2Raumwohnung

German pop duo 2raumwohnung were born of a jingle written for a German cigarette company. Inga Humpe (electronic music veteran of such groups as the Neon Babies, DÖF, and the sister act Humpe & Humpe) was invited to collaborate on a short piece with fellow musician Tommi Eckart in 2000. Musically, the pair found themselves drawing from a more colorful musical palette than the electronic genre would normally allow. Thanks to Humpe's extensive history in dance music and Eckart's experience with acoustic sounds, their collaboration touched on something truly unique. Not wanting to become known for commercial music, the pair chose to publish the song under the pseudonym 2raumwohnung. Much to their surprise, the song "Kommt Zusammen" became something of a national hit. Humpe and Eckart decided to release the song as a single, which in turn created demand for a full-length release. The record was released on the IT Sounds label in 2001.

2raumwohnung tirelessly released a series of singles over the next few years as they rose to the top of the European dance music market. The group's debut release won the Best Album title at the German Dance Awards in 2003, and was followed by the release of their second record, Es Wird Morgen. Their most successful project to date, the album generated material that charted in the nation's Top 40. The album's success made international touring possible throughout 2004. Eager audiences welcomed the duo's third release in February of 2007. The record, entitled 36 Grad, landed on Billboard's European Top 100. Released in 2009, Lasso was an eclectic effort with 2raumwohnung moving between upbeat dance numbers and languid pop tunes; it was another commercial success that rose to number five on the German album charts. The group took some time off after the success of Lasso, not releasing a new album until 2013. However, Achtung Fertig showed that 2raumwohnung's audience was still loyal, as the album rose to number four in Germany, 18 in Austria, and five in Switzerland. ~ Evan C. Gutierrez, Rovi