Champyons is a 3-piece band and producer collective based in Berlin. 

Mixing traditional song and sample-driven beat-making, Champyons incorporates RnB, 
Rock and electronic elements into a collage of popular culture and musical 
references that transcends classic genre definitions. Their style is particularly 
defined by a mix of 70s-informed instrumentation and modern production 
elements centered around singer Dennis’s distinctive voice. Now only in their 
late 20s, Champyons go back more than 15 years. Starting out as a school band 
in their early teenage years, the trio composed of Dennis Neuer (vocals/ keys/ production), 
Felix Drachau (bass/ guitar) and Phil Koelzer (drums) soon started writing 
original songs and, by the age of 16, had already gathered a good deal of 
professional recording studio experience.

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After graduating from high school and touring with British breakthrough acts 
Metronomy and Scanners, the trio rented their own apartment to live together 
and work on new material. The co-living was highly fruitful, resulting in 
hundreds of song demos and countless production sketches that helped the trio 
develop their sonic identity. Subsequently, Champyons engaged in further studio 
collaborations with distinguished producers Henrik Menzel and Zebo Adam 
(Bilderbuch). In 2011, the group received international attention for the first 
time when their song “Changes” was remixed by EDM-heavyweight Zedd for 
Skrillex’ “Free Treats” EP. In the following years, Champyons set out to travel 
and delve into the international music scene, moving around between Europe, 
New York City and London, UK. While laptop producing in distant places, trains 
and airplanes, their sound evolved, with the band leaving their rock roots behind 
and gravitating more and more towards sample-cutting, drum-looping and 
experimental songwriting.

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In 2014, while in London, Champyons self-released their single “Roaming in 
Paris” to considerable international attention. The song marked a stepping stone 
in their creative evolution, combining classic storytelling with smooth contemporary

RnB elements. Settling in the vibrant musical landscape of Berlin the year after, they

signed a record deal with Berlin-based label Embassy of Music and consequentially

started working on their first LP in 2016. For the album creation process, Champyons

decided to be fully self-reliant, and to engineer and produce their debut record all by

themselves. Building their own custom studio from scratch left them maximum room

for experimentation and helped them develop as producers in their own right. Along with

renowned engineer and producer Axel Reinemer (Rihanna, Jason Derulo, Jazzanova) the 
album mix was completed in mid-2017. At the same time, the trio teamed up 
with high-profile contemporary artist Michael Sailstorfer who started 
contributing iconic sculptures as the band’s visual trademark. 

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After releasing “Cha Cha Cha” and playing select showcases in Berlin and London the band

immediately went back to crafting new material, now choosing Berlin’s imposing “JRS”

studio as their main creative hub. While singer Dennis went on to become a full-time producer,

moving between Berlin, London and Los Angeles, Champyons exchanged ideas via email

and subsequently finished their next singles at recording session throughout the summer of

2019. “Two Cents”, a mysteriously captivating piece about love and loss, showcases the band’s

unique storytelling capabilities and appears as the first single release on the band’s very own

label “Original L Records” in November 2019.

 

 

© Original L Records, Berlin / Los Angeles