IN CONVERSATION WITH RYAN ELLIOTT
Words by SAMO ŠAJN
Ryan Elliott has spent two decades bridging the musical cultures of Detroit and Berlin. A veteran of Berghain and Panorama Bar, his sets blend house and techno, while his productions on his label, Faith Beat, offer a unique mix of precision and unpredictability. Founded in 2019, Faith Beat embodies Ryan’s vision as a DJ and producer, offering music that’s thoughtful, free-spirited, and in constant dialogue with the crowds and artists he connects with. Through his work, he continues to push the boundaries of dance music while staying true to his roots.
Can you tell us a little bit about the music scene in Detroit when you were living there? Were you going out to clubs already during this time?
I started going out in the late ’90s during university, about two hours west of Detroit. The town was perfectly located between Detroit and Chicago, making it a hotspot for the Midwest rave scene, which was huge at the time. There were massive 5,000-person illegal raves, and that’s where I first heard electronic dance music.
After university, when I moved back to Detroit, I got deeper into the scene. I went to raves, warehouse events, and Motor, a big nightclub that hosted international DJs. That’s how I got exposed to dance music.
What made you decide to make the move to Berlin? What was the city like when you arrived? Did you find it difficult to get involved in the scene?
I first came to Berlin in 2004 to play, and the moment I landed, it felt comfortable. It doesn’t look like Detroit, but it has a similar vibe—rough and honest.
By the early 2000s, quite a few U.S. DJs were already living in Berlin, so it didn’t feel foreign or intimidating. I already knew people here and had a network, especially since I was coming back regularly to play at places like Panorama Bar even before moving.
Berlin was different back then. While it has changed, it still hasn’t transformed as drastically as cities like New York or London. In the mid-2000s, East Berlin was still very rough, with lots of clubs that felt like squats. It was an exciting time.
How did you land your first release at the time?
My first original production came about eight months after I moved to Berlin, when I became a Berghain resident. Around that time, the in-house label, Ostgut Ton, was working on its five-year compilation, Fünf, which included tracks from residents and others associated with the club.
Nick Höppner, the label manager, asked if I wanted to contribute a track. It was intimidating since I’d only done remixes and edits at that point, but it gave me the push I needed. My first original track ended up on that compilation in 2010.
On your upcoming compilation & DJ mix, Have Faith, you are giving some of these artists the opportunity for their first release too. How did you go about selecting the artists on the compilation?
I approached it in a few ways. First, I found artists the same way I usually find music—through record shops, Bandcamp, and SoundCloud. I already knew some of the artists on the compilation, but I also reached out to others for recommendations.
For example, if I had a track from someone in Washington, D.C., I’d ask if they knew friends making great music who hadn’t released anything yet. That led me to new talent.
I also talked to promoters in different cities and friends like Chuck Flask from Detroit’s Movement Festival, who connected me with younger Detroit artists I wouldn’t have known about since I’ve been away for 15 years. So while I did a lot of digging on my own, I also leaned on others to find hidden gems.
The artists all have quite diverse backgrounds and sounds. What is your main vision for grouping them together? How do you see them all fitting on one release?
My main vision was to highlight younger or underexposed artists, primarily from the U.S. but also Europe, whose music I think deserves more attention.
They all fit together because, at the core, it’s all house and techno. While there are different shades of those genres, they come together cohesively within that framework.
The release is also a DJ mix. It travels through many different styles of House and Techno. How did you record it, did the tracks speak to you in a way to put them together in advance, or did you just record it on a whim?
No, it wasn’t spontaneous. The mix has 34 tracks, and to keep it manageable, I edited each one down to about three minutes from their original lengths of five to seven minutes.
I approached the track order like any DJ mix. I had a few tracks in mind for the beginning and the end, then I listened through the rest to decide what fit well together. If it was techno for a few tracks, I’d switch back to house to change the mood.
Once I finalized the order, I loaded the edits onto a USB stick and recorded the mix using four CDJs.
How do you see the future of dance music in the US, where do you see its strengths?
The U.S. scene has really improved. When I started going out in the late ’90s and early 2000s, there were illegal raves and big clubs in almost every city. That ended around 2005–2008 when clubs closed, and police cracked down on raves. It was sparse for a while after that.
In the last five years, things have gotten much better. Cities like New York, Detroit, D.C., Miami, and Chicago all have strong scenes now. New York, in particular, has venues that can stay open 24 hours, similar to Europe, though most U.S. clubs still close early—usually by 4 a.m. with alcohol service ending at 2 a.m. That’s the biggest challenge for U.S. club culture.
Despite that, it’s exciting to see younger people getting into dance music, and overall, the scene is in a much better place than it’s been in a long time.
And what about Berlin?
Berlin is definitely one of the best cities in the world for nightclubbing. The city and government fully embrace the club culture, even offering grants to clubs for things like soundproofing.
However, many clubs are closing now, which is concerning. Watergate, for example, closed at the end of the year, and this trend is happening across Europe. Regulations on opening and closing hours are becoming stricter, which isn’t ideal for clubs.
While Berlin still has a strong nightclub scene, it’s facing similar challenges as cities like London, where clubs in the city center have been replaced by venues on the outskirts. Festivals are thriving, but they’re different because they’re typically outside the city and take place during the day. It’s a tough time for clubs in Europe, but Berlin’s scene is still very much alive.
Do you have any hopes and dreams for the scene?
I hope we don’t continue to see nightclubs closing, especially with everything that’s been happening lately. Over the past five years, we’ve seen more diverse lineups, which is a step in the right direction, but there’s still a long way to go in terms of inclusivity and accessibility. I just hope that momentum keeps building, and the scene continues to grow in a positive direction, with more opportunities for diverse voices and artists to thrive.
What is to come for you and Faith Beat?
Last year was special for Faith Beat, as we released the Christian AB album in the summer and a compilation in the fall. This year, the label will return to its usual format, focusing on more EPs and 12-inch releases. There’s one planned for March, and a big double EP pack for the summer, followed by another EP in the fall.
As for me, last year was busy with the compilation and Christian’s album, but I’m already back to working on new music, possibly including some solo releases.
