The Hot Milk Crew on the studio stairway: Rob Sartorius, Leon Schurz and Benedikt Stehle

Service · Session musicians

Session Musicians for Your Production: The Hot Milk Crew

The Hot Milk Crew is the rhythm section of Hot Milk Studio in Berlin: Benedikt Stehle on drums, Leon Schurz on bass and Rob Sartorius on guitar – and when keys are needed, Fred Sauer often joins in. Individually and together they have played with Peter Fox, Nina Hagen, Tricky, Die Fantastischen Vier and Fanfare Ciocarlia, among others. Book single musicians or the whole crew, live in the studio or remote. Recording is by studio owner Robert Cummings.

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The crew

A Rhythm Section that Has Played Together for Years

The crew are musicians, producers and songwriters with decades of experience. They have played together at Hot Milk Studio for years, and you can hear it: the tight, organic feel that only a rhythm section with that history has.

Their mission: to record outstanding musical performances efficiently – with immediacy, spirit and feel.

The Hot Milk Crew — Rob Sartorius, Leon Schurz, Benedikt Stehle and Robert Cummings — The Hot Milk Crew — Photo: Sebel

The Hot Milk Crew — Benedikt Stehle, Leon Schurz and Rob Sartorius (left to right) — Benedikt, Leon and Rob — Photo: Sebel

Approach

Live in the Room, Not Track by Track

The crew prefers to record "live off the floor": drums, bass and guitar play together in the same room, whole takes at a time. That creates a huge amount of energy between the players, and small decisions about arrangement and details get made on the spot.

Immediacy: the performances happen together and in the moment, and musical decisions are made right then and there. It's energetic, it's fun – and above all it's efficient. Why spend eight weeks overdubbing and programming parts in your bedroom when you can do it in eight hours?
Spirit: when musicians play together, the excitement is palpable – and that's exactly what you hear on the record. Good musicians inspire each other. Listeners sense that spirit and the humanity of a record. Unless they're robots.
Feel: many of the most treasured records are like an acoustic Polaroid – a snapshot of the moment the music was made, feelings included. And just as seasoned actors transform for different roles, the crew adapts its feel to the production at hand.

At the end of the day, we all want to feel something in the music we make. Trust your ears and your heart – and book the crew for your next session.

The musicians

Who Plays in the Crew

Benedikt Stehle – drums and percussion: one of Berlin's most in-demand session drummers, click-tight and still alive. At Hot Milk Studio he has played for Nino de Angelo, Yull-Win Mak, Sandhy Sondoro and Fanfare Ciocarlia, among others. More: Session Drums · benediktstehle.com
Leon Schurz – bass: Berlin bassist and guitarist, in the studio and on stage, with Cassandra Steen, Marteria, Tricky and Fetsum, among others – he has also written songs for Fetsum. Videos: YouTube
Rob Sartorius – guitar: has played for Mousse T, Til Brönner and 2raumwohnung, among others, works as a musical director and songwriter, and is currently the guitarist on "The Voice of Germany/Kids". More: robinsonsartorius.com
Fred Sauer – keys (regular guest): there whenever keyboards are needed. He has performed and recorded with Nina Hagen, Peter Fox, Dendemann, Barbara Tucker, Katharina Frank and on "The Voice of Germany", among others, and has worked with Elen since the beginning of her career.

Rob Sartorius with his guitar and pedalboard at Hot Milk Studio — Rob Sartorius — guitar

Leon Schurz playing bass during a live tracking session at Hot Milk Studio — Leon Schurz — bass

Benedikt Stehle playing drums during a live tracking session at Hot Milk Studio — Benedikt Stehle — drums

Fred Sauer at the keyboards at Hot Milk Studio — Fred Sauer — keys

In the studio

Recorded Together at Hot Milk Studio

Sandhy Sondoro – Beautiful Soul: the crew – minus Leon – recorded the album together at Hot Milk Studio, with Steve Lillywhite (U2, Rolling Stones) as executive producer.
Mezz (Jeff Mezzrow): Benedikt Stehle and Leon Schurz recorded a full album at Hot Milk Studio with the US guitarist and singer.

Album cover: Sandhy Sondoro — Beautiful Soul, recorded at Hot Milk Studio — Sandhy Sondoro — Beautiful Soul

Album cover: The Jeff Mezzrow Band — Pawning the Planet, recorded at Hot Milk Studio — The Jeff Mezzrow Band — Pawning the Planet

Credits

Played With …

Individually and together, the musicians of the Hot Milk Crew have worked with these artists, producers and shows, among others:

Fetsum · Dendemann · Tricky · Peter Fox · Nina Hagen · 2raumwohnung · Gogol Bordello · Die Fantastischen Vier · Fanfare Ciocarlia · Beth Hart · Pigeon John · Steve Lillywhite · The Voice of Germany · Barbara Tucker · Samy Deluxe · Neo Magazin Royale · Mousse T. – and many more.

Listening room

Hear the Crew in Action

Three tracks recorded live at Hot Milk Studio — the Hot Milk Crew with three different featured vocalists.

Hot Milk Crew

Live at Hot Milk Studio

Hot Milk Crew

Booking

How to Book the Crew

Single musicians in the studio: for example bass or guitar for your session
Remote: send your song and get finished tracks back – for drums, bass, guitar and keys
Rhythm section: drums and bass, with guitar on request
The whole crew: including Fred Sauer on keys
Arrangement and pre-production: the crew helps you get songs into shape before recording

Process

From Enquiry to Finished Recording

Enquiry: tell us about your songs and send demos and references.
Pre-session call: line-up, feel, sound and schedule – with arrangement ideas from the crew if you want them.
Recording: live at Hot Milk Studio, with you in the room, on a video call or fully remote.
Editing and rough mix: Robert Cummings picks the best takes, edits and sets up a rough mix.
Delivery: multitracks as WAV to download – or continue straight into mixing at the studio.

Pricing

What the Crew Costs

Prices on request – depending on line-up and scope. Tell us about your project and we'll come back with a quote. For drums only, you'll find fixed prices on the Session Drums page.

I'd like to recommend Rob and all the staff at Hot Milk Studio — because they make great records. Use them, they're great.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I book individual musicians from the Hot Milk Crew?

Yes. You can book Benedikt Stehle (drums), Leon Schurz (bass), Rob Sartorius (guitar) or Fred Sauer (keys) on their own – or as a rhythm section, up to the whole crew.

Does it work remotely?

Yes. Send your song with tempo and references, the crew records at Hot Milk Studio, and you download the tracks as WAV. You can join live on a video call.

What does a session with the crew cost?

Prices depend on line-up and scope, so we put together an individual quote. For drums only, there are fixed prices on the Session Drums page.

Does the crew help with arrangements?

Yes. The musicians are also producers and songwriters and can contribute ideas for arrangement and pre-production.

Why live rather than track by track?

Because takes played together have an energy, spirit and feel that overdubs rarely reach – and because it's faster: what otherwise takes weeks is often finished in a single studio day.

Who records the sessions?

Studio owner and engineer Robert Cummings. He has worked with the crew for years and knows their sound.

Let's plan a session together.

Tell us about the music, the players and the sound you'd like to hear back. We'll come back with a plan.

Book a Session

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