Imagine being at a festival as dusk turns to dark, and a haunting melody from the speakers sends thousands of dancers into a frenzy. In 2015, that scenario became reality when Frankey & Sandrino’s track “Acamar” swept through the underground electronic scene. For many clubbers, that song was an introduction to the German DJ/producer duo whose music can instantly transport you.
Frankey & Sandrino have a knack for crafting these transcendent dancefloor moments without ever pandering to the mainstream. They’re the kind of artists whose tunes you might hear under open skies at an indie festival or in a packed 4 A.M. club set, causing those knowing smiles among “in the know” fans.
Frankey & Sandrino didn’t just magically team up overnight; their partnership was born out of years in the scene and a shared passion for deeper sounds. Sandrino Tittel and Frank Beckers (Frankey) first crossed paths in the early 2000s at a club called Butan in Germany, where both were resident DJs for different party promoters. They were already seasoned in their craft, each had nearly a decade of electronic music experience in other projects before forming the duo.
Frankey’s background was especially eclectic: he grew up playing piano and bass guitar, performed in rock and funk bands, even joined jazz orchestras, basically living and breathing music in many forms. Sandrino, on the other hand, immersed himself in club culture early; he even spent part of his youth in Romania and fell in love with the unique vibe of the Balkan electronic scene. When they eventually clicked and decided to hit the studio together, it was a meeting of two worlds: Frankey brought his multi-instrumentalist chops and technical know-how, while Sandrino had a clear vision of mood and selection honed from years of digging for records.
They started releasing tracks as Frankey & Sandrino in 2012, marking the official launch of the project with the “Wandering EP”. The chemistry was immediate and organic.
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So what does Frankey & Sandrino’s music actually sound like? In short: deep house and techno with a soulful, melodic twist. They’re known for rich, atmospheric productions that can be both dreamy and driving at the same time. If you’ve ever listened to tracks like “Acamar” or “Mercury”, you know they have a way of blending hypnotic grooves with emotive, cinematic layers.
Over the years, their style has evolved in subtle ways. Early Frankey & Sandrino releases were squarely in the deep house/melodic techno realm: warm pads, bubbling arpeggios, the works. As time went on, they kept pushing their boundaries and trying new things. Some tracks lean darker and techier, while others embrace more classic house vibes or incorporate vocals. They’re quite open-minded, one EP might have a peak-time festival anthem, and the next could be a slow-burning, introspective tune for the late-night hours.
This philosophy keeps their sound fresh. In the end, though, there are certain signatures you can always hear in an F&S track, a depth of atmosphere, thoughtful melodies, and a groove that invites you to get lost in the music. It’s music for “closed-eyes dancers”, as their Instagram bio cheekily puts it.
Every artist’s journey has those big turning points. For Frankey & Sandrino, a few standout moments and releases really put them on the map. One early highlight was their 2014 “Starchild” EP on Drumpoet Community. The title track “Starchild” and its B-side “Lost” (featuring UK singer Jinadu) caught the attention of heavy-hitters like Âme, who even played “Lost” during the closing of the legendary Trouw club in Amsterdam.
But it was the next year, 2015, that truly launched them into a new orbit: “Acamar”. Released on Dixon & Âme’s prestigious Innervisions label, “Acamar” became an underground anthem. With its brooding, melodic buildup and euphoric payoff, the track captivated dancefloors worldwide. To this day, mention Frankey & Sandrino to a festival-going house/techno fan and “Acamar” is likely the first tune they’ll gush about. The success of that record opened doors for the duo, leading to gigs beyond Germany and requests for more releases on top labels.
They kept the momentum going with a string of strong releases on respected imprints. In 2016, they put out the “Hydrae EP” on Kompakt, showcasing their ability to deliver expressive, silky synth solos embedded in throbbing beats. That same year, Frankey & Sandrino took a major step by founding their own label, Sum Over Histories. This boutique imprint became a home not only for their music but also for tracks by up-and-coming artists they believed in.
Other milestones followed: the lush “Ways of the Sun” with Swedish vocalist La Øberg in 2017, the return to Innervisions with the “Mercury EP” in 2019, and the beautiful 2020 track “Chimes” on Watergate Records. They’ve even had their productions included in high-profile compilations, like John Digweed’s “Quattro III”, and have collaborated with vocal stars like Nadia Ali on 2023’s “I See You”.
While Frankey & Sandrino built their name in the 2010s, the early 2020s have been just as exciting, if not more so. A great example is their 2022 EP “Optical”, which debuted on Damian Lazarus’s Crosstown Rebels label. This release showed a slightly different side of the duo and proved to be a hit on the dancefloor.
In 2023 and 2024, they went back to their own Sum Over Histories imprint for a series of releases that showed them embracing their roots while also branching into new territory. One standout was “Memories EP”, released in May 2024 on Innervisions, featuring London singer Charlotte Riby. The track fused classic house energy with their signature production style. A few months later in October 2024, they dropped the “Love Complete EP” on Sum Over Histories, once again featuring Charlotte Riby on vocals. The EP is described as a nostalgic nod to their early house influences, blending soulful vocals with modern club sensibilities.
Meanwhile, remixes and collabs kept coming. They put out a remix called “Weine Nicht Kind (Frankey & Sandrino Remix)” in mid-2025 and have maintained a steady flow of releases, including “The Moment” (August 2024). It’s clear that the downtime during the pandemic only fueled their creativity, and the duo has been releasing some of their most diverse and prolific work in recent years.
Frankey & Sandrino are just as known for their DJ sets as their productions. They’ve built a reputation on the global club and festival circuit, touring extensively and playing everywhere from intimate clubs to major open-air stages. In late 2024 and into 2025, they performed in Toulouse, London, Dubai, Miami, California, and even celebrated New Year’s in Portugal’s Algarve.
Expect their sets to weave hypnotic deep vibes into more soaring, melodic climaxes, always maintaining a certain understated coolness. They’re not showmen who hog the mic, they let the music do the talking.
And for fans, that means being taken on a genuine journey every time.
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