Photo credit: AK Berlin Photo
As one of Europe’s most in-demand mixing engineers, Hannes Bieger has built an untouchable reputation, with an exhaustive client list that includes some of the biggest names in contemporary house and techno. Buoyed by years of experience, a renewed zest for production and a lifelong romance with electronic music he has been touring the world with his ambitious live show, producing a series of acclaimed releases and a stunning album. Determined, driven and downright talented Hannes Bieger is a mixing and production powerhouse with a live show that will blow your socks off…
For 11 years Hannes occupied a lofty position in the world of mixing and mastering, his magic touch making him a popular choice for a variety of respected producers. Parallel to his production exploits, he has been investing his time and energy into creating his own live show. Proof that dedication to one’s craft and an uncompromising focus on quality over quantity can provide the perfect foundation to a lifetime of success. Hannes Bieger is an artist who is reaping the rewards from a lifelong commitment to music, sharing his gift with the world every step of the way.
Hannes Bieger is preparing his forthcoming LP entitled ‘Pele’ via Awesome Soundwave; ahead of this special release, we caught up with him to chat about his current projects and musical ideas.
Electronic Groove: Hello Hannes, we hope you are well and safe. You’re a person recognized for your music productions and mastering work, but when it’s time to work in the studio by yourself…what is the starting point for your tracks? Do you always start with a particular element, or does inspiration take you through different stages?
Hannes Bieger: Hey, glad to have a chat with you! I’m fine, although the past few weeks have been a rollercoaster indeed. I went on a United States tour before everything was shut down, but in the end, everything got canceled while I was already traveling. I went to the Bahamas and got stuck there because of the travel ban, and after I was allowed to travel again all commercial air and sea traffic between the islands was already shut down. It took a while to figure out what to do, and in the end, I “escaped” in the copilot seat of a charter plane back to Florida, which was an amazing experience. The rest of the return trip was much less fun, and now I’m got back to Berlin two days ago, and I’m trying to acquaint myself with the situation – just like everybody!
About your question: Typically there are three ways how I would start with a new track, two of which are initially based in the studio. In most situations, I would just play around with a synth, and at some point, I would find something that inspires me to go deeper, record it, and start building the rest around it. This could be a sequence on the modular, but it could also be me noodling around on the Minimoog, or the Memorymoog, which I acquired just before Christmas. Sometimes I also start with the drums. I tried to do this more often lately because so many of my tracks are melody-driven, and I wanted to put more emphasis on the drums by putting them front center first. Sometimes I even created a full drum arrangement over 7 minutes, with the full build of tension, breakdowns, and drops, before I started adding the first synths. It’s an interesting challenge! The third way would be the one outside the studio. ‘A Million Souls’, our huge track from last year, I wrote literally in a dream! Luckily I was able to recover it after I woke up. It was an amazing experience, a gift from the universe at a time when I needed it the most! Sometimes I also come up with grooves, melodies, and/or textures in my mind, when I am doing some other stuff, like walking on the beach, driving around, taking a shower. The bottom line is: It really helps to understand when you get inspired, and it’s important to memorize the good ideas for when you have time to put them down properly at the studio. But I almost never have a complete picture in mind before I start working on a track. It’s important to surrender to the flow, the working process. I always let the music be my guide and go to the places where it leads me!
Electronic Groove: As we’ve seen, your studio is mainly inhabited by keyboards and synthesizers, and surely you have more than one favorite. But if you had to choose just 3 from all of them to take with you to a deserted island…which ones would be and why?
Hannes Bieger: The infamous deserted island question…! But 3 synths is the easy version, if it was only one, then I a real problem… Number one, in this case, would be the Minimoog for sure. It’s my most favorite synth of them all – it sounds magnificent and it has just the right amount of controls. It’s always incredible to see how the recording history “firsts” really nailed the thing and set the benchmark for everything else to come. Unbelievable that the first portable synth ever made to date remains the best. But it’s a great testament to the genius of Bob Moog, and it’s also proof of what happens when somebody really “thinks” when developing an instrument. It’s not the gazillionth version of something else, manufactured as cheap as possible, and crammed with unnecessary options, only because the marketing department said so. It’s an instrument, developed by visionaries, for visionaries, and that still shines, almost half a century later. The second synth would be my Moog Modular, no question – for its wonderful sound, for its versatility and for the infinite inspiration it provides. For the third synth, it gets difficult. Contenders would be the Roland TB-303, the Arp 2600 and the Memorymoog. I really don’t know which one to choose right now, I’d probably have to make a spontaneous decision and hope that I won’t regret it…
Electronic Groove: You usually upload photos to your social media accounts from exotic locations and different landscapes, such as paradisiacal beaches, on the side of a lake or sitting near the fumarole of a volcano, producing with just your computer and headphones. Obviously you must be inspired by these places, but what are you looking for in particular? Any sounds that trigger percussion ideas or sound atmospheres?
