Pole (musician)
Encyclopedia
Pole is the artistic name of Stefan Betke, a German
electronic music
artist commonly associated with the glitch
genre as well as dubtronica
.
filter which he accidentally dropped and broke in 1996. Though the filter was perhaps no longer appropriate for DJ work in its damaged state, Betke found the strange hissing and popping noises the filter now made interesting sounds. He then began using the broken filter to create music, launching his musical career.
Betke's first four albums, titled "1", "2", "3", and "R" (an intentional trilogy of albums, followed by a collection of remixes of Pole's 1998 debut EP Raum
), were all based around this filter, with songs usually taking the form of dub
basslines and rhythms with percussion provided by the eponymous filter. In 2003 Betke departed from this style for the album Pole
(a combination of tracks from two EPs, "45/45" and "90/90"), which utilized more traditionally electronic but still eclectic production.
Pole has been distributed on several different labels, including Matador Records
and Mute Records
, and in 1999 Betke cofounded (with Barbara Preisinger) the label ~scape
, also known for publishing Jan Jelinek
.
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
artist commonly associated with the glitch
Glitch (music)
Glitch is a term used to describe a genre of electronic music that emerged in the mid to late 1990s. The glitch aesthetic is characterized by a deliberate use of glitch based sonic artifacts that would normally be viewed as unwanted disturbances reducing the overall sound quality and are thus...
genre as well as dubtronica
Dubtronica
Dubtronica is a neologism that has been used to describe electronic dance music that evidences the influence of dub. The origin is thought to be either the experimental English dub of On-U Sound Records and Mad Professor in the 1980s, Note that the term is not universally accepted by both artists...
.
History
Pole took his name from a Waldorf 4-PoleWaldorf Music
Waldorf Music AG is a German synthesizer company. It was founded on 1 January 2003 to take over the actual business of the Waldorf Electronics GmbH which had become insolvent. Waldorf is best known for its Microwave wavetable synthesizer and Q virtual analogue synthesizer lines.- History :Waldorf...
filter which he accidentally dropped and broke in 1996. Though the filter was perhaps no longer appropriate for DJ work in its damaged state, Betke found the strange hissing and popping noises the filter now made interesting sounds. He then began using the broken filter to create music, launching his musical career.
Betke's first four albums, titled "1", "2", "3", and "R" (an intentional trilogy of albums, followed by a collection of remixes of Pole's 1998 debut EP Raum
Raum
In demonology, Raum is a Great Earl of Hell, ruling thirty legions of demons. He is depicted as a crow which adopts human form at the request of the conjurer....
), were all based around this filter, with songs usually taking the form of dub
Dub music
Dub is a genre of music which grew out of reggae music in the 1960s, and is commonly considered a subgenre, though it has developed to extend beyond the scope of reggae...
basslines and rhythms with percussion provided by the eponymous filter. In 2003 Betke departed from this style for the album Pole
Pole (album)
Pole is an album by Pole. It was released by Mute in 2003. Four of the album's nine tracks feature vocals from American hip-hop artist Fat Jon.-Track listing:# "Slow Motion " - 4:44# "Bushes " - 5:14...
(a combination of tracks from two EPs, "45/45" and "90/90"), which utilized more traditionally electronic but still eclectic production.
Pole has been distributed on several different labels, including Matador Records
Matador Records
Matador Records is an independent record label, with a roster of indie rock artists and bands.-History:Matador was started by Chris Lombardi in 1989 in his New York City apartment. The following year, Lombardi was joined by former Homestead Records manager Gerard Cosloy, and the two of them have...
and 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:...
, and in 1999 Betke cofounded (with Barbara Preisinger) the label ~scape
~scape
~scape is a Berlin-based record label focusing on various subgenres of electronica and experimental music.Since the label was founded in 1999, label owners Stefan Betke and Barbara Preisinger have signed numerous artists, such as Jan Jelinek, Deadbeat, and John Tejada....
, also known for publishing Jan Jelinek
Jan Jelinek
Jan Jelinek is a German electronic musician who also operates under the names of Farben, Gramm and The Exposures. His music is usually categorized as minimal techno, glitch or microhouse, and is characterized by deep basslines, extensive use of samples from earlier jazz and rock recordings, and...
.
Albums
- 11 (Pole album)1 is the debut album by German electronica artist Pole. It was released by Matador in 1998.-Reception:-Track listing:...
(1998) - 2 (1999)
- 3 (2000)
- R (2001)
- PolePole (album)Pole is an album by Pole. It was released by Mute in 2003. Four of the album's nine tracks feature vocals from American hip-hop artist Fat Jon.-Track listing:# "Slow Motion " - 4:44# "Bushes " - 5:14...
(2003) - SteingartenSteingartenSteingarten is an album by Pole. It was released by his own label, ~scape in 2007. The album cover photograph is of Neuschwanstein Castle-Track listing:# "Warum" - 4:57# "Winkelstreben" - 5:04# "Sylvenstein" - 5:06# "Schöner Land" - 3:35...
(2007)
External links
- Pole website
- MySpace: Pole
- Pole site at Matador Records
- Pole biography at ~scape Records
- [ Pole discography] at All Media Guide
- Pole interview at The Milk Factory
- Real Detroit Weekly Interview
- Pole at CTM-festival Berlin