German DJ/producer Michel Baumann, who recorded under the musical aliases Soulphiction and Jackmate and was also part of ManmadeScience, has passed away according to posts on social media. The cause of death is not known at this time.
Baumann, who was born in Stuttgart, was first inspired by hip-hop in the mid-’80s. He later became enamored with Chicago and Detroit house in the late ’90s. He went on to co-found Philpot Records with Tobias Ettle in 2000. The imprint’s moniker was inspired by Larry Levan’s real surname.
As a producer, Baumann released deep cuts tinged with elements of jazz and techier tracks on a host of labels including Perlon, Sonar Kollektiv., Playhouse, Poker Flat, Mosaic, Freude am Tanzen, Philpot and many more.
This is a breaking story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
R.I.P. to one of the best @SoulPhiction 💔🥲 pic.twitter.com/v44RPvVHwD
— JT Donaldson (@jtdonaldson) May 23, 2021
Terrible news – Michel Baumann aka Soulphiction / Jackmate has passed. Loved his work.
— Jon Dasilva (@jondasilva) May 24, 2021
One of the best
Every release was a moment
Somebody who understood the art & craft of it all in such a unique way…
— Paul Woolford (@PaulWoolford) May 23, 2021