AVAION DRIVES ANALOGUE WARMTH AND EMOTIONAL EUPHORIA INTO SOPHOMORE ALBUM ‘TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY’

Music for dancing or for dreaming, depending how you’re feeling, has long been the mantra of electronic artist AVAION. His records land just as powerfully in a sweat-soaked club as they do in solitary headphone moments. With second album, TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY, the multi-platinum German producer amplifies that duality across fifteen tracks, using healing and happiness sound frequencies in every chord progression to, quite literally, make people happy.

Drawing the album title from a street side voice note captured by AVAION in Berlin where he overheard two strangers converse on why they do what they do, coming to the simple, yet powerful, reasoning of “to make people happy.” A sentiment that for AVAION, resonates deepest on the dancefloor, and for the listener, is a blank canvas to write their own story.

Opening track ‘WAY YOU SMILE’ is the testament to this. Beginning with airy vocals and a subdued, weightless bassline, before breaking into a rapid, kinetic drop built for peak-time release. It’s a record for both emotional release and euphoric rapture, all experienced in just three minutes.

The overall sonic identity of the album is not confined to one genre. ‘COLORS’ treads the space in between deep house and electro-pop, whilst ‘NEED ME’ flirts with liquid UKG, and darker, minimal techno inspires the ambience of ‘BERLIN.’ All tied together with that signature AVAION sound stamp.

Stand-out releases from the last twelve months also feature amongst the trove of unreleased gems. Including viral Afro-House hit ‘WACUKA’ with Kenyan songstress Sofiya Nzau which has over 100 million worldwide streams to date, sultry single ‘SLOWLY’ with RANI, and fan-demanded ID ‘HOLD ME AGAIN’.

Sampled drums, lush chord stacks, and hand-shaped basslines from analogue hardware give warmth and texture to the entire track list, fused with future-facing sound design and modern processing techniques for maximum emotional impact.

Where 2024 debut album Selfreflection was about defining his sound, TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY is AVAION’s artistic evolution in motion. Shaped by two sold-out headline tours across Europe performed in his signature 360° live show format, it’s these core memory moments of body and soul feedback only live performance can offer, that AVAION channels into the album. Describing the crowd as “co-composers of the album’s DNA.”

The first chance for fans to experience the entirety of the album live, comes at the official release party at Festsaal Kreuzberg, Berlin, Friday 23rd January 2026. Before rolling out the full TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY Tour 2026 in April, visiting top European cities including Munich, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Paris, Vienna, and Warsaw.

TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY, AVAION’s new album, is out on Sony Music.

ALBUM TRACKLIST:

1.WAY YOU SMILE 

2. COLORS  

3. WACUKA (SOFIYA NZAU)

4. NEED ME  

5. CAN´T FIND YOU (OSKAR MED K)

6. STRANGERS  

7. ABOUT YOU  

8. SLOWLY (RANI)

9. PRAY FOR ME  

10. BE MINE  

11. FALL APART  

12. HOLD ME AGAIN  

13. BERLIN   

14. HEALING  

15. BEGINNINGS 

TO MAKE PEOPLE HAPPY Tour 2026 tickets are on sale here.

08.04.26 – TÄUBCHENTHAL – LEIPZIG, GER

09.04.26 – BACKSTAGE – MUNICH, GER

10.04.26 – E-WERK – ERLANGEN, GER

15.04.26 – ZOOM – FRANKFURT, GER

16.04.26 – CARLSWERK VICTORIA – COLOGNE, GER

17.04.26 – HET DEPOT – LOEWEN, BEL

23.04.26 – MAGAZZINI GENERALI – MILAN, IT

24.04.26 – KOMPLEX 457 – ZURICH, CH

25.04.26 – IM WIZEMANN – STUTTGART, GER

28.04.26 – ROSENHOF – ASNABRÜCK, GER

29.04.26 – MELKWEG – AMSTERDAM, NLD

30.04.26 – DOCKS – HAMBURG, GER

02.05.26 – PUMPEHUSET – COPENHAGEN, DEN

06.05.26 – CABARET SAUVAGE – PARIS, FRA

08.05.26 – LE SUCRE – LYON, FRA

14.05.26 – FLEX – VIENNA, AT

15.05.26 – MINISTRY OF FUN – BANSKÁ BYSTRICA, SVK

16.05.26 – OCZKI – WARSAW, POL

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GABRY PONTE TEAMS UP WITH SAM HARPER FOR FIRST SINGLE OF 2026: 'WORDS'

Just days ago, Gabry Ponte kicked off the new year with a high-energy live show in Alghero, Sardinia, and now the world's most-streamed Italian DJ and producer is dropping his first release of 2026. "Words" is a driving house track that captures the live energy of the year's opening in a scorching studio production.

