Tim Hecker

Last updated

Tim Hecker
Tim Hecker Japan.png
Hecker in a Japanese temple during the recordings for his album Konoyo
Background information
Also known asJetone
Born (1974-07-17) July 17, 1974 (age 49)
Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Origin Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Genres
Occupation(s)Composer
Instrument(s)Electronics
Years active1996–present
Labels
Website sunblind.net

Tim Hecker is a Canadian electronic musician, producer, composer, and sound artist. His work, spanning albums such as Harmony in Ultraviolet (2006), Ravedeath, 1972 (2011) and Virgins (2013), has been widely critically acclaimed. [1] [2] He has released eleven albums and a number of EPs in addition to a number of film scores [3] and collaborations with artists such as Arca, Ben Frost, Jóhann Jóhannsson, Daniel Lopatin, and Aidan Baker. [4] [5]

Contents

Biography

Hecker performing at Mutek Montreal in 2012. Tim hecker 4.jpg
Hecker performing at Mutek Montréal in 2012.

Born in Vancouver, British Columbia, Hecker is the son of two art teachers. During his high school years, he played in rock bands with friends, before acquiring a sampler and working on solo material. [6] He moved to Montreal, Quebec in 1998 to study at Concordia University and explore his artistic interests further. [6] He initially performed internationally as a DJ and techno producer under the name Jetone, releasing three albums under the moniker. [7] By 2001 he became disenchanted with the musical direction of the Jetone project. In 2001, Hecker released the album Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again , [8] under his own name through the label Alien8. [7] He followed with Radio Amor (2003) and Mirages (2004).

In 2006 he moved to Kranky where he released his fourth album Harmony in Ultraviolet. [7] [9] He subsequently incorporated the use of pipe organ sounds which were digitally processed and distorted. The album was called the 9th best ambient album of all time by Pitchfork. [10] For the album Ravedeath, 1972 , Hecker traveled to Iceland where together with Ben Frost, he recorded parts in a church. [11] Ravedeath, 1972 was awarded the Juno Award for Electronic Album of the Year. [12] In November 2010, Alien8 re-released Hecker's debut album on vinyl. [13] [14] Live performances contain improvisations by processing organ sounds that are manipulated, with great fluctuations in volume. [15]

In 2012, Hecker collaborated with Daniel Lopatin (who also records as Oneohtrix Point Never) on an improvisatory project which became Instrumental Tourist (2012). [16] Following 2013's Virgins , Hecker returned to Reykjavík, Iceland for sessions in 2014 and 2015, to create what would become Love Streams . [17] Collaborators include Ben Frost, Johann Johannsson, Kara-Lis Coverdale and Grimur Helgason, whilst the 15th century choral works by Josquin des Prez birthed the foundations of the album. [18] In February 2016, it was announced that Hecker had joined 4AD while Love Streams (2016) was released in April of that year. [19] [20] Hecker admits to thinking about ideas like "liturgical aesthetics after Yeezus " and the "transcendental voice in the age of auto-tune" during its creation. [21]

In addition to touring with Godspeed You! Black Emperor and Sigur Rós and recording with the likes of Fly Pan Am, Hecker has also collaborated with the likes of Arca and Aidan Baker. [5] [22] He has also contributed remixes to other artists, including Ellen Allien, John Cale, Isis, and Interpol. [6] [23] [24] [25]

Personal life

Hecker pursued a professional career outside music and worked as a policy analyst for the Canadian Government in the early 2000s. [26] [27] After leaving his employment in 2006 he enrolled at McGill University to study for a PhD, [28] with a thesis on urban noise that was published in 2014. [29] He has also worked there as a lecturer in sound culture in the Art History and Communications department. [30]

Discography

Tim Hecker

Albums

EPs and other

Collaborations

As Jetone [34]

Credits

Art

Hecker occasionally makes sound installations and has collaborated with visual artists such as Stan Douglas [36] and Charles Stankievech. [37]

Hecker, along with other musicians Ben Frost and Steve Goodman (Kode9) and artists Piotr Jakubowicz, Marcel Weber (MFO) and Manuel Sepulveda (Optigram), provided music for Unsound Festival's sensory installation, Ephemera. [38]

Hecker composed the score for Damien Jalet's performance piece Planet [wanderer]. [39]

