For the opening editions of ITM’s Guest Lists feature series we’ve been talking to figures far and wide across the dance community and asking them to share with inthemix readers some of their favourite things, whether that be Benny Benassi’s favourite places to play or Nick Warren’s all time favourite dance tracks. For the latest installment in the series we figured we’d stay on the diverse tip, this time reaching out to German dudes Digitalism to find out what 10 records significantly influenced their career.

While more akin to Warren’s entry than other Guest Lists we thought we’d give Digitalism’s Jens Moelle free reign with his group’s list as there’s more than meets the ears to Digitalism and the ‘electro’ label that has been tattooed on the German duo. For instance, Moelle and production partner Isi Tüfekçi first burned holes in tastemakers ears with their banging house bootleg of Seven Nation Army by The White Stripes, continuing such genre-hopping experiments on remixes for The Presets, Klaxons and Depeche Mode and with their anthem-filled debut album on Kitsune, Idealism.

Four years on from Idealism and Digitalism are still throwing the kitchen sink around their studio bunker with new album I Love You, Dude chopping from disco to French house to bass-blasts and dirty, gutter-bound rock without caution.

With so many stylistic influences to cover we were prepared for Digitalism’s Top 10 Defining Records to be across the spectrum and that’s exactly what we got. But as Moelle told us, “I think these are the ‘defining’ records for us but who knows, it could change when we wake up tomorrow”.

Daft Punk – Rollin’ & Scratchin’

“I think this is where we should start. Rollin’ & Scratchin’ was the big techno tune of Daft Punk’s first album and you get even more sucked into it when you watch their live show from 1997 and they play that live to the people in LA. It’s really good. It’s just such a cheeky kind of track and it’s very in your face with all this garage attitude…like a garage band but it’s completely techno so it’s just brilliant.

I have to admit that we were too young when that came out to be there and hearing it. I think it was like ’94 or ’95. But we definitely heard it later on when we were 18 and out clubbing somewhere and it still has that same kind of feeling to it. It’s very timeless.”

Last Ninja 2 – Central Park Theme (by Matt Grey)

“This is one thing that I really wanted to play for you. I used to play and programme a lot of stuff on the Commodore C64 when I was really young and there was a game called Last Ninja which was so cool. In Last Ninja 2 there was a level you played called Central Park and the music in that level was brilliant. You see a group like Crystal Castles and everything they do now comes from this. Or you can think of it like Rage Against The Machine stuck in 8-bit mode. It’s so cool.

The game came out in the end of the ‘80s, I think, and it’s totally like heavy metal music for the 8-bit system. They had some really amazing scores back then for these games, it was so good.”