For this release, Gabry Ponte teamed up with Sam Harper, the London-based singer-songwriter who recently made waves as a featured artist on James Hype’s single “Waterfalls.” On “Words,” Harper once again proves her versatility, delivering powerhouse vocals that effortlessly move between seduction and urgency.

The track is about more than just words: Gabry Ponte and Harper tell a story of closeness and physical communication. “I don’t need your words / If you gonna say it / Say it with your body“ – the lyrics invite listeners to feel emotions directly rather than explain them. Small gestures, tense silences, and palpable attraction set the tone.

Harper’s commanding vocals bring these moments to life, riding over a dynamic production where frenzied piano chords meet pounding four-on-the-floor basslines and carefully placed synth riffs generate a vibrant tension that pulls the listeners straight onto the dance floor.

“Words” fits seamlessly into Gabry Ponte’s string of successes: following hits like “Tutta L’Italia” (54M streams), “Tarantella” (80M streams), and “Born To Love Ya” (over 62M streams), the Italian DJ once again demonstrates his knack for infectious, high-energy house that conquers both clubs and streaming charts. With Harper by his side, Gabry Ponte delivers a track that lets music do the talking – clear, direct, and unmistakable: actions speak louder than words.

"Words" by Gabry Ponte featuring Sam Harper is now available everywhere via Warner Music Central Europe.

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KÖLSCH EXPANDS THE VISION WITH ‘KINEMA DELUXE EDITION’

Featuring a standout new remix of ‘Waste My Time’ by Chris Avantgarde, two new Kölsch originals, and more.

Kölsch broadens the scope of his acclaimed KINEMA album with the announcement of KINEMA Deluxe Edition, an expanded release that deepens the emotional and sonic narrative of one of his most resonant projects to date. Featuring four new additions - two remixes and two original cuts - the Deluxe Edition continues the cinematic journey that has already connected across club floors, personal listening spaces, and sold-out live venues throughout Europe via the Kölsch & The Machine tour. The rollout begins January 16 with a powerful new remix of ‘Waste My Time’ by melodic techno tastemaker Chris Avantgarde, building toward the full Deluxe Edition release on March 19.

Since its October release, KINEMA has been praised for its cinematic flow and its ability to balance introspection with peak-time energy. The album quickly became inseparable from the Kölsch & The Machine live show, which premiered at Amsterdam Dance Event before traveling through Berlin, London, Paris, Antwerp, and Madrid. Designed as both a listening experience and a physical one, the tour amplified the album’s emotional core through a modular, analog-driven stage performance that reimagined KINEMA alongside key moments from Kölsch’s catalog.

Leading the Deluxe Edition is Chris Avantgarde’s remix of ‘Waste My Time’, the beloved Kölsch and CamelPhat collaboration. Where the original moved with restraint, Avantgarde’s version shifts the track into darker, more driving territory while preserving the warmth and vulnerability that made it resonate. Anchored by a thick, sweeping bassline and sharpened melodic techno rhythms, the remix balances intimacy with impact, offering a club-ready reinterpretation that still feels unmistakably Kölsch. The remix arrives January 16, serving as the opening chapter of the Deluxe rollout.

 Through a fusion of production mastery and deeply emotive techno, Kölsch has become one of the genre’s most singular voices. After a highly successful run with his recent ‘Kölsch and the Machine’ live tour and accompanying KINEMA album, he continues to stand as one of the scene’s most defining figures. Over the years he has collaborated with a range of renowned artists including Coldplay, Imogen Heap, London Grammar, and Damon Albarn, as well as electronic heavyweights such as ARTBAT, Anyma, WhoMadeWho, and Kevin de Vries, showcasing a producer confident in wearing many creative hats. Alongside releases on his IPSO label with Michael Mayer, Tiga, and Sasha, Kölsch’s sound bridges raw vulnerability and electronic power. Raised in Copenhagen’s Christiania commune, he draws on a lifetime of artistic exploration to create music that feels both universal and deeply personal, a vision perhaps best captured in his unforgettable Cercle set atop the Eiffel Tower.

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