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CD
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BB 119CD
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In the summer of 2011, when the Hamburg label Bureau B knocked on Hans Nieswandt's door to propose the production of a complete Hildegard Knef remix album, the Cologne-based DJ and producer didn't need to consider it for long. Almost exactly 10 years before, he had made a remix of a song by this legendary German chanteuse ("Bei dir war es immer so schön") and had since always touted this work as one of the best remix experiences of his entire career. The reason for this was the special quality of the raw material -- complete, digitized orchestral tracks from the early and mid-'70s, played by Germany's finest musicians and recorded with the best microphones in rooms with ideal acoustics. And having Hildegard Knef's voice as a dry a cappella is something so incredibly rare and precious, which most people never get a chance to hear. The idea to again be able to dissect and reassemble 12 of these masterpieces was irresistible to Nieswandt, and technology had developed greatly in the meantime. This served as a reason for Nieswandt to opt for a strict working method: only with a very few exceptions for kick drums and bass lines, he used only this stunning original material, adding no additional plug-in synthesizers, drum machines or other samples for the remixes. Thanks to the latest software and Nieswandt's well-known craftiness, he could transform the swinging rhythms of the drummer into a reggae beat or a house beat according to mood. Just by rethinking the balance of the mixes as well as through reduction, something amazing came to light: the drummer, otherwise hidden deep in the mix, actually has a really rough groove. The bass, which in those days was usually mixed way back, has a rhythmic structure of enormous capacity and punchiness, especially when flexing the beat. Working with this heavy-duty, low-slung foundation, Nieswandt then gradually rebuilt the songs. Like refurbishing an old building, he preserves the character of the old architecture, but brings it up to date with new cables, optical fibers and all kinds of electronics in order to make it available for new residents -- or in this case, new listeners. Retaining the original character was a primary concern in this project. That, in addition to the brilliance of the musicians, Hildegard Knef's captivating vocal performance, her marvelous spirit and the astonishing directness of her lyrics, is what makes it possible to present this music to a new generation through a new medium.
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LP+CD
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BB 119LP
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LP version with CD. In the summer of 2011, when the Hamburg label Bureau B knocked on Hans Nieswandt's door to propose the production of a complete Hildegard Knef remix album, the Cologne-based DJ and producer didn't need to consider it for long. Almost exactly 10 years before, he had made a remix of a song by this legendary German chanteuse ("Bei dir war es immer so schön") and had since always touted this work as one of the best remix experiences of his entire career. The reason for this was the special quality of the raw material -- complete, digitized orchestral tracks from the early and mid-'70s, played by Germany's finest musicians and recorded with the best microphones in rooms with ideal acoustics. And having Hildegard Knef's voice as a dry a cappella is something so incredibly rare and precious, which most people never get a chance to hear. The idea to again be able to dissect and reassemble 12 of these masterpieces was irresistible to Nieswandt, and technology had developed greatly in the meantime. This served as a reason for Nieswandt to opt for a strict working method: only with a very few exceptions for kick drums and bass lines, he used only this stunning original material, adding no additional plug-in synthesizers, drum machines or other samples for the remixes. Thanks to the latest software and Nieswandt's well-known craftiness, he could transform the swinging rhythms of the drummer into a reggae beat or a house beat according to mood. Just by rethinking the balance of the mixes as well as through reduction, something amazing came to light: the drummer, otherwise hidden deep in the mix, actually has a really rough groove. The bass, which in those days was usually mixed way back, has a rhythmic structure of enormous capacity and punchiness, especially when flexing the beat. Working with this heavy-duty, low-slung foundation, Nieswandt then gradually rebuilt the songs. Like refurbishing an old building, he preserves the character of the old architecture, but brings it up to date with new cables, optical fibers and all kinds of electronics in order to make it available for new residents -- or in this case, new listeners. Retaining the original character was a primary concern in this project. That, in addition to the brilliance of the musicians, Hildegard Knef's captivating vocal performance, her marvelous spirit and the astonishing directness of her lyrics, is what makes it possible to present this music to a new generation through a new medium.
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12"
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BB 118EP
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More than 10 years after their last album together, Whirlpool Productions, the trio consisting of Eric D. Clark, Justus Köhncke and Hans Nieswandt has teamed up to take on Hildegard Knef's "Das ist Berlin." This remix is flanked by Eric D. Clark's perspective on "Ich liebe euch," Justus Köhncke's rendition of "Und wenn ich wage dich zu lieben" and Hans Nieswandt's remix of "Ich schreib dir ein Buch." Pressed in a limited vinyl edition.
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