Film

Hecker composed the score for 2016's The Free World , [40] selected to be shown in the U.S. Dramatic Competition section at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival. [41] He composed the score for BBC Two drama series The North Water directed by Andrew Haigh and based on Ian McGuire's novel of the same name. [32] [42]

Hecker also composed the score for the Austrian drama and horror film Luzifer , which won the Best Actor Award for Franz Rogowski at Fantastic Fest in 2021 [43] and Best Actress Award for Susanne Jensen and Best Actor Award for Franz Rogowski at the 2021 Sitges Film Festival. [44] [45]

Hecker composed the score for Infinity Pool , the 2023 film by Canadian director Brandon Cronenberg, starring Alexander Skarsgård and Mia Goth, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. [46] [47] [48]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">John Cale</span> Welsh composer, singer-songwriter and record producer

John Davies Cale is a Welsh musician, composer, and record producer who was a founding member of the American rock band the Velvet Underground. Over his six-decade career, Cale has worked in various styles across rock, drone, classical, avant-garde and electronic music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ellen Allien</span> German electronic musician, music producer

Ellen Fraatz, known professionally as Ellen Allien, is a German electronic musician, music producer, and the founder of BPitch Control music label. Her album Stadtkind was dedicated to the city of Berlin, and she cites the culture of reunified Berlin as one of the main inspirations for her music. She sings in both German and English. Her music is best described as a blend of IDM and techno music, which is dance-floor oriented and has noticeable experimental elements. She lives in Berlin and calls it the "best city in the world."

<i>Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again</i> 2001 studio album by Tim Hecker

Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again is the debut studio album by Canadian electronic musician Tim Hecker, released on November 20, 2001, on Substractif, a sub-label of Alien8 Recordings. The album mixes the digital signal processing of glitch with post-rock structures and melodies. The sounds used for this album, as well as most of Tim Hecker’s other works, originate from a guitar, piano, and laptop. The title of the song "The Work of Art in the Age of Cultural Overproduction" is a reference to Walter Benjamin's essay, "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction". The track "Ghost Writing Pt. 1" samples the American television show Who Wants to be a Millionaire?.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ben Frost</span> Australian musician and composer

Ben Frost is an Australian-born musician, composer, record producer, sound designer and director currently based out of Reykjavík, Iceland.

<i>Harmony in Ultraviolet</i> Album by Tim Hecker

Harmony in Ultraviolet is the fourth studio album by Canadian electronic music musician Tim Hecker, released on October 16, 2006, on Kranky.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Flying Lotus</span> American record producer from California (born 1983)

Steven D. Bingley-Ellison, known by his stage name Flying Lotus or sometimes FlyLo, is an American record producer, DJ, filmmaker and rapper from Los Angeles. He is also the founder of the record label Brainfeeder.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Oneohtrix Point Never</span> American musician

Daniel Lopatin, best known as Oneohtrix Point Never or OPN, is an American experimental electronic music producer, composer, singer, and songwriter. His music has utilized tropes from various musical genres and eras, sample-based composition, and complex MIDI production.

<i>Ravedeath, 1972</i> 2011 studio album by Tim Hecker

Ravedeath, 1972 is the sixth studio album by Canadian electronic music musician Tim Hecker, released on February 14, 2011, by Kranky. The album was recorded primarily in Frikirkjan Church, Reykjavík, by Ben Frost. It makes prominent use of pipe organ, and was described by Hecker as "a hybrid of a studio and a live record." It received universal acclaim from critics, with many reviewers acknowledging the album as Hecker's finest.

<i>Instrumental Tourist</i> 2012 studio album by Tim Hecker and Daniel Lopatin

Instrumental Tourist is a collaborative studio album by Canadian musician Tim Hecker and American musician Daniel Lopatin. The album was recorded over several improvisational jam sessions, and was released in November 2012 under Lopatin's Software Records imprint to generally positive critical reviews.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Laurel Halo</span> American electronic musician

Laurel Anne Chartow, known professionally as Laurel Halo, is an American electronic musician currently based in Los Angeles, California. She released her debut album Quarantine on Hyperdub in 2012 to critical acclaim; it was named album of the year by The Wire.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arca (musician)</span> Venezuelan musician (born 1989)

Alejandra Ghersi Rodríguez, known professionally as Arca, is a Venezuelan musician and record producer based in Barcelona, Spain. She initially began releasing music under the name of Nuuro. After attending the Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music, Ghersi first released the EP Baron Libre (2012) under the name Arca and subsequently released the EPs Stretch 1 and Stretch 2; the latter experimented with hip hop and brought her attention from prominent music publications.

