Alexander Hacke
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Alexander Hacke (also known as Alexander von Borsig, Alex Hacke, Hacke, born October 11, 1965 in Berlin/Neukölln) is a guitarist, bass-guitar player, singer, experimental / industrial / electronic musician from Germany.
Hacke produced numerous artists, contributed to their records, was present on all albums and tours of Einstürzende Neubauten, and released two full-length solo albums.
While primarily known for his work with the influential industrial group Einstürzende Neubauten, he has also collaborated with many other artists, such as The Tiger Lillies, Crime and the City Solution, Gianna Nannini, Gry, Miranda Sex Garden, Terranova, Sprung Aus Den Wolken, Mona Mur, Die Ichs, Schlaflose Naechte, Fred Alpi, Danielle de Picciotto and others.
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[edit] Biography
[edit] Early years
In the early 1980-es he released few solo tapes and mini-albums, such as Hiroschima. He became a long-time member of Einstürzende Neubauten and also was a member of several other bands, such as Sentimentale Jugend, Sprung Aus Den Wolken and Mona Mur.
[edit] Einstürzende Neubauten
In 1980, fifteen years old at that time, he joined Einstürzende Neubauten, which was formed earlier the same year. Hacke played guitar and worked with the band's sound until the middle 1990-es. Then he changed from guitar to bass, and is until nowadays a bass player, and, according to the band leader Blixa Bargeld, a musical director of the band.
[edit] Solo activities
Hacke's first full-length solo album was Filmarbeiten (1992).
In the 1990-es he was a front man of a band Jever Mountain Boys, who play their favorite songs, particularly country music cover-versions.
In the 2000-es he created an album Sanctuary (released in 2005) travelling with a mobile recorder in Europe and North America, and collaborating with numerous artists, such as: J.G.Thirlwell (Foetus), Caspar Brötzmann, Larry Mullins (Toby Dammit), Vinnie Signorelli (Unsane), Michael Evans (KBZ 200), Sugarpie Jones (Celebrity Skin), Bob Rutman (Steel Cello Ensemble), Nils Wohlrabe (The Leather Nun), Gianna Nannini, Andrew Chudy (alias N.U. Unruh, Einstürzende Neubauten), Lary 7 (The Analog Society), David Yow (The Jesus Lizard). In the reviews on this album Hacke was compared with Frank Zappa and Captain Beefheart.The "Road Record" was documented by the artist Danielle de Picciotto of which an excerpt can be seen on Sanctuary, describing the revolutionary style of recording Alexander Hacke used to produce the record with.
He uses, in particular, music software by Native Instruments on his solo activities.
Hacke also contributed to several soundtracks, to such films as "Sonnenallee", "Das Wilde Leben" (biography of Uschi Obermaier, 2006/07). Hacke produced music for Fatih Akın's film Head-On (2004) and is a main character in Akın's documentary of the Istanbul music Crossing the Bridge: The Sound of Istanbul (2005).
[edit] Private life
Alexander Hackes first big love was Christiane F. who became famous with the internationally acclaimed movie and book "Wir Kinder am Bahnhof Zoo" which is a biography of her heroin addiction.Together they performed in Europe and the US with their band Sentimentale Jugend and had an appearance in the movie Decoder in 1983. On the 3rd of October 1989 his son Joschua is born in Berlin. His mother is Angela Mettbach, a Berlin Nightlife figure who has a short-lived musical career with her band Octopussy. Hacke was also shortly married to a German actress and singer Meret Becker and was involved into her music activities. Meret Becker was a guest musician on Einstürzende Neubauten's album Ende Neu. 2006 Alexander Hacke marries his longtime partner Danielle de Picciotto, an American, Berlin based, multimedia artist, known for having founded the Berlin Love Parade together with Dr Motte and singing in the Band "Space Cowboys". In 2003 Alexander and Danielle organized the monthly event "BadaBing" in the known Berlin 70ies Club "Big Eden" presenting new and unusual bands and in this way initiating a new wave of Berlin oriented "Futur-electroclash" music all over Europe. They travel extensively performing multimedia shows together and presenting workshops on Berlin Underground Culture. 2004 Danielle de Picciotto produces a Filmdocumentary on Einstürzende Neubauten for which Alexander Hacke did the Sounddesign. In 2005 they conceive and direct "The Mountains of Madness" an audio/visual liveshow based on stories by H.P. Lovecraft, inviting the english Trio The Tiger Lillies to participate and perform the successful production throughout Europe.
[edit] Solo discography
- 1982 Hiroshima (12 Inch EP)
- 1992 Filmarbeiten
- 2005 Sanctuary
For discography of Alexander Hacke with Einstürzende Neubauten, see: Einstürzende Neubauten's discography (all releases).
[edit] DVD
- 2006 Mountains Of Madness (with The Tiger Lillies)
