Marcus Schmahl – Progressive House and Melodic | ONE Podcast (#107)

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Former 2pole Member Marcus Schmahl On How He’s Found His True Progressive House Identity

Mainz-based electronic music producer, composer, and engineer Marcus Schmahl delivers a progressive house showcase for ONE Podcast, introducing a nineteen-track audio journey that charts his complete evolutionary shift. The comprehensive mix serves as a direct sonic manifestation of his structural departure from functional club monikers toward long-form studio autonomy.

Following the commercial saturation and subsequent market correction within the melodic techno scene in 2026, the electronic music landscape is experiencing an observable structural shift. For an extended period, major commercial brands maintained an ironclad grip on global events formats, yet internal club assembly lines grew increasingly rigid and generic. This stylistic saturation has driven a substantial wave of seasoned club composers back toward the deeper, more creative arrangements of progressive house. Schmahl stands at the absolute vanguard of this industrial movement. Having achieved major international chart success under names like Broombeck and as one half of the techno outfit 2pole, he has actively dismantled his functional monikers to channel thirty years of studio wisdom into a single uncompromised profile.

Dismantling the Legacy Aliases

The primary driver behind this sonic evolution is a requirement for complete artistic autonomy and long-form narrative execution. Operating from his facility in Mainz, Schmahl has rejected standard software patches in favour of a permanent analog hardware infrastructure. His studio architecture utilises permanent routing configurations, allowing specialised hardware like the Modor NF-1, UDO Super 6, Oberheim OB-6, Waldorf Quantum, Arturia Polybrute, and a classic Buchla synthesiser to communicate seamlessly with his digital workstation. This tactical workflow ensures that organic, unpredictable acoustic elements shape his master channel rather than standard digital emulation.

“The aliases were always functional. Different genres, different collaborations; it made sense to separate them. Broombeck was one thing, 2pole with Mark was another. But at some point you realise that all of it comes from the same place, the same set of ears, the same instincts built over thirty years. I didn’t want to keep fragmenting that. Whatever I make now carries my name because it carries my signature.”

His debut progressive release, Fragments of Time, materialised through an organic industry lineage. Signed to Tronic Music, the three-track EP was commissioned directly by label founder Christian Smith after reviewing early demonstration recordings. Smith himself has been actively expanding his own footprint beyond purist techno boundaries, delivering progressive records to foundational imprints like Bedrock and Balance. This technical cross-pollination between peak-time techno engineers and progressive house frameworks brings a new elevated level of mixing discipline and structural intelligence to the genre.

The Logic of the ONE Podcast Mix

The exclusive mix delivered for the ONE Podcast perfectly encapsulates this engineering ideology. Spanning nineteen meticulously curated selections, the performance weaves together complex sound design, precise low-end balance, and intense atmospheric textures. Schmahl seamlessly incorporates cutting-edge underground productions alongside seminal moments, including his own material from Tronic Music. The tracklist highlights a deep, patient energy curve that directly reflects the lessons learned during his time scaling the upper echelons of the global techno ecosystem.

“The melodic and arpeggio work came primarily from three synthesizers: the Modor NF-1, a Buchla, and the UDO Super 6. For shakers and percussion I recorded live with a stereo microphone pair. The atmospheric layers are field recordings; one from an airport, and one I made by moving ice cubes in a gin and tonic glass, captured with two microphones. The gin and tonic was consumed after the session.”

The contemporary market opportunity for this deeper sound palette is starting to expand across international club circuits. While standard commercial techno still remains highly lucrative, a major segment of the underground demographic is demanding extended club sessions that value sustained narrative tension over immediate, formulaic drops. The progressive house format scales exceptionally well across modern algorithmic systems and major editorial streaming playlists, yet its most lucrative growth sector rests in the live events market. The structural resurgence of multi-hour club sets directly rewards patient energy curves and dense atmospheric production layers.

“The philosophy is simple: make the music I actually want to make, and put my full signature on it.”

ONE Podcast Tracklist

1. Notamous, Will Daley – Circled Squares [Solis Music]
2. Michael A – Neo Cortex [Genesis Music]
3. Max Wexem – Confined [Mango Alley]
4. Marcus Schmahl – Parallel Echo [Tronic Music]
5. Durante, ALLKNIGHT – How Does It Feel [Anjunadeep]
6. Beckers, D-Nox – True Peak [Selador]
7. Dave Walker – Kamino [Forensic Records]
8. Hobin Rude – Then and Now [Inspired By Trees Records]
9. Simon Vuarambon – Diafana [Moments]
10. Ruben Karapetyan – State of Progression (Remix) [UV]
11. Age of Love – The Age of Love (Solomun Renaissance Remix) [DIKI Records]
12. Quivver – Keep on Runnin’ [Bedrock Records]
13. Marcus Schmahl – Fragments of Time [Tronic Music]
14. Christian Smith – L’Amour Toujours (Kamilo Sanclemente Remix) [Tronic Music]
15. D-Nox, Andre Moret – I Love a Robot [Balance Music]
16. M.O.S., Into The Ether – One Day Soon [Melody Of the Soul]
17. Dosem – Levitize [Anjunadeep]
18. Ezequiel Arias – Psychodelia [Anjunadeep]
19. Undercatt – Britannia [Diynamic Music]

Check out the latest editions of one here.

Marcus Schmahl True Underground Podcast FAQ

An Artist’s Perspective on Autonomy

Marcus Schmahl’s core philosophy for this new chapter is completely focused on artistic autonomy and long-form narrative execution. He has dismantled decades of functional aliases to create uncompromised music under his own name, leveraging extensive analogue hardware to build sustained tension rather than chasing formulaic, peak-time drops.

Why did Marcus Schmahl phase out his veteran production aliases for this new direction?

After achieving international success under functional monikers like Broombeck and 2pole, Schmahl chose to unify his entire thirty-year creative signature under his birth name. This transition allows him to combine his formal electrical engineering background and dancefloor intuition into a single uncompromised solo project.

What hardware instruments and sound design techniques define this progressive house sound?

Schmahl utilises permanent routing in his Mainz studio, featuring synthesisers like the Modor NF-1, UDO Super 6, and a Buchla. He blends these machines with unconventional acoustic field recordings, such as capturing the sound of moving ice cubes inside glassware, before routing the entire mix through an extensive analogue outboard chain.

How did the Fragments of Time EP materialise with Christian Smith and Tronic Music?

The debut EP developed through an organic industry lineage. Label founder Christian Smith commissioned the tracks directly after reviewing early demonstration recordings. This signing perfectly aligns with Smith’s recent strategy to expand the Tronic Music imprint beyond traditional, purist techno boundaries into deeper progressive territories.

What market forces are driving veteran techno producers toward the progressive house genre?

The global electronic landscape is experiencing an observable structural shift following the commercial saturation of peak-time techno. Because the internal assembly lines of commercial techno have grown increasingly rigid, seasoned composers are actively returning to the deeper, creative arrangements of progressive house that reward patient energy curves.

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