Jacob Hellner

Last updated

Jacob Hellner
Born (1961-03-19) March 19, 1961 (age 63)
OriginSweden
Genres
Occupation(s)
  • Record producer
  • engineer
  • record mixer
  • composer
Instrument(s)
  • Guitar
  • drums
  • keyboards
Years active1986–present
Member ofBright & Black
Formerly ofBomKrash

Jacob Hellner (born 19 March 1961) is a Swedish record producer, songwriter and composer. As a producer, he has worked with acts in the metal, rock, pop, hip hop and electronic genres. [1] [2] Hellner is best known for his extensive collaboration with German metal band Rammstein, which saw him produce every album released by the band from Herzeleid (1995) to Paris (2017), and assisting in the production of albums from Rammstein members' side projects Emigrate and Lindemann. [2] He is currently a member of the project Bright & Black and was previously part of the Swedish production duo BomKrash together with Carl-Michael Herlöfsson.

Contents

Career

Hellner began his musical career in 1986 and first worked at a San Francisco-based studio in the United States. [3] [4] [5] Prior to entering the music business, he worked as a teacher in computer technology and programs. [5] Hellner returned to Sweden in the late 1980s and started producing Swedish pop and hip hop acts. His international breakthrough came with the release of rap metal band Clawfinger's debut album, Deaf Dumb Blind , in 1993. The album's recognition led to an offer from the German label Motor Music to produce one of their bands, Rammstein. [5] Hellner was not immediately convinced to accept the offer after hearing the band's first demo, but changed his mind after seeing them perform live in Hamburg. [5] Upon meeting each other, Hellner and the band members learned that they were inspired by many of the same artists, including Pantera, Metallica, The Prodigy, Ministry and Depeche Mode. [6]

Rammstein's debut album, Herzeleid , was recorded in Stockholm at Polar Studios and Hellner's own studio BomKrash in the spring of 1995. [7] The studio sessions proved to be a struggle due to the cultural differences and language barriers, but Dutch engineer Ronald Prent was brought in by Hellner to serve as a middleman between the band and the producer. [7] [8] Herzeleid faced a slow reception, but received a major popularity boost internationally in 1997 when two songs from the album were picked by director David Lynch for the soundtrack to his movie Lost Highway. [7] [9] Despite the tensions during the making of their debut album, Rammstein asked Hellner to produce their second album and the following studio sessions in Malta proved to be a more relaxing process than their first collaboration. [5] Sehnsucht was released in 1997 and became a major international success, spearheaded by the singles "Engel" and "Du Hast", the latter being nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1999.

During the making of Rammstein's third album, Mutter , conflicts within the band were at an all-time high and Hellner later stated that listening to the mastered album was one of the most satisfying moments of his career. [10] [11] In 2006, Rammstein were nominated for a second Grammy Award for their single "Mein Teil" off their 2004 album Reise, Reise . During Rammstein's hiatus in 2006, Hellner co-produced the band's lead guitarist Richard Z. Kruspe's side project Emigrate and their debut album. In 2007, Hellner produced the Finnish symphonic metal band Apocalyptica's album Worlds Collide, a collaboration he later called one of the highlights of his career. [5] Hellner was an executive producer on Dead by April's album Incomparable in 2011. [12] He contributed post-production on Till Lindemann's side-project Lindemann's debut album in 2015 and produced the Entombed-spinoff band Entombed A.D. the following year.

In 2017, Hellner and Rammstein parted ways after the release of the live album Paris , which had been in production for five years, and ended a partnership that had spanned a twenty three-year period and included six studio albums, three live albums and one greatest hits album. [13] Hellner stated that the split was amicable and later attended the release party for the band's seventh studio album. [13] Mixing engineer Ronald Prent, who worked on Rammstein's first three albums, later praised Hellner's role as a producer and his contribution to the band: "The band has great ideas, great riffs, and Till writes amazing lyrics and controls the German language like no other… but Jacob was the common denominator that brought it together into a song". [14] In 2018, Hellner composed the soundtrack for the Swedish television series Moscow Noir . During that same year, he formed the metal and classical project Bright & Black, featuring conductor Kristjan Järvi, the Baltic Sea Philharmonic and Eicca Toppinen of Apocalyptica. [15] In a 2020 interview with Loudwire , Hellner stated that he had moved away from producing records due to dissatisfaction with the state of the music business and instead pursued other avenues of creativity. [16] In 2024, Bright & Black released their debut album, featuring contributions from Tomas Haake and Dick Lövgren of Meshugga, Opeth guitarist Fredrik Åkesson, Watain frontman Erik Danielsson and ex-Entombed member Nico Elgstrand. [15]

