DJ Taucher

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Taucher – Swimming free in the digital sea

„Every time I check the internet I’m quite surprised how many people produce new tracks and how many great artists are among them, with releases week after week, one being more stunning than the other, more intensive and deeper felt than ever before. If, for example, I listen to a production of Moshic from Israel or Josel & Pedro – my mind just blows away. This kind of music can no longer be compared with the sort of club trance of the pioneering days. Sure, it was fine back then, 5 sound tracks and a melody, that was all it took to make you feel good. But today I’d rather slash my wrists than return to the old days with my expectations, ambitions and knowledge of today.“

„I wanted to break free.“

Flashback: Before the turn of the century, Taucher, the eccentric artist and trance allstar from Germany’s Rhine-Main-area, caused quite a buzz by celebrating his dj gigs as unforgettable and often breathtaking performances such as mixing his pads and melodies hanging upside down from a pole. When the new century was still fresh, the South-German dj named Ralph Armand Beck felt his mind and heart change and morphed into a progressive head. With multi-layered arrangements he went on even deeper journeys and gradually threw classic club trance tunes overboard. It didn’t take long until his progressive dj style also surfaced in his productions with partner Torsten Stenzel. His defiance against the dull hit machinery most strikingly materialized in the polarizing „Millenium Bitch“ (2002). Taucher left commerce for art and cut loose from Polydor, his record company until then.

„I realised I had grown up with the change in my music.“

In those days, when in Germany trance music was in danger of being reduced to monotonous formulas, a well-stacked record store opened the door to the big wide world of progressive trance. This terra incognita soon turned into his favourite playground and artists like Luke Chable, Chab and Madoka shed light into the thick undergrowth of international producers who execelled with outstandings discographies.

For the unique progressive sound Taucher propelled as both dj and producer, he found the characteristic name „Adult Music“. Far from sounding presumptious, he simply tried to express his crucial artistic and personal development. Whenever you come across the claim „Adult Music“, you can be sure good old Taucher is involved. In no time, the new name not only turned programmatic but also magnetic, and not only for adults.

2003 saw the take-off for „Film ab!“ Taucher’s „Adult Music“ show on the internet tv channel Soundworx (www.soundworx.tv). Every first thursday of the month, this never tiring music performer delivers a first-rate four hours set of progressive sounds which is then offered as online stream for the following six months. Supported by live camera action and video animations, these sets abound with visual delicacies.

Apart from his TV show, the eloquent dj also hosts his weekly radio show „Adult Music“ on Germany’s top station Sunshine Live. The first show was broadcasted in february 2005 and since then has catapulted him into the top league of Germany’s radio presenters. His four hour sunday night show from 10pm to 2 am makes his listeners forget the worries of the imminent working week and presents hand-picked progressive highlights introducing the hottest national and international artists and labels. He draws his enthusiastic audience not only from all over Germany via cable radio but also via internet live stream on sunshine-live.de. Based on the columns Taucher-newsletter, adult-music-chat and the fan site www.listeners.de, he has established a community whose members celebrate their sunday adult nite like an essential and indispensable ritual.

In March 2007 „Adult Music“ took another step on the international masterplan. In cooperation with Hyline, Taucher’s show „Adult Music“ is aired on friskyradio.com, the much renowned and beloved internet station of the global progressive house community.

„If you don’t have tears in your eyes you’re completely out of place“ (from „Eye-Trance 10“, 2005)

With compilation series „Eye-Trance“ (initiated by Daniel Bruns), Taucher found another outstanding platform for his adult music. On six sensational cds, Taucher manifested his personal heat of the moment, in both recorded and written form. On these cds you’ll find ground-breaking music and a unique music diary covering the most important tracks and experiences between 2003 and 2005.

