing Level Tour" . 2001 Vanguard reached an international status and famous names like Chris Liebing and CJ Bolland did remixes of tracks from their the debut-album. Axel and Asem released their first single on Thomas Schumacher‘s label Spielzeug (Axel Bartsch und Asem Shama "Drumfiles") and in 2003 they released an album called Drumfiles " 3rd Level Bundle".