Discography

Production and writing credits

YearArtistAlbumSong(s)Notes
1987 Surf MC's Surf Or DieMixer
The Cat Heads HubbaProducer, engineer
MeghanMeghanEngineer
1989Toms TivoliFina Maskiner"Fina Maskiner"Mixer
1990 Svullo Ride On...Producer, recording engineer, mixer
1991 Just D Svenska OrdProducer, mixer
StonecakeUnder The BiketreeProducer
Hans EdströmLaddadProducer, arrangements
1992StonecakeABBA - The Tribute"SOS"Producer
Just DRock N Roll
1993 Clawfinger Deaf Dumb Blind
Papa Dee One Step AheadWriter, producer, mixer
Fleshquartet FlowProducer
StonecakeAcoustic ToiletsProducer, recording engineer
Just D Tre Amigos Mixer
1994 Peace, Love & Pitbulls Red Sonic UnderwearEngineer
Papa DeeOriginal MasterWriter, producer
1995 Rammstein Herzeleid Producer
FistfunkTotalmassconfusionProducer, mixer
Clawfinger Use Your Brain Producer, engineer
FistfunkBob Your HeadProducer
1996FleshquartetFire FireProducer, mixer
"Too Young To Die"Composer, arrangements
Papa DeeThe Journey"Papa Do It Sweet"Producer, mixer
1997Rammstein Sehnsucht Producer
–"Das Modell"
Monster Rockers DelightProducer, mixer
1998Rammstein For The Masses "Stripped"Producer
1999 Live aus Berlin
2000Superia–"Permission"Producer, mixer
2001Rammstein Mutter Producer
Clawfinger A Whole Lot of Nothing
2002 Covenant Northern Light
2003ClawfingerZeros & Heroes"Four Letter Word", "Money Power Glory", "Blame"
Mustasch Ratsafari Producer, engineer
2004Rammstein Reise, Reise Producer
2005 Rosenrot
2006Enter The HuntBecome The Prey EP
For Life. 'Til Death. To Hell. With Love.
Rammstein Völkerball
2007Covenant In Transit
Emigrate Emigrate Co-producer
Apocalyptica Worlds Collide Producer
2008 Backyard Babies Backyard Babies
2009TakidaThe Darker Instinct
Rammstein Liebe ist für alle da
2010 Nicke Borg Homeland Chapter 1Recording engineer, mixer
2011Chapter 2"Leaving Home"Producer
Rammstein Made in Germany 1995–2011 "Mein Land"
Dead by April Incomparable Executive producer
2012 Delain We Are the Others Composer, producer, mixer
2013Viktor & The BloodViktor & The BloodProducer
2015 Lindemann Skills in Pills Producer (Post-production)
Backyard Babies Four by Four Producer
2016 Entombed A.D. Dead Dawn "Down To Mars To Ride", "As The World Fell", "The Winner Has Lost"
2017Rammstein Paris Producer, mixer
2019Grand MagusWolf GodMixer
Jacob HellnerDirigenten / Moscow Noir (Original Television Soundtrack)Composer, producer
Entombed A.D.Bowels of EarthProducer
2024Bright & BlackThe AlbumComposer, producer

Instrumental contributions

YearArtistAlbumSong(s)Instrument
1989Toms TivoliFina Maskiner"Fina Maskiner"Piano
1991Hans EdströmLaddadGuitar
1992 Just D Rock N RollPerformer
1995AmenSilver"Electric", "Good Friends"Drum programming
1998Sunglow"Good Friends"

Awards and nominations

Echo Awards

YearCategoryResult
1999Producer of the YearNominated

Grammis Awards

YearCategoryResult
1993Producer of the YearNominated
1994Won

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rammstein</span> German rock band

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<span class="mw-page-title-main">Du riechst so gut</span> 1995 song by Rammstein

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References

  1. ↑ McIver, Joel (2002). Nu-metal: the next generation of rock & punk. Omnibus Press. p. 109. ISBN   978-0-7119-9209-2.
  2. 1 2 "Jacob Hellner | Credits". AllMusic. Retrieved 5 May 2019.
  3. ↑ Jacob Hellner , retrieved 7 October 2023
  4. ↑ Exclusive Interview: Jacob Hellner (Rammstein Producer) , retrieved 7 October 2023
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Schölzel, Alexander (2 June 2019). "Rammstein-Produzent Jacob Hellner: »80 Prozent Psychologie, 20 Technologie«". delamar.de (in German). Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  6. ↑ Richard Bienstock (9 December 2020). "Rammstein producer Jacob Hellner details the making of the industrial-metal icons' 1995 debut, Herzeleid". guitarworld. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  7. 1 2 3 Everley, Dave (4 July 2019). "Rammstein: The birth of a legend". louder. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  8. ↑ "RAMMSTEIN-Produzent Jacob Hellner im Interview". Metal1.info (in German). 13 December 2020. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  9. ↑ "Lost Highway put David Lynch onto America's car stereos". The A.V. Club. 23 May 2017. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  10. ↑ Lageat, Phil; Rouhet, Ikuvuer (2004). "Promo "Reise Reise" (2004), Christoph Schneider and Richard Z. Kruspe". Rock Hard (35).
  11. ↑ Brannerydh, Henke (June 2017). "#43 Jacob Hellner" (Podcast). Rockpodden. Retrieved October 11, 2023 – via Spotify.
  12. ↑ Blabbermouth (8 August 2011). "DEAD BY APRIL Completes Work On 'Incomparable'". BLABBERMOUTH.NET. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  13. 1 2 Hartmann, Graham (7 December 2020). "Longtime Rammstein Producer Explains Absence From 'Untitled' Album". Loudwire. Retrieved 7 October 2023.
  14. ↑ Chillingworthpublished, Alec (4 May 2021). "Flames, fetishes and pickled babies: the twisted story of Rammstein's Mutter". louder. Retrieved 11 October 2023.
  15. 1 2 Hobson, Rich (5 June 2024). "What happens when members of extreme metal royalty like Meshuggah, Watain and Opeth form an orchestra? Meet the uniquely excellent Bright & Black". louder. Retrieved 16 June 2024.
  16. ↑ Rammstein Producer: Making 'Du Hast' + Leaving After 20+ Years , retrieved 7 October 2023
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