Holger Hiller
Encyclopedia
Holger Hiller is a German musician.
Holger Hiller studied art at the art school in Hamburg, where he met Walter Thielsch and Thomas Fehlmann
and recorded first works with them. With Fehlmann he later founded the band Palais Schaumburg
in 1980, of which he was the singer. At the same time his solo career began. Hiller was one of the first musicians in Europe to use the sampler
as his main or sole instrument.
From 1984 on he lived in London, eventually working as producer for Mute Records
. In 1988 he records "Ohi Ho Bang Bang" with video artist Akiko Hada. The video shows Hiller and Karl Bonnie creating different sounds from every item in a room, from those sounds the song is made by means of cutting, whereas every sound is still in sync with the video footage of its creation. This transfer of sampling techniques from music to video might have been pioneering, only 10 years later it got popular with "Timber" by Coldcut
who used custom-made software to create it.
Since 2003 Holger Hiller has worked as a language teacher in Berlin.
Holger Hiller studied art at the art school in Hamburg, where he met Walter Thielsch and Thomas Fehlmann
Thomas Fehlmann
Thomas Fehlmann , is a Swiss-born composer/producer who currently lives in Berlin, and has been active in electronic music as far back as the 1980s. He is currently active on the Kompakt record label based in Germany...
and recorded first works with them. With Fehlmann he later founded the band Palais Schaumburg
Palais Schaumburg (band)
Palais Schaumburg was a new wave band from Hamburg, Germany. The style was classified as Neue Deutsche Welle, and strongly characterized by their avant garde music and dadaistic attitude....
in 1980, of which he was the singer. At the same time his solo career began. Hiller was one of the first musicians in Europe to use the sampler
Sampler (musical instrument)
A sampler is an electronic musical instrument similar in some respects to a synthesizer but, instead of generating sounds, it uses recordings of sounds that are loaded or recorded into it by the user and then played back by means of a keyboard, sequencer or other triggering device to perform or...
as his main or sole instrument.
From 1984 on he lived in London, eventually working as producer for Mute Records
Mute Records
Mute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
. In 1988 he records "Ohi Ho Bang Bang" with video artist Akiko Hada. The video shows Hiller and Karl Bonnie creating different sounds from every item in a room, from those sounds the song is made by means of cutting, whereas every sound is still in sync with the video footage of its creation. This transfer of sampling techniques from music to video might have been pioneering, only 10 years later it got popular with "Timber" by Coldcut
Coldcut
Coldcut are an English dance music duo, comprising Matt Black and Jonathan More. Their signature style is electronic dance music, featuring cut up samples of hip hop, breaks, jazz, spoken word and various other types of music, as well as video and multimedia.-1980s:In 1986, computer programmer Matt...
who used custom-made software to create it.
Since 2003 Holger Hiller has worked as a language teacher in Berlin.
Discography
- Konzentration der Kräfte (Duo-EP, Holger Hiller/ Walter Thielsch)
- Das ist Schönheit (compilation, double-LP, 1980, recorded at Kunsthochschule Hamburg, songs by Holger Hiller and Thomas Fehlmann)
with Palais Schaumburg
- Träneninvasion, Single (ZickZack Records, 1979)
- Macht mich glücklich wie nie, Single (ZickZack Records, 1980)
- Telefon/Kinder der Tod, Single (ZickZack Records, 1981)
- Palais Schaumburg, LP (Phonogram RecordsPhonogram RecordsPhonogram Records was started in 1962 as a joint venture between Philips Records and Deutsche Grammophon. In 1972, Phonogram was merged with Polydor Records into PolyGram....
, 1981)
Solo works and other projects
- Holger Hiller, Solo EP (AtaTak, 1980)
- Ein Bündel Fäulnis in der Grube, LP (AtaTak, 1983)
- Guten Morgen Hose (short opera), EP with Andreas Dorau (Atatak, 1985)
- Oben Im Eck, LP (Mute RecordsMute RecordsMute is an independent record label based in the UK. It was founded in 1978 by Daniel Miller and featured several prominent musical acts on its roster such as Goldfrapp, Depeche Mode, Yazoo, Erasure and Fad Gadget.-Beginnings:...
, London, 1986) - Ohi Ho Bang Bang (mit Karl Bonnie), 12" (Mute Records) and Video (camera Akiko Hada), London, 1988
- As Is, LP (Mute Records, London, 1992)
- Demixed, LP (Mute Records, London, 1993)
- The Fall of a Queen or The Taste of the Fruit to come, Video, London (Music Holger Hiller, directing and text Wolfgang Müller, camera Akiko Hada, TV Prod. Channel 4Channel 4Channel 4 is a British public-service television broadcaster which began working on 2 November 1982. Although largely commercially self-funded, it is ultimately publicly owned; originally a subsidiary of the Independent Broadcasting Authority , the station is now owned and operated by the Channel...
, 1994 - Unerhört, concept: Wolfgang Müller, radio play, Bayerischer Rundfunk (with the voices of deaf people), 1995
- Little Present, CD (Mute Records, London, 1995)
- holger hiller, LP (Mute Records, London, 2000)
External links
- holgerhiller.com
- Interview 1996
- http://imomus.livejournal.com/2007/08/18/article by MomusMomus (artist)Nick Currie , more popularly known under the artist name Momus , is a songwriter, blogger and former journalist for Wired...
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