Danilo Plessow
{{Short description|German DJ and music producer}}
Danilo Plessow is a music producer and DJ (born c. 1985), perhaps best known for his work as the alias Motor City Drum Ensemble (MCDE).{{cite web |title=Mercedes Not Motown: Tales from German's Motor City |url=https://www.skiddle.com/news/all/Mercedes-Not-Motown-Tales-from-Germanys-Motor-City/25885/ |website=Skiddle |access-date=27 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Motor City Drum Ensemble |url=https://www.2020recordings.com/mcde |website=20/20 Recordings |access-date=27 May 2024}}
Raised in the German town of Schwäbisch Gmünd,{{cite web |title=Motor City Drum Ensemble: Looking for Light in the Nighttime |url=https://crackmagazine.net/article/long-reads/motor-city-drum-ensemble-looking-light-nighttime/ |website=Crack Magazine |access-date=27 May 2024}} Plessow played drums from the age of 6 years old and began creating his own music using a computer and samples from the age of 11.{{cite web |title=Machine love: Motor City Drum Ensemble |url=https://ra.co/features/1307 |website=Resident Advisor |access-date=27 May 2024}} Musical influences include Moodymann,{{cite news |title=Vermont review: 'Complex and ambiguous' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/mar/20/vermont-vermont-marcus-worgull-danilo-plessow-review |website=The Guardian |date=20 March 2014 |access-date=27 May 2024 |last1=Petridis |first1=Alexis }}{{cite web |title=Crate Diggers: Motor City Drum Ensemble |url=https://thevinylfactory.com/features/crate-diggers-motor-city-drum-ensemble/ |website=The Vinyl Factory |date=20 January 2015 |access-date=27 May 2024}} Marvin Gaye, 70s jazz and 90s hiphop including early J Dilla and Pete Rock.{{cite web |title=Motor City Drum Ensemble Interview |url=https://www.theransomnote.com/music/news/motor-city-drum-ensemble-interview/ |website=The Ransom Note |date=19 August 2021 |access-date=27 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Motor City Drum Ensemble |url=https://www.attackmagazine.com/features/interview/motor-city-drum-ensemble/ |website=Attack Magazine |date=14 September 2012 |access-date=27 May 2024}} In his formative years he would travel into the nearby city of Stuttgart to collect vinyl records. The alias Motor City Drum Ensemble is a nod to his Detroit musical influences as well as referencing Stuttgart (home of Mercedes Benz and Porsche) and his collection of drum machines.{{cite web |title=Send A Prayer EP |url=https://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/17561-send-a-prayer-ep/ |website=Pitchfork |access-date=27 May 2024}}
Plessow is famed for the Raw Cuts series{{cite web |title=Premiere |url=https://www.factmag.com/2012/08/21/download-a-mix-from-cologne-house-prodigy-motor-city-drum-ensemble/ |website=Fact Magazine |date=21 August 2012 |access-date=27 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Interview: Motor City Drum Ensemble |url=https://mancunion.com/2015/02/09/interview-motor-city-drum-ensemble/ |website=Mancunion Manchester Media Group |date=9 February 2015 |access-date=27 May 2024}} and has released singles and remixes on over twenty record labels.{{cite web |title=Motor City Drum Ensemble |url=https://thevogue.com/artists/motor-city-drum-ensemble/#bio |website=Vogue |access-date=27 May 2024}} He has also co-founded labels such as MCDE Recordings, Four Roses Recordings{{cite web |title=RA.132 Motor City Drum Ensemble |url=https://ra.co/podcast/132 |website=Resident Advisor |access-date=27 May 2024}} and Space Grape Records, the latter of which is focused on live contemporary music, such as with Jéroboam, musicians from Kyoto Jazz Massive.{{cite web |title=Late Late show with Jéroboam |url=https://www.ronniescotts.co.uk/find-a-show/late-late-show-hosted-by-j%C3%A9roboam |website=Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club |access-date=27 May 2024}}{{cite web |title=Best of 2022: Singles |url=https://www.phonicarecords.com/best-of-list/best-of-2022-singles/185 |website=Phonica Records |access-date=27 May 2024}}
As an international DJ he frequently travels around the world to perform at clubs and festivals.{{cite web |title=Danilo Plessow: Past Events |url=https://ra.co/dj/daniloplessow/past-events |website=Resident Advisor |access-date=27 May 2024}}{{cite magazine |title=Top 100 DJs |url=https://www.billboard.com/music/music-news/resident-advisor-top-100-2016-dixon-7603851/ |magazine=Billboard |access-date=27 May 2024}}
He was a radio presenter for Gilles Peterson's Worldwide FM{{cite web |title=Worldwide FM: Danilo Plessow |url=https://worldwidefm.net/tags/danilo-plessow-2 |website=Worldwide FM |access-date=27 May 2024}} and was a curator for Nuits Sonores in Lyon 2016.{{cite web |title=Nuits Sonores Announces Daytime Curators |url=https://xlr8r.com/news/nuit-sonores-announces-daytime-curators/ |website=XLR8R |date=13 January 2016 |access-date=27 May 2024}}
Other aliases: Inverse Cinematics, Vermont, Jayson Brothers and Basic-Variation.{{cite web |title=Danilo Plessow (FKA Motor City Drum Ensemble) |url=https://earthackney.co.uk/performers/danilo-plessow-fka-motor-city-drum-ensemble/ |website=EartH |access-date=27 May 2024}}