2raumwohnung

Lore & Background

2raumwohnung first met in East Berlin where they both settled shortly after German reunification in 1990. The band's first appearance was in Sternradio in 2000, a legendary club at Alexanderplatz. Before their formation as a band, the duo had been collaborating as a studio project, releasing their music under a pseudonym. Recordings from that period were used in advertisements, such as for Imperial Tobacco's 'Cabinet' brand and for HypoVereinsbank. The group released its debut album 'Kommt zusammen' on 25 June 2001, which included 13 songs and was released by Goldrush on BMG. Due to successful sales, a remixed version combining house and electro elements was produced in January 2002. 'In wirklich' appeared in September of the same year and rose to #6 in the German charts, earning the German Dance Award for 'Best Album'.

Reader's Guide

2raumwohnung's significance lies in their sustained commercial success in German electro-pop, particularly with the album '36 Grad' and its title single, which became a massive summer hit in 2007 and continues to be frequently played on national radio. The duo's ability to evolve musically—from their debut album's 'new feeling of lightness' to the Bossa Nova re-recordings of 'Melancholisch schön' and collaborations with Cuban musicians on 'Rhythms del Mundo'—demonstrates their versatility. They have also appeared internationally, including at Expo 2010, and have been recognized with awards such as the Goldene Stimmgabel for 'Best Duo' in 2005 and the Kulturpreis from Berliner Zeitung in 2010. Their work has extended into television, with guest appearances on the soap opera GZSZ, and into contemporary German literature, with a reference in Oliver Bendel's novel 'Nachrückende Generationen'. The duo's independent label it-sounds underscores their control over their output.

Did You Know?

• The duo's first appearance was at Sternradio, a legendary club at Alexanderplatz, in 2001.
• Their song '2 von Millionen von Sternen' was used as a jingle in a TV advertisement for the introduction of the Euro.
• In 2011, 2raumwohnung played Gustav Mahler's 5th Symphony with the Frankfurt Radio Symphony conducted by Moritz Eggert.
• Inga Humpe compared the song '36 Grad' to George Michael's 'Last Christmas', noting its sustained summer popularity.

Origins in Post-Reunification Berlin

Inga Humpe and Tommi Eckart first crossed paths in East Berlin, where both had settled in the wake of German reunification in 1990. Their early collaboration took shape not as a public band but as a quiet studio project, releasing material under a pseudonym. Those early recordings found an unexpected audience when they were licensed for commercial use—Imperial Tobacco's "Cabinet" brand featured "Wir trafen uns in einem Garten," while HypoVereinsbank used "2 von Millionen von Sternen" as a jingle for a Euro-introduction TV spot, all without the public knowing who was behind the music. Their first public performance came in 2001 at Sternradio, a legendary club on Alexanderplatz. The duo then formalized their act, releasing their debut album "Kommt zusammen" on July 2, 2001, through Goldrush on the BMG label. The thirteen-track record drew positive reviews, with critics describing everything from a "new feeling of lightness" to "esoteric children's disco," and strong sales prompted a house-and-electro remix edition in early 2002.

Musical Evolution Across the 2000s

After the debut, 2raumwohnung steadily expanded their sonic palette. "In wirklich" (September 2002) pushed further into dance territory and climbed to number five in the German charts, earning them the German Dance Award for Best Album, though some reviewers felt it lost the charm of the first record. By "Es wird Morgen" in August 2004, critics noted an impressive musical maturity with echoes of 1980s stylings, even while questioning the album's broader relevance. The duo toured Germany and neighboring countries with Jansen and Kowalski as support. In 2005, "Melancholisch schön" reimagined twelve of their best-known songs in Bossa Nova style, and they collected the Goldene Stimmgabel for Best Duo. The trajectory from light electro-pop to genre-blending experimentation shows a band continually testing boundaries while maintaining a recognizable identity, all while releasing on their own label, it-sounds.

The "36 Grad" Phenomenon and International Reach

The 2007 album "36 Grad" represents the duo's commercial summit. Following a short break, they composed two singles with Peter Plate of Rosenstolz and producer Ulf Leo Sommer. "Besser geht's nicht" cracked the top thirty, but the title track "36 Grad" soared into the top ten and became a massive summer hit that continues to receive heavy radio rotation every warm season. Inga Humpe has compared its enduring seasonal popularity to George Michael's "Last Christmas." The album entered the charts at number seven and reached number sixty-three in the 2007 year-end rankings, spending a total of thirty-three weeks on the German charts. Remixes were produced with Paul van Dyk and Oliver Huntemann, and a 2008 re-recording featured Cuban musicians on the Rhythms del Mundo compilation alongside Rosenstolz, Culcha Candela, and others. The duo also performed at Expo 2010 and worked as a DJ team, extending their reach beyond Germany.

Personal Partnership and Creative Philosophy

2raumwohnung is inseparable from the personal bond between Inga Humpe and Tommi Eckart, who are both creative partners and life partners. During the summer of 2007, as "36 Grad" dominated the airwaves, the couple publicly discussed their decision to begin living separately, explaining that their age and the need for personal distance were essential to preserving their creativity. They were still residing together in Berlin's Mitte district at the time. This openness about their relationship dynamic became part of the band's public narrative. Their artistic philosophy is equally clear: in promoting "In wirklich," they declared they make music for people who reflect on life and are not shaped by mainstream television. The urban environment of Berlin has been a persistent creative force—Humpe acknowledged in an interview that the "urban jungle" significantly shaped the 2009 album "Lasso." Operating on their own imprint, it-sounds, they maintain full creative control over their output.

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