Berlin Beatsmith Santé is Our Latest Undrtone X Jake Tomas & Paul HG + Friends Guest
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Santé has always sat slightly outside the obvious narrative of Berlin house and techno. While the city became synonymous with stark minimalism and functional loops, he leaned into groove, character and musicality. From the early days of AVOTRE through to the House Lessons era and now his 2026 opener with ‘I Need You’, his catalogue has consistently favoured personality over predictability.
Berlin shaped that tension. “Berlin gave me two things at the same time: freedom and discipline. Freedom to experiment, break rules, stay weird and discipline because the city doesn’t reward you just for showing up. You have to earn your place on the floor.
What I moved away from was the cold minimalism that dominated for a while. I love minimal, but I needed more groove, more personality, more humour. Berlin taught me the rules and then showed me how to bend them.”
That balance between structure and looseness runs through his new single ‘I Need You’. Released at the end of January 2026, the record nods to mid-2010s deep house while keeping his trademark bounce intact. There is warmth in the drums, a playful edge in the swing, and a hook that feels built for real rooms rather than algorithm-driven playlists.
Humour has always been central to his sound. “Honestly? Life. I grew up around people who didn’t take themselves too seriously. My family, my friends always joking, roasting, laughing. That energy naturally ended up in my productions. House music shouldn’t feel stiff. It should feel like a person with quirks, edges, charm, and a smirk on its face.”
That philosophy extended beyond his own records and into AVOTRE. Founded in 2012, the Berlin label grew quickly, becoming known for selling out international showcases and for a tight roster that includes long-term collaborators like Sidney Charles and Russ Yallop.
At some point, it stopped feeling like a label and became something else. “The moment we realised we weren’t just sending demos and release dates, we were sharing life. Birthdays, bad days, tours, hangovers, wins, losses… all of it.
AVOTRE is full of artists who are honest, supportive, and hungry. That’s when it became family when the connection mattered more than the catalogue.”
For Santé, numbers have never been the deciding factor when signing or collaborating. “I look for spirit. You can teach technique, you can improve production, but you can’t teach attitude, work ethic, or taste.
If someone brings energy, curiosity, and a point of view, I’ll work with them even if they only have 2,000 plays. Numbers come and go, identity stays.”
The House Lessons era marked a defining chapter. The concept grew from Sidney Charles’ early AVOTRE release into a wider movement, culminating in Santé’s collaborative LP featuring artists such as wAFF and Marshall Jefferson. The project still guides him.
“‘House Lessons’ taught me to trust my instinct more than the trend. That project worked because I stopped chasing and started expressing.
The lesson that still guides me: If it doesn’t make you move in the studio, nobody will move in the club. It’s that simple.”
In 2026, as club culture moves faster than ever, he chooses not to conform to the ever-increasing demand. “The pace is insane now, new tracks every Friday, new hype every week. But I don’t want to write fast music for fast consumption.
Instead, I doubled down on timeless grooves, hooks that stay in your head, and drums that still work 10 years later. I adapt to the energy of now, but I don’t compromise the foundations.”
The late 90s and early 2000s remain a reference point. “The late-90s / early-2000s era shaped me the most, the crossover between US house, French filters, and the first big wave of tech-house in Europe. It was soulful but punchy, sexy but underground. That balance still inspires me today.”
Experience has also sharpened his focus. “Trying to please everyone. When you split your energy across too many directions, you lose yourself. That mistake taught me to say no, focus, and protect my sound and identity. It’s better to have 1,000 real supporters than 100,000 people who don’t really care.”
Ultimately, his goal remains simple. “I want them to feel lighter, like something got released. A great set should shake off stress, ego, and overthinking. People should walk out thinking: ‘Damn, I needed that.’ If they smile the next morning for no reason, I did my job.”
In a Berlin scene that often leans towards seriousness, Santé continues to champion groove, warmth and human connection. With ‘I Need You’ signalling another invigorating chapter for him in 2026, he is not chasing nostalgia or trends. He is doubling down on identity, playfulness and grooves that still matter long after the hype cycle moves on.
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