Eye-Trance 06

DJ Taucher – the style guy

In 1991 we travelled all over the country to listen and pay tribute to our favourite djs. Our destinations were Cologne, Berlin, Frankfurt, Hamburg, Kassel, Munich, and other places, always on the look-out for exciting events and eager to share time with our heroes. We were keen to indulge in all new sound creations the fresh world of techno had to offer. We were open-minded, curious, innocent and happy. It was a time, when you could lean to your next person’s shoulder without the fear of being misunderstood. No matter where you stood, danced or simply were, we cared for the other’s well-being. It was the time of continuing and unstoppable new, fresh and previously unexperienced impressions and feelings.

To be honest, in these times it could happen that at the „Omen“ they played „James Brown is Dead“ three times a night, but the huge difference is, it didn’t coincide with heavy rotation on the radio. The massive presence of commercial techno tunes on all relevant radio station have turned the world of techno upside down. The charts were dominated by „cover Trance“, easy to digest mainstream bullshit which heavily influenced the expectations of our audience. When back in the days they hailed all that was fresh and new, the charts and radio manipulated or contaminated ravers – and no longer the dj - set the tone of our sets, simply by their way of responding on the floor. At least that is true for most mega clubs and big events.

What happens is they call for cheap crap from the charts and punish the dj with derisive gestures, deadly glances, an overall bad vibe and even complaints voiced to the club owners. They in turn panic (for fear of future poor attendance), admonish the djs who lose their cool and start playing what the audience calls for. A downward spiral which kills all innovation, creativity and individual style. Of course there are some truly great tracks which find their way into the charts, but the artists in questions know what I mean and won’t feel attacked by my clear-cut opinion. I always appreciated to listen to other djs, to discover previously unheard styles (even if it took time to get used to it), to admire non-conformist approaches, and to learn something new for myself.

„Keep on being ready for something new!!!

All you djs: „Accept smaller fees, play in smaller clubs, develop your style and set new trends, don’t play on the safe side, swim against the stream and polarize!“

All you club owners: „Participate in innovative forces, pave the way for art, offer platforms independent of crowd attendance, foster continuity, go through thick and thin with us djs and support us even if we are different and innovative!“

All you party people: „Open your ears and hearts, become curious and embrace new styles, see through the murky water of the charts and muscle out the mainstream!“

Let the others trudge along as before until they get stuck in the mud. But let us interested and committed people try to save techno before the industry tells us what techno is!

„Great art will continue to grow from within itself, but if you want a people to keep being able to understand it, it takes some cultivation of knowledge and nurturing of the mind’s attentiveness.“ Gottfried Benn (German poet)

Let’s do it!

Sincerely, Taucher (Ralph Armand Beck).

Eye-Trance 07

There I caused a flood of reactions! Well if you ask for polarization, you shouldn’t be amazed at the result! Now the wheat is separated from the chaff, and that’s how it should be.

The last months revealed that my appreciated audience follows much closer than before how my music develops and changes its ingredients. Some have still their problems in accepting the new sound but many people have joined my fan base. As I persevere my path without any compromise, word of my new style has even got around in circles who formerly were contemptuous of my „mainstream sound.“ Now they say: „Taucher cares for quality! He doesn’t follow the trail of money.“ First come the morals, then the fodder.This is my third participation on the „Eye-Trance“ series and if – allow me the comparison – we equal my musical basis with the former chocolate bar „Raider“ we now have almost reached the status of „Twix“ with the mix of „Eye-Trance 7“! I’m more than gIad to be able to offer you this exciting sound. All tracks are taken from my own shopping tours, from UK, U.S., German and Dutch labels. As always, the first track is a track of my own, this time the project Tan Tau (Tandu & Taucher).

To make things more transparent, I decided on a trademark name and logo for my new trademark sound. Whenever you come across the term „Adult Music“ you can be sure that I’m involved. My activities include the „Eye-Trance“-Tour or every third friday of the month and my residency at Memory club in Oberwesel/Germany. Or every first wednesday of the month my TV show at Soundworx.tv – five hours top-notch sound and visuals, with currently 7.000 fans per show.

Come on and be with us! Let us party again! Let us be pioneers once more!