Timothy John Kvasnosky, known professionally as Tim K, is an American record producer, musician, and film score composer. Tim K composed the score to the 2015 Sundance Film Festival select I Am Michael, starring James Franco. In 2016, he scored "King Cobra" starring Christian Slater and James Franco which documented the real life murder of porn producer Bryan Kocis. As a producer and sideman has also worked with artists such as Sam Sparro, Ed Droste, Jake Shears, Rahzel, Lisa Shaw, Kat DeLuna, Dam Funk, Miguel Migs and DJ Colette. He is a member of the musical group Tiny Hearts. As a remixer, he produced 4 top 5 Billboard Club Play remixes. He has also scored commercials for Nike, Target, Corona, Friskies, Volkswagen, Bulgari, Google, McDonald's, and many others. His Friskies commercial composition "Adventureland" was featured during the 2010 Winter Olympics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Nicholas Britell</span> American film composer (born 1980)

Nicholas Britell is an American film and television composer. He has received numerous accolades including an Emmy Award as well as nominations for three Academy Awards and a Grammy Award. He has received Academy Award nominations for Best Original Score for Barry Jenkins' Moonlight (2016) and If Beale Street Could Talk (2018), and Adam McKay's Don't Look Up (2021). He also scored McKay's The Big Short (2015) and Vice (2018). He is also known for scoring Battle of the Sexes (2017), Cruella (2021), and She Said (2022).

<i>Virgins</i> (album) 2013 studio album by Tim Hecker

Virgins is the seventh studio album by Canadian electronic musician Tim Hecker, released on October 14, 2013 by Kranky and Paper Bag Records.

<i>Love Streams</i> (album) 2016 studio album by Tim Hecker

Love Streams is the eighth studio album by Canadian electronic music musician Tim Hecker, released on April 8, 2016 on 4AD and Paper Bag Records. The album was recorded throughout 2014 and 2015 at Greenhouse Studios in Reykjavík, Iceland, where parts of Hecker's last two albums Virgins (2013) and Ravedeath, 1972 (2011) were recorded.

Paul Corley is an American composer, producer, and sound artist.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Arca discography</span>

Venezuelan electronic music producer Arca has released ten studio albums, one remix album, two mixtapes, one compilation album, four DJ mixes, one box set, four extended plays (EPs), twenty-nine singles, twenty-three music videos, and ten remixes.

<i>Magic Oneohtrix Point Never</i> 2020 studio album by Oneohtrix Point Never

Magic Oneohtrix Point Never is the ninth studio album by American electronic producer Daniel Lopatin, under his alias Oneohtrix Point Never, released on October 30, 2020, via Warp. The album draws on a psychedelic radio aesthetic strongly inspired by Magic 106.7, the mondegreen namesake of Lopatin's project, and was recorded during COVID-19 lockdowns, between March and July 2020.

<i>No Highs</i> 2023 studio album by Tim Hecker

No Highs is the eleventh studio album by Canadian ambient musician Tim Hecker, released on April 7, 2023 via Kranky.

