Jonas Saalbach Begins a New Chapter on Purified Records With 'Data Romance'

Jonas Saalbach has built a reputation for crafting uplifting, emotionally rich electronic music, performing at iconic gatherings such as Burning Man and Fusion Festival while steadily shaping the melodic house and techno landscape through his Radikon imprint. With Data Romance, his debut on Purified Records, the German artist enters what he describes as a deeply transformative new phase, one defined by personal change, renewed clarity and a return to the emotional core of his sound.

“The last two years have been a very transformative time for me,” Saalbach reflects. “I became a father and moved from Berlin to a calm place in Portugal. That shift naturally made me reconnect with my music. I felt drawn back to melody and emotional depth.”

This renewed perspective made Purified Records feel like a natural home for the EP. “Purified stands exactly for that kind of direction,” he says. “The label’s focus on melodic storytelling and atmosphere felt very aligned with where I am creatively right now. Data Romance felt like the right introduction because it represents this renewed clarity in my sound.”

The title itself captures the conceptual foundation of the release. For Saalbach, creating music remains a deeply personal process. “Through everything I’ve experienced recently and with all the noise around us in general, I realized again how much producing and creating means to me. It gives me emotional energy. It’s not just technical work, it’s something very personal.”

That emotional drive sits at the heart of the EP’s theme. “Data Romance reflects the contrast between the digital world we live in and the emotional connection we still search for within it,” he explains. “It’s about finding something emotional inside a world that often feels structured and digital.”

Sonically, the project marks a subtle but meaningful shift. Rather than focusing on functionality or peak-time impact, Saalbach returned to earlier creative instincts. “In a way, I actually went back to how I used to make music years ago. I started with melodies and chords first,” he says. “Naturally, the result is much more melody-driven than some of my recent releases. Instead of focusing on high energy or functionality, I let the harmonic ideas lead the process.”

Although he began his career as a live-only performer, Saalbach sees his current approach to arrangement as the product of long-term experience rather than a specific background. “I think the fact that I’ve been producing for a long time and playing Live and DJ sets automatically influences my arrangements,” he notes. “They tend to be club-compatible without me overthinking it. But I wouldn’t say it’s specifically because I started as a live performer. It’s more about experience. After many years, you develop a natural feeling for energy flow and structure.”

The EP’s title track arrives with a remix from long-time collaborator Lexer, an artist Saalbach has worked with across multiple projects, including releases on Radikon. “I’ve worked with Lexer several times before,” he says. “His releases are very organic and melodic and I was hoping for a reinterpretation that would move in that direction, maybe even slightly towards Afro House and clearly differentiate itself from the original.” The result met those expectations. “He did that very well. His remix brings a warmer, more organic energy while keeping the emotional core intact.”

Throughout his career, Saalbach has released on respected labels including Bedrock and Einmusika while also building Radikon into a key platform within the melodic house and techno scene since co-founding it in 2018. His approach to labels remains straightforward: create first, decide later. “When I want maximum creative freedom, I self-release,” he explains. “What makes releasing on other labels exciting is that they bring a different audience and a different community. You reach people who might not know your music yet. I don’t produce specifically for a label. I create music first and afterwards I decide whether to send demos out or release it myself. With Data Romance, Purified simply felt like the right home.”

Despite running his own label, he keeps his artistic decisions flexible. “I separate that,” he says of balancing Radikon with external releases. “As a DJ, I play both Purified sound and Radikon sound. For example, I feel that Data Romance is better placed on Purified than it would be on Radikon. For me, it’s about finding the right home for each release rather than trying to make everything fit into one universe.”

Saalbach’s journey, from a small southern German town to Berlin and now Portugal, continues to shape his creative outlook. “I live in Portugal now, not in a big city anymore,” he says. “Berlin shaped me a lot and gave me so much. I grew up there, artistically and personally. In Berlin, I learned to let go, it’s a city of free spirits. But I also learned that a music career is hard work and that you constantly need to develop yourself. That mindset still shapes my creative output today.”

In DJ sets, the Data Romance tracks are designed less as peak-time tools and more as narrative elements. “Both tracks are not extreme peak-time tracks,” he explains. “They’re not typical opening tracks and not closing tracks either, but I can integrate them very well into my sets. As a DJ, storytelling is extremely important to me. I don’t just want to play functional club tracks. I always work with the energy flow. Sometimes I even lower the energy intentionally, even if the crowd becomes a bit more introverted for a moment. That dynamic is what makes a set meaningful and interesting to me.”

Looking ahead, Saalbach is entering a particularly prolific period. “In 2026, I plan to release an EP every month, on Radikon but also on other labels,” he reveals. “The sound will feel like a continuation of the Data Romance EP. On Radikon we release once a month as well, only with artists from our core crew. Working with friends is just so much fun.”

More than anything, he feels a renewed sense of confidence in his artistic direction. “I have a very clear vision of my music right now and I’m very excited about the releases,” he says. “I feel more comfortable with my music than I have in a long time. Everything coming out feels authentic and carries my signature.”

Read the full interview with Jonas Saalbach on The Night Bazaar HERE.

Jonas Saalbach's Data Romance is out via Purified Records on February 20. Get it on Beatport.