There are DJs, and then there are “DJ’s DJs”—the influential jocks who break tunes, unearth obscure must-haves, spark off new trends, and breathe new life into the artform at every opportunity. Marc Schneider has been the embodiment of the latter for over two decades. The Hamburg native began amassing his personal collection of DJ weapons amid the heyday of ‘90s German raves, with his early appearances feeding the folklore of legendary parties such as Love Parade and the original Tresor club. As the longtime gatekeeper for music distributor Word and Sound, he has overseen virtually every worthwhile piece of vinyl to enter the country. He continues to apply his tastemaker status and veteran knowledge in the DJ booth through regular invitations to Panorama Bar (Berlin), Fabric (London), Eleven (Tokyo), Rex Club (Paris), The Bunker (NYC), Bassani (Tbisili), Smart Bar (Chicago), Culture Box (Copenhagen), Watergate (Berlin), Electric Pickle (Miami). That’s not to mention his long-running affiliation with Hamburg’s PAL and the Golden Pudel Club, as well as the infamous annual event Fusion Festival. With his sporadic yet highly-valued releases and remixes for labels like Circus Company, Silver Network, New Kanada and Word and Sound’s inhouse imprint Was Not Was, Marc has endeared himself to record-buying heads over a number of years. Similarly, it was little surprise for those in the know to learn that Marc had been secretly at the helm of the formerly anonymous cult label Story, the unassuming vinyl-only imprint of quality deep cuts that has boasted the likes of Anton Zap, Cottam and XDB on its roster since 2008. Technique can be refined, and skill can be learned, but impeccable taste is rare and elusive. That’s why Marc Schneider is your favouíte DJ’s favourite DJ.