Berlin-based DJ and producer Erwin, formerly known as Florian Rietze, has built his reputation on a refined blend of house, deep house, and minimal grooves, enriched with ambient textures and breakbeat elements.
Photo credit: Erwin – Official
His nuanced, floor-oriented sound carries both introspection and club energy, shaped by years of touring across Europe and Asia and releasing on labels such as Male Cmos and Click Records.
Now stepping into a new chapter, Erwin is launching his own imprint, Arepas Records, with its debut release, the ‘Arepas’ EP, scheduled for September 26, 2025. The record unfolds like a tasting menu, combining floor-ready cuts with cinematic, introspective moments — from the vocoder-laced opener ‘Arepas’ to the piano-led closer ‘Aguardiente’. Rooted in a culinary-inspired concept, each Arepas Records release will reflect a different “menu” and feature artwork designed to interconnect across multiple EPs.
As Erwin, the artist embraces analog warmth and minimalism, while opening the label as a platform for like-minded producers.
In this conversation, Erwin reflects on the launch of Arepas Records, the artistic rebirth behind his new alias, and his vision for the future.
EG: Hi, Erwin! Welcome to EG. It’s a pleasure to have you here with us. How are you doing? How is your summer season coming along?
Erwin: Hi and thanks for having me! I am very good. After a busy summer things are slowing down a bit. I spend many hours with building up Arepas Records this summer and everything around it. Besides that, I had quite a few gigs and festivals with my live project Calaido and also DJ gigs as Erwin.
EG: First of all, congratulations on the drop of your new EP, ‘Arepas’! You must be very excited about this one. What has the initial reception been like so far?
Erwin: I am really happy to bring this EP to life after working a long period on it. First reception was very positive. Whenever I play the songs people would come and ask for the artist. Also, other DJ and producer colleagues resonate with the sound and call it timeless and forward thinking.
EG: So, what can your fans expect to find on ‘Arepas’? How did the name come about?
Erwin: The name of the EP and the label came up some years ago in 2018. Back then I spent a lot of time in the studio with a friend (he is also involved in the label, mixing and co-producing). We would always have Arepas for lunch around the corner of the studio and thought this could be a nice name for a music project or even a label. And here we are. Sound wise people can expect a sonic journey through Deep House and Minimal House with a cinematic approach. That’s why I also included a short ambient/piano piece with ‘Aguardiente’. The whole EP should sound and feel like a full course menu. Bon appetit!
EG: And this record signals the maiden release of your brand new imprint, Arepas. Again, congratulations! How did the concept for Arepas come about? What drove you to launch your own imprint?
Erwin: Thank you again, this is really an exciting new chapter! Since the idea for the name was already given, I made up my mind how the label’s identity could be shaped. Then I had the idea of taking this culinary approach. Everyone loves food. I travelled many different countries and loved to eat all different types of dishes from many different origins and tastes.
Now each release will be a different menu from somewhere around the globe. In my opinion music and food are a good match. My first intention was to send out demos to labels I like and as well some tastemakers and DJs. One of them was Andre Kronert. He runs the pressing plant Matter of Fact here in Germany and was really impressed by the tracks and he asked me if I want to start a label with my Arepas project. They would take care of the pressing and distribution. I always had the idea to start a label, but with his offer it came across earlier than planned. So, I took the chance and started this journey. I think an own record label is the best platform to present your full scale of sound without limitations.
“I wish curators, promoters, listeners and managers would take more into account that followers and streams are not a benchmark for great artistry”
EG: What can we expect from Arepas moving forward? How would you describe the sound of Arepas? Are you taking demos at the moment?
Erwin: The sound will be House with a focus on deep, dubby, minimal sounds. Primarily we make records for the dancefloor. But the idea is also to keep an open eye for different sounds. A record can hold 4-6 tracks so there is always space for exploration and sonic diversity. The first few releases on Arepas Records will all be my own productions. But I am already open to taking demos. The idea is to create a platform for music and sound enthusiasts and make the Arepas family grow. So please send your demos, ideally via Soundcloud message or to yummie@arepas-records.com.
EG: 2025 is turning out to be quite the year for Erwin. Having performed for over a decade as Florian Rietze, why this artistic shift? What drove you to this need for “change”?
Erwin: I couldn’t really relate anymore to what I have done as Florian Rietze (apart from the collaborations I did with Luca Musto). It’s nice music but also a “past me”. I always dreamed to make a project which is rooted in reduced, analog sound and vinyl only DJ-sets. Since I also stepped back from the scene during and after the pandemic and really worked on crafting my sound and musical skills this step came naturally. Erwin feels like a rebirth to me. I understood that it’s worth it to take the time and work on your craft without forcing progress. I like the idea of starting with a blank sheet of paper, it empowers me to make this project shine and have some impact over time.
EG: In which ways is Erwin different from Florian Rietze? What can Erwin do that, maybe, Florian can’t or won’t?
Erwin: Erwin feels confident about his sonic identity. He is maybe a grown-up version of Florian Rietze. This is the big skill of Erwin. He is less influenced by other people and tends to go his very own path. He is not scared of taking risks and explore different musical realms. I think an alter ego can really help to bring back the magic of creative work and letting me remember why I am doing this. Erwin isn’t rushing behind something; he is just doing what he loves with that extra eye for the details.
EG: Given your experience, what are some of the biggest challenges artists will face in the near future?
Erwin: As I am building this project from scratch, I can tell that one of the biggest challenges is to be multi skilled apart from DJing and production. Making music is crucial but there are way more things to do to really make an impact (conceptualization, networking, video editing, just to name a few). We need to understand artistry as a holistic skill and keep up with technological and social developments. This world is moving fast. And don’t fear AI, it’s just another tool to learn.
Another big challenge is to find the right balance between creativity and distraction. Especially social media is one of the biggest distractions we have these days. It’s necessary to have it as an artist but at the same time it keeps us away from creative work and making music. This is really paradox. I wish curators, promoters, listeners and managers would take more into account that followers and streams are not a benchmark for great artistry. We should understand it as a tool but not tend to make sound which suits the algorithm but the other way around.
At the same time posting and filming at raves is a development which is really challenging. The experience itself should be more important than your next story on Instagram. It’s about music and connection. Lastly, I wish parties and raves would be less commercialized and more political. The dancefloor is a refuge and not a money machine. Festivals and raves are places for exchange and connection. We should use these spaces get into dialogue and see them as a platform to speak up against any kind of hate and injustice.
“I wish parties and raves would be less commercialized and more political”
EG: What’s next for Erwin? What milestones are you looking forward to now? Where can your fans catch you next?
Erwin: I will have a record release and Arepas label launch session at Elevate record store here in Berlin on October 8th. Really excited about it, come along! Apart from that I am focusing on the label and new productions. I will spend a lot of time on the studio. The second EP is already lining up and will be out in November. Stay tuned!
EG: Thank you so much for your time, Erwin! We wish you all the best in the future. Take care!
Erwin: Thanks for the opportunity. I really enjoyed sharing some insights. Take care!
Erwin’s ‘Arepas’ EP is out on September 26 via Arepas Records. Pre-order here.
