Stefan Sommerhalder, better known by his stage name Erhalder, is an electronic music composer and label owner from Basel, Switzerland. Erhalders interest in electronic music was sparked in the early 90s with a copy of The White Room by The KLF.. During the school years, he played the drums, listening and replaying music by James Brown. A few years later, Stefan was making tunes with free software known as trackers, which is one of the oldest tools available to make computer music without any external gear, MIDI, or money. In 2004, he started playing live performances under the name Erhalder, which is just a shortened form of his real Surname, with a new minimalistic techno-oriented sound that showcased his evolution as a musician. Erhalder's live music is heavily influenced by early Chicago techno, acid house and UK hardcore. He was also inspired by the minimalistic sound of Wolfgang Voigt's Studio 1 series, which became a significant influence on his work during the mid-2010s. Although the classic 303 acid sound was always an integral part of his live shows, he released his first two pure acid EPs in 2017/2018 on AcidWorx. In 2018, he formed the techno duo Aux Couture together with Nenad J. - focusing on functional techno to make you sweat. With their debut «M.F. Dance» they scored some nice feedback from the crowds as well as some veteran djs. In 2020, he started his own label Chip Stress, where he releases his classic electro tracks.