DJ HELL

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Born in Altenmarkt an der Alz, Bavaria, Helmut Josef Geier, better known as DJ Hell, dj and producer, started his career as a dj in the late seventies. By then, German electronic music was beginning to achieve world commercial success mainly thanks to the band Kraftwerk which in 1976 toured supporting David Bowie on his Station to Station tour and whose single Das Model peaked number one in UK single charts in 1982.  

By the mid 80ies, DJ Hell had conquered the German dance floors. He released the single My definition of house music in 1992 which became a club hit and after moving to Berlin he released his debut album Geteert & gefedert in 1994 under Peter Wachas label Disko B. Two years after, DJ Hell founded his own recording label International Deejay Gigolos and he has released albums by Jeff Mills, Dave Clarke, Tiga, Fischerspooner, Miss Kittin, Anthony Rother, Laurent Garnier, and others. Cooperations with fellow musicians P. Diddy, Brian Ferry, Pet Shop Boys, Grace Jones, Gary Newman and Justice! as well as joint projects with fashion and art icons like Amanda Lepore, Karl Lagerfeld, Versace, Michalsky, Raf Simons were to follow.

DJ Hell works with no time boundary, from the past to the future, always looking for new spaces but with a huge respect for past creations. A very good example of that is his remake of Klaus Nomi’s Cold song. In fact it’s a song written by 17th century Baroque composer Henry Purcell and poet John Dryden for their opera King Arthur which was recorded by Klaus Nomi in 1981 engineered by electro pioneer Man Parrish. DJ Hell released two very different remakes in 2013 taking the song to the house field. 

After his last album “Teufelswerk” (2009), DJ Hell is now working in a new album to be released in 2016. In addition, “International Deejay Gigolo Records” will be celebrating its 20th anniversary with summer, with a Europe-wide tour planned. But first he will perform next February 19 at the Rioma Club in Mexico City and after that he'll play in Barcelona next March 11 at the Under Club.

How did you get into music?

Music was getting into me; it was the other way around.

Music Festivals use to separate concerts and dj sets. Why do you think djs are still not considered as truly musicians?

I see the dj concept very artistically and I never felt out of the music or musician world. These days’ djs are producers and run their own record labels. The question would be what’s a musician today? What’s a music instrument or why a laptop producer is not a musician? We need new terms for the new musicians -so I would call it digital artists. Some djs even try to sing and that’s another question or topic that needs to be discussed.

One of your first releases was titled “My definition of house music”. Which one would be that definition in words?

Music starts where there is no words necessary. Music says what can’t be written down and where silence is not possible.

Why did you decide to create the label “International DeeJay Gigolo Records” and how complicated it was?

If you don't agree with the music world and music business -you need to start doing your own business and create your own rules and go your own way like Frank Sinatra. To start a record label now is not a big deal and everybody how things is ready for it could do it tomorrow.

And how do you confront the streaming revolution?

It’s not a revolution at all. I would like to follow David Bowie here. He said already many years ago that music will be like water, available in the western world for free and everybody. You need to deal with it as a dj and musician that means you will go on a never ending world tour to get some money in for what you doing.

In Barcelona there’s the Sónar, one of the most important music festivals in the world, but the electronic music scene is not so important in Spain than in Germany. Why has the German electronic music scene always been so rich and innovator?

German electronic pioneers were experimenting with electronic gear and music to create an own musical identity. We were always fascinated and thrilled by electronic music and its power and it’s magic. In the late 60s German bands and new musicians turned into the electronic music world and we called it “kosmische musik“. To me it was a natural feel and logical process to fell in love with Kraftwerk, Can or Daf or Klaus Nomi.

Barcelona was one of the leading city of electronic music in the late 90s, lots of clubs and festivals where inviting international djs and bands. Also I think Ibiza rules the world of dance.

Music now in a way you could like it or not. Ibiza is the main focus during the summer, so even most of the famous djs decide to life there and spent the whole summer season on the Balearic Island.

In which direction do you think it is evolving the current electronic scene?

All directions. With electronic music there were no limits and it was open for new flavours and new ideas. After the big- electroclash - hype around 2000 it great to see that this feeling and type of music is coming back this year.

Why do you think the most innovator creations in electronic music are still so minority?

I don’t agree.

Which of your projects are you most proud of and in what are you working now?

I am proud of my new album; it’s nearly finished and will be out after the summer 2016. I am also very proud of my cooperation with john peel in 1995 for his peel sessions. And I am proud of gigolo records that released great timeless music and become 20 years now.

Could you explain a memory of your childhood?

That memory is lost in time like teardrops in the rain.



An interview by Juan Carlos Romero
Photo by musicbymarina
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