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ELLEN ALLIEN'S BIOGRAPHYstyle:
hypnotic sequencies/ elechtech/ abstrakt
www.fashion.ellenallien.de
clubs:
melt (de),sonne mond sterne festival (de).time warp(de),benicassim(es),sonar(es) i love techno (be), dour(be),dissonanze festival(it),nuits sonores festival (fr),10 days (be), radar (tr),reworks(gr)fabric (uk), industrial copera(es),rex(fr)flex (austrian),watergate (de), weekend (de), tenex (it), nitsa (es), brancaleone (it), villa rouge (fr)),robert johnson(de),
, distillery (de),amesia(es), il muretto (it),goa(it), fuse(nl), link(it),petrol,(be)cassero(it),berghain(de), levontin(isreal),11 club(ne),barraca(es)
brasil tours,japan tours,usa tours------thanks to all clubs and promoters...the list could be longer..thanks to all of you who let us dance:-)
1988
one year stay in london;
first encounters with acid house in the wag club
1989
contact to music of the future in berlin: u.f.o. - the first
house club in berlin
1990
the real techno-kick in berlin's tresor
1991
first dj-job in berlin's fischlabor – the most important
techno spot in berlin at the time where all well
known berlin dj’s got their start
1992
dj in the bunker, elektro, tresor, praxis dr. mccoy
style: abstract techno
1993
worked in berlin record store delirium; first own radio show „braincandy“ on kiss-fm berlin
1994
resident dj at „dubmission“ in berlin‘s e-werk;
project loveparade: 60 hour „braincandy“ -live transmission with interviews on kiss fm directly from the tresor; initiation and organization of ellen allien and kiss fm
1995
founding of first own label „braincandy“;
resident in the berliner tresor – every sunday
„club the rest“ with dj tanith
1996
release of own studio session on braincandy
1997
after the closing of berlin’s e-werk came the beginning
of her own party series under the guise „bpitch control“– focus: futuristic sound, light and video mixing in changing industrial locations in order to fill gaps of
berlin nightlife with something
1999
ounding of the equally named label "bpitch conmltrol" in order to open yet another channel
2000
studio work & label structuring;
first germany tour with bpitch control
2001
release of first album "stadtkind" BPC021 on bpitch control;
remix projects (for malaria, golden boy & miss kittin,
peter licht) further solo releases on bpc
2001
initiation of a new 7“-series label: "spielwiese"
2002
release of the single "erdbeermund“ BPC041 –
presentation of new musical approach;
continuation of label parties in berlin's tresor, bastard, wmf;
remix for covenant
2002
spring: two month dj tour through cananda,
usa (nyc) and japan (tokyo)
summer: new party series "boogy bytes" in
changing berlin locations – focus on the presentation of
current musical trends with an open ear for unkown styles; booking and coordination of ellen allien
fall: bpitch control label tour "gemeinsam“ with the
release of an equally named compilation
2003
winter: studio work on the second album (scheduled release april 2003)
release of the second album "berlinette"
subsequent album tour "around the globe"
march: himmel remix for barbara morgenstern / label monika
may: brasil-tour with laub
modeselektor trashscape mix
august: ellen allien koax remix for apparat
apparat fuse voc by ellen allien
lets get on remix for goldchains
the way we have chosen remix for omr
forms and shapes remix for sascha funke
september: alles sehen rmxs
oktober: chromosoma23 rmx by ellen for vicknoise/factorcity rec.
japan-tour/usa-tour
2004
winter: ellen allien remix collection
remix for neulander - sex, god + money
april: ellen allien - astral BPC085
july: ellen allien - yetti "out of control" for gold und liebe
august: ellen allien - my parade dj-mix 04
from may - september
ellen plays at different festivals worldwide, these are the most important stops:
5 days off / netherlands, arvika festival / sweden, arezzo festival/ italy, melt festival / germany, wire/ japan, scopitone festival / france, benicassim / spain, sms / germany, astropolis / france, koneisto festival / helsinki, pantiero festival / cannes
october: clubtour europa, moskau, istanbul
november usa & canada tour (new york, chicago, portland, san francisco, austin,toronto, montreal, quebec)
december: dance valley winter edition / netherlands & studiotime working on the new album “thrills”
+ single-release “magma”
2005
in the end of january the work for “thrills” album is done and in febuary and march she continues to play on the camping-tour in europa und usa (music conference)
spring and summer “thrills” -tour - worldwide
june: remix by ellen allien for safty scissors - out soon
july: remix by ellen allien for kate wax - out soon
august: release of the second single "your body is my body" (taken from the album thrills) with remixes from kiki & troy pierce bpc113
sep-oct tour brasil, usa, japan
2006:
january - remixes from "down", taken from "thrills".
remixes by: fuckaloop, dinky, drama society BPC116
march - eae little fashion line by allien goes online www.ellenallien.de
april/may - release of ellen's new album with apparat "orchestra of bubbles" BPC125 and its maxi singles "turbo dreams" BPC124 and "way out" BPC129.
summer '06: plays live with apparat at most of the biggest festivals in europe. releases a split/remix single with audion on spectral (usa) - just a man
september '06: third maxi single from "orchestra of bubbles" - "jet remixes" [11]
october '06: remixes for paul kalkbrenner (ellen allien & apparat "queer fellow rmx"), for beck ("the sun") and thom yorke ("eraser") - will be released in 2007, ellen allien fahion winter collection
january 2007: remix for troy pierce/6season, remix for safety scissors that is released on "camping vol.3/vinyl 1" (BPC145
april 2007:
*time out presents: the other side berlin - ellen allien (dvd + cd)
*"camping" tour with other bpc artists
may 2007:
*mix-cd for fabric/london
*fashion line spring/summer 07 out!