Cheers, Taucher.

Eye-Trance 08

Something is building up – that’s how I can best describe the vibe around me...

After a gig in Dresden I asked a local record store manager on sunday morning: „Well, what’s the gossip on Taucher?“ He took me to his shop and showed me some sites of progressive communities on the internet where all my new productions and playlists were highly rated... Such incidents are good for the soul and tell me I’ve taken the right decision and am on the right way. To stay true to quality and to dare say what I am, feel and aim at. Otherwise people find it hard to follow and the breakthrough takes even longer.

I don’t want to strain your patience but would like to point out a new feature on my website. With the help of my good friend Ralf Nelle I added the site vip.djtaucher.de. Here you find all the links to favourite websites, and of course, music for your training in „Adult Music“. In this context I’d like to take the opportunity to recommend three record stores which are dearly dedicated to the kind of music which is also my own. First, it’s Thomas Weiss and his „El Culto“ record shop in Aschaffenburg. He has some serious impact on the development of my music, which should become plainly obvious when considering the fact that there I buy like 95% of all my records! Then it’s Nick with his „Diskoladen“. Nick knows all there is to know and is a superpro on the internet. Marc Vision, who I share the project VITA with (first track of my side), fancies Alex’s „Nu-Drift“ in Cologne. One thing is quite clear: Vinyl makes the world go round, not a platinum cd from a tv commercial.

Come share my „Adult Music at „Chic’s Kitchen“ at Phonodrome (Hamburg), at Base (Sinzig), at Proton (Stuttgart) and soon in your vicinity. Or you tune in to Radio Soundworx.tv who offer me the opportunity to play live on the net once a month for five hours straight. Just check the dates on my site.

There’s something cooking. Word up!

Yours, Taucher.

Eye-Trance 09

Actually, there almost wouldn’t have been another „Eye-Trance“ release. The simple reason: My progressive influence was not mass compatible and therefore commercially successful enough. Therefore I must give the highest credits to DANIEL BRUNS who managed to establish my concept with his new employers and convinced them to favour art instead of commerce. I had to experience first hand the meaning of the saying that there’s no money in art. My bookings and sales numbers took a drastic donwnward turn. What helped me endure was my personal attitude of separating the meaning of success from income some years before. So I feel just fine and approximate the true meaning of being an artist.

But enough of these laments.

The ADULT-MUSIC-NETWORK which I founded last year embraces an increasing number of members, fans and supporters. Great artists, many of whom I shared some quality studio time with, feel akin to my view of music. These wonderful guys have provided a great number of songs, bios, dates, infos and even mix sets on the website adult-music.net. It’s worth checking out and tuning in.

I also encourage you to actively participate in our network. Maybe some of you are creative audio or visual artists and would love to share ideas and productions for further mutual inspiration.

My activities of the last years concentrated on the release of two longplayers. The first being an LP on AVALANCHE REC. (the label of Sebastian Krüger/SB) and the other on the new label ADULT-RECORDS (teaming up with the legendary HARDY HELLER). Further highlights were releases on SLOPE REC., ON A MISSION REC., TRACID TRAXX, EARREGULAR REC., TRANCEFELD and SCUBA, to name just a few.

As on the preceding „Eye-Trance“ cds, I lead into this cd with another of my own productions. This time it’s a track from Trancefeld, a team effort with MARC VISION. This track will be released on ON A MISSION. I owe much of the production for „ICH KENNE“ to Sebastian Kruger and Klaus Albracht alias BEATHOVEN. In the course of this track I granted my favourite speaker Klaus Kinski (secretly called „Geilsprecher KK“) some place to shine. (Listen carefully, there’s great truth in these words).

Besides, I’m being single after nine years of steady relationship, my wallet almost empty, my long hair cut short, the tax office wants more than reckoned. I’m feeling great, actually... do I?

Yours faithfully,

RALPH-ARMAND BECK

EYE-TRANCE 10

„No time for breathers“, would be the right answer to the