Gerd Janson never set out to become a DJ—and that’s exactly what makes him one of electronic music’s most trusted selectors today. Raised near Frankfurt during Germany’s first major dance-music boom, he was drawn into club culture long before it became an industry, spending years on dancefloors and learning the language of music from the inside out.

Before fully stepping behind the decks, Janson helped shape the scene through writing, contributing to influential publications such as Groove and Spex. This deep listening practice later led him to found Running Back, now widely regarded as one of electronic music’s most respected labels—where house, disco, techno and left-field club music coexist, guided by feeling rather than rules.

As a DJ, Janson is focused on connection. A long-standing resident at Frankfurt’s legendary Robert Johnson and a regular at Panorama Bar and Circoloco, he moves effortlessly between intimate clubs and large-scale festival stages. His sets draw natural lines between past and present, always playful, precise and in service of the moment. For Gerd Janson, the dancefloor isn’t about nostalgia—it’s about shared energy, and few deliver it with such warmth and clarity.