Hannes Bieger: I just love to get inspired by nature! Today electronic music is often very self-referential. One track breaks through, and then so many other, similar tracks are being made in response to that, aiming to ride that very same wave. I can’t say that I’ll isolate myself completely from that, as I enjoy checking out new music, and I am working on so many of my client’s projects all the time. But I honestly can say that I never put the “hottest track du jour” in my arrangement, trying to recreate it. Not even when I started out. I admit it might be a good learning practice in the early days of one’s career, but it’s also a slippery slope once you started with that habit. I aim to be as original as possible. For example, some DJs have told me that they love to play ‘A Million Souls’, but that it’s always difficult for them to bring it in in their set because there’s not much similar stuff to play before and after it. Hearing this has made me happy, as it sounded like I achieved one of my most important goals.
“I think the one formula doesn’t exist. And if it did, the one who found or invented it would be the king of the world”
Electronic Groove: You can always be seen working hard, in your studios or big events. Do you think that apart from having talent and working hard, to make it in this industry an artist needs some sheer luck?
Hannes Bieger: I think the one formula doesn’t exist. And if it did, the one who found or invented it would be the king of the world. Pablo Picasso is famously quoted with the adage “inspiration exists, but it has to find you working!”. I think there is so much truth to that. It’s probably also a question of what one is looking for. I’m definitely in it for the long run, and that means that it’s not so much about instant gratification, but about constant development, and hopefully also growth. My friend Ernesto Romeo, from Buenos Aires, owner of La Siesta de Fauno studio, is probably one of the definitive synth professors in the world – but he sees himself more like a student than the wise guy I know he is. I admire this attitude and try to live it myself as much as I can. And at the same time, I believe that stamina, the constant willingness to learn, will pay off at some point. Of course, sometimes a bit of luck can help too. Being at the right place at the right time can open up another door in an instant – but only if you’re able to see the opportunity for what it is. I also have to add that I am a musician first and foremost, I always have been in it for the music, and for myself enjoying the music. That’s the driving force behind everything. In that sense, I make my music for myself in the first place, for the joy I am experiencing in the process. Everything that comes after that is a bonus. It is an incredible feeling to get all this amazing feedback now, to see how people share my feelings and get lost in the musical emotions just like I did at the studio. It’s the ultimate encore, something I still don’t take for granted at all!
Electronic Groove: You’ve burst into the electronic music scene with your comeback, with loads of new, futuristic music and collabs with great vocalists like Francesca Lombardo and Juan Hansen. Did you imagine that your return to the “big leagues” would be so fast?
Hannes Bieger: I think I can say that I really didn’t have specific expectations at first – I deliberately tried not to have them, as I know that this is a difficult industry, and there are frustrating experiences to be had behind every corner. There have been plenty of ups and downs in the different fields of my career. What I knew was that I was going to go out on a limb a bit, and I really did not want to squander the reputation I had earned as an engineer with a string of mediocre self-produced tracks. If I commit to something, I’m all in, and I had the feeling that there was one chance for me to make a positive impression. There is a Latin proverb: “si tacuisses philosophus mansisses” – if you had kept your silence, you would have stayed a philosopher… So I gave everything I had, and now it seems I am beginning to arrive at a very good place. Not even three years into my revived artist career, and I’ve had a couple #1 releases on Beatport, I played some big festivals including Awakenings, I am on Analog’s illustrious roster for worldwide representation, and now I’m releasing an album on Carl Cox’s label. I’d like to think that my hard work, over a decade exclusively behind the scenes, pays off; that all the countless hours at the studio, which not always were fun, but sometimes also hard work, are showing an effect somehow. But like I said, I don’t take this for granted at all, and I’m certainly not one to rest on my laurels, there is a lot more to come.