References

  1. "Tim Hecker". Kranky.net. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  2. "Tim Hecker". Mutek.org. Archived from the original on February 19, 2019. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  3. "Tim Hecker". IMDb. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  4. Rhoades, Lindsey (April 29, 2016). "Tim Hecker Albums From Worst To Best". Stereogum. SpinMedia. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  5. 1 2 "Arca shares new single and music video, 'Cayó': Watch". DJMag.com. April 7, 2022. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 "Spin Interview 2013" Christopher R. Weingarten, 'Tim Hecker: Attack of the Drones', Spin Magazine; October 10, 2013
  7. 1 2 3 Hampson, Simon (March 3, 2007). "Tim Hecker interview". Cyclic Defrost. Retrieved May 8, 2016.
  8. "Tim Hecker – Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again". Discogs. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  9. "Tim Hecker – Harmony In Ultraviolet". Discogs. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  10. "The 50 Best Ambient Albums of All Time - Page 5". Pitchfork. September 26, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  11. "Tim Hecker Talks Ravedeath, 1972 | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  12. "Yearly Summary". JUNO. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved July 28, 2022.
  13. "Tim Hecker – Haunt Me, Haunt Me Do It Again (vinyl 2010)". Discogs. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  14. "Tim Hecker – Haunt Me". Alien8recordings.com. Archived from the original on August 1, 2018. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  15. "RA: Tim Hecker: Imaginary countries". Residentadvisor.net. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  16. "Instrumental Tourist review" Mark Richardson, 'Tim Hecker/Daniel Lopatin Instrumental Tourist review', Pitchfork, November 30, 2012
  17. "Tim Hecker - Love Streams - Review". DIY. April 8, 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  18. "Tim Hecker Announces New Album Love Streams". Pitchfork.com. January 27, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  19. de Franchis, Vittoria (February 2, 2016). "Tim Hecker joins 4AD and announces new album 'Love Streams' | Inverted Audio". inverted-audio.com. Retrieved May 9, 2016.
  20. Todd, Bella (April 5, 2016). "Tim Hecker: 'I make pagan music that dances on the ashes of a burnt church'". The Guardian. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  21. "News | Tim Hecker Announces New Album". The Quietus. January 27, 2016. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  22. "Fantasma Parastasie, by Aidan Baker And Tim Hecker". Alien8recordings. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  23. "Tim Hecker: "Suffocation Raga for John Cale"". Pitchfork. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  24. "Interpol Enlist Tim Hecker, Panda Bear, the Field, More for Remix LP". Pitchfork. March 10, 2016. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  25. "Ellen Allien Taps Tim Hecker, Bodycode for Remix Comp | Exclaim!". exclaim.ca. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  26. "Guestlist on Pitchfork" 'Guest Lists: Tim Hecker', Pitchfork Media, October 27, 2006
  27. Currin, Grayson Haver (April 25, 2023). "Tim Hecker Helped Popularize Ambient Music. He's (Sort of) Sorry". The New York Times. ISSN   0362-4331 . Retrieved January 8, 2024.
  28. "McGill Daily" John Watson 'Bring the noise', The McGill Daily, April 5, 2011
  29. Hecker, Timothy (2014). The era of megaphonics: on the productivity of loud sound, 1880–1930 (Ph.D.). McGill University.
  30. "Quietus Interview" Ryan Alexander Diduck 'Darkness More Than Anything: Tim Hecker Interviewed', The Quietus, March 21, 2012
  31. Sodomsky, Sam (February 12, 2019). "Tim Hecker Announces New Album Anoyo, Shares Song: Listen". Pitchfork . Retrieved February 12, 2019.
  32. 1 2 "Tim Hecker Releasing Score for Colin Farrell–Starring TV Show The North Water". Pitchfork. September 9, 2021. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  33. Pappis, Konstantinos (January 26, 2023). "Tim Hecker Announces New Album 'No Highs', Shares New Single 'Lotus Light'". Our Culture Mag . Retrieved January 26, 2023.
  34. "Jetone". Discogs. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  35. "Arca Continues Her Unparalleled World-Building with "Cayó"". FLOOD. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  36. "En/Of". Bottrop-boy.com. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  37. "Loveland". Stankievech.net. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  38. "Ephemera". Unsound.pl. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  39. "Planet [wanderer]". Damien Jalet. Retrieved December 10, 2022.
  40. "Tim Hecker Scoring Jason Lew's 'The Free World'". Film Music Reporter. December 14, 2015. Retrieved June 16, 2016.
  41. "Sundance Institute". Archived from the original on January 26, 2016. Retrieved January 24, 2016.
  42. The North Water (Adventure, Drama, Mystery), See-Saw Films, Rhombus Media, British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), September 10, 2021, retrieved September 24, 2022
  43. "Fantastic Fest 2021: Franz Rogowski awarded Best Actor". www.austrianfilms.com (in German). Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  44. "Festival Scope". pro.festivalscope.com. Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  45. "Sitges Fantastic Film Festival: Double win for LUZIFER". www.austrianfilms.com (in German). Retrieved February 21, 2022.
  46. "Infinity Pool - IMDb". IMDb. Retrieved September 17, 2022.
  47. Lang, Brent (June 23, 2021). "Alexander Skarsgård Starring in Brandon Cronenberg's Sci-Fi Thriller 'Infinity Pool'". Variety. Retrieved September 24, 2022.
  48. "Program Guide | 2023 Sundance Film Festival". festival.sundance.org. Retrieved December 10, 2022.

Further reading

Interviews