/// berlin berlin ///
berlin – i grew up feeling surrounded by the wall. i lived on the small island of west berlin. border controls on sunday excursions, the rummaging through bags, the military. it was scary.
but the quote “all quiet on the western front” still didn’t really apply, as lots of things were happening that wouldn’t have been possible anywhere else. the island of west berlin was a destination for creative minds in search of alternatives. music was and still is my outlet. alongside tinkling on the electric organ, teaching myself how to read notes and my jukebox with a collection of singles in my room, my ears were first intrigued by the revolution of neue deutsche welle. it was fantastic! for the first time people were singing in the language you could hear out on the street: ideal, grauzone, nina hagen – pop meets punk. things happened so fast. minimal sounds made from machines entered the charts. for me it was kraftwerk’s “model” that changed everything. i discovered that pop also worked without any frills. my side of berlin provided a home for the curious, those who were going against the flow.
however, it was only when the wall came down that berlin became berlin again – the city that lets me breathe. after spending a whole year in london i realized that despite the acid jazzhouse euphoria there, only one place felt like home – berlin, the city of possibilities. being able to breathe, to drive and walk wherever and with whoever i wanted. and no more borders. i was immediately fascinated by east berlin, by this atmosphere of curiosity and get-up-and-go. there was room for experiments. electronic music united east and west.
i started to focus on music and art. at first that meant playing the saxophone, learning about fashion, hanging out in rehearsal rooms and taking classes in acrobatics. to finance it all, i worked behind the bar in the fischlabor, which happened to be the meeting point of the up-and-coming music network. i mixed my first tapes and suddenly became part of the emerging berlin techno scene, which started out in empty industrial buildings, houses and cellars. ellen became ellen allien.
courage
berlin nightlife. i had my own radio show on kiss fm, worked at the delirium record store and finally founded my first label braincandy. it felt as if music had swallowed me whole. with braincandy i made a serious attempt at releasing the kind of abstract techno i liked best. i’d had enough of compromising. some of it was just the courage to pave my own way.
the closing down of the first big berlin techno clubs was a setback for the scene, though i interpreted it as a sign to get something new going in the midst of disorientation. the party series bpitch control was a good start. i wanted to hang on to the music, to materialize it, so i founded bpitch control records.
the parties were no longer just memories, now people could take them home, too. the label was mainly an organ for me and other people who i found talented and worth supporting. to me, bpitch control is glamour, community and exchange platform all at the same time.
productive
as a dj i have always tried to connect genres, styles and audiences. i want to feed people new music and capture their interest. i want to fill the room with sound. and i have always been searching for an acceptance of what exists. we all live in the here and now!
and it was that common thread that i wanted to share with the audience. when i dj, body and music become one, they become brainy. to me, music was always the only way to soar through epic parallel worlds, to relax, to experience excess, to find myself.
music is both my motor and my outlet.
as a producer, music is a playback of my emotions and moods. i tease them out of me with alternating technical devices. music becomes a chronicle, each album is a work from a period of my life, which grounds me after the stress of dj-jetting. albums are like diaries. with my first album “stadtkind” i wanted to express my close relationship with the city i live in. it was like an explosion. “stadtkind” is my homage to berlin. the testing, work and experimentation with the structures and the sound spectrum of electronic music then became more and more crucial for me. i used my various compilations and remixes to beam myself into the musical cosmos. with my next album “berlinette” i processed what i had experienced after the release of “stadtkind”. it was like a flash of lightning, i was everywhere and everyone around me was euphoric and supportive. “berlinette” illustrates all that and it is also my very personal discourse on what is possible in the world of pop music and abstract sounds. then i released my third album “thrills”. it moves back and forth between constant excitement and playing the arp 2600 and other analogue instruments.
in 2006 apparat and i decided to do an album together. we went into appart's studio and had a great time - looking over the roof tops of berlin in winter, playing around on different instruments and synths, trying things out. "orchestra of bubbles" is a really nice electronica album with parts both of my and apparat's style. during summer 2006 we performed our live sets all over the world, played big festivals and were sweating like crazy each time. it was a challenge and an inspiration for both of us.
when i was asked to represent berlin for a dvd for time out i was happy to accept. it's a really cool thing for people who don't know this great city and want to know about it. i show my favorite places and also did a mix that goes along on cd.
fabric has always been my favorite club and i was proud to be asked to do an exclusive mix for them, which has been released in may 2007. beside my different remix projects (f.i. thom yorke, beck, troy pierce, ect.) that was something i really enjoyed doing in my studio.
whenever i have time i do my own fashion. in summer 2007 i already launched my third collection. i like doing fashion design - i like to draw and the choose fabrics. i only do very few pieces, it's all very exclusive and it's more my hobby than a business. music is still my main interest - my love and my life. and it's interesting to see how different equipment and software changes the styles of music all the time.
changing studio equipment keeps the productions flowing. techno is still what i’m about. it’s minimal, reduced, deep and rough at the same time. i would say that techno and i have developed together.
sensual
in my work, graphics, music, artwork, visuals and fashion merge.
body
dance, space and lust for life overspill. i search for the fulfilling dance. body, belly and brain start to swing and uplift me/us. music is the drug – nothing else!
travel
travelling with my record case, living out of the suitcase. the hotel is my home. experiencing new worlds and cultures and accepting them; understanding, how things work in other places. sharing views and politics. a club unites people without words. it’s the music that speaks.
recognizing the beauty of the world and absorbing the otherness. home is far away and not important. it’s the unknown that attracts my attention, and i want to know it!
the mix
the mix is everything. i push myself to the absolute limit, sweating, and the thrill is that the room will become our room. |
;)