Electronic Groove: Recently you were stranded in the Bahamas because of the situation the world is going through due to the ‘Coronavirus’. You’ve made the most of this situation by starting production masterclasses that inspire artists with ideas and tasks to do from their home studios. Are you aware of the impact this is having on your followers? Do you expect any particular results or do you do it just for entertainment?
Hannes Bieger: Well, being stranded in the Bahamas is not the worst thing to happen per se. It’s my absolute happy place, and it’s just so healthy to stay there for mind and body alike. But at the same time, all the bad news were coming in, all my shows and most of my studio work for the next weeks got canceled, and for a while, it was not possible for me to leave at all because of the travel restrictions imposed everywhere. It was a really strange situation. My 11-year old son can’t attend school at the moment, like anyone, and one part of his homework is to write a “corona diary”. Turns out he has a real talent for writing, very witty and on the point. He sent me his diary updates almost every day, and at some point, he wrote, the situation was like “holidays without holidays”. That perfectly sums up my Bahamas experience, too…! It was clear to me early on that we are all in this together. I have always been sharing my knowledge. Doing masterclasses has been an important part of my touring so far, too. I just started this to help people who are being stuck in their home studios now, with much more time at hand than they expected or even wanted to have in the first place. We have to make the most of this situation, and I am happy to contribute to that as much as I can. When I posed the question, whether this was something of interest, I was overwhelmed with the immediate positive response, so I’m definitely aware of the impact this has had so far. I have received countless messages, and I have already picked up some requests for certain topics, too, so there definitely is a dialogue. I think, despite the more than unpleasant reason why we are in this to begin with, it’s a very beautiful situation to be in a place where people are actually inspired by what you do and say, and it almost feels like a mission, a duty to do this. I just hope we get out of this situation as soon and with as few casualties as possible, and if it allows us to stop and think and make something out of it, for the benefit of ourselves and the planet, there might even be a bit of a silver lining in this situation – although I wish it wasn’t happening at all.
Electronic Groove: We understand that your work can be very absorbing as far as the music goes, but do you have any artist that you are always looking out for? Any record label that catches your attention every time?
Hannes Bieger: Don’t get me wrong, I love and I enjoy DJs and DJing, but production-wise most music that really grips me seems to be made by live acts. Woo York, Gui Boratto, Rodriguez Jr., Frank Wiedemann, and last but certainly not least, Stephan Bodzin – these are some of the names who constantly seem to amaze me. I can count myself extremely lucky that I have collaborated one way or another with all of them. By now I’m mostly associated with Poker Flat and Bedrock for my releases with them, and both Steve Bug and John Digweed are incredible selectors and DJs, who have built impeccable catalogs over the past two decades. I’m proud and happy to have become a part of that legacy, too. I think Tube & Berger are really on to something with their new label ZEHN Records, I’m happy to have contributed lately with my ‘Into The Dark’ remix, which has become my second best selling track on Beatport. My Awesome Soundwave tribe is wonderful for its quality and diversity, and I really enjoyed D-Formation’s set during ADE. Last time I heard Monika Kruse play at Watergate was very inspiring, too. When I was in the Bahamas, I read this long interview again that Jeff Mills gave to Resident Advisor a year ago. I’m still in awe by what he said, he’s such an incredibly dedicated mind. If there was a universal DJ school, this interview should be taught there as some sort of bible! If I was a DJ, I would probably strive (and ultimately fail…) to have the same work ethics as Jeff Mills. There are many more inspirations, but these are the first ones coming to my mind.
“I am a musician first and foremost, I always have been in it for the music, and for myself enjoying the music. That’s the driving force behind everything”
EG: Electronic music aside… What are your biggest references? What did you grow up listening to at home?
Hannes Bieger: The list is long… I recently did a mix for Marc DePulse’s beautiful project ‘How I Met the Bass’. It’s on SoundCloud, and it’s the long, comprehensive answer to this question. May I suggest you look it up and let the music do the talking?
EG: Many thanks and we wish you nothing but the best!
Hannes Bieger: Many thanks to you, and likewise! I hope you stay healthy in these crazy times.
Hannes Bieger’s first single of his upcoming album ‘Pele’ is out now. Listen to ‘Poem for the Planet (feat Ursula Rucker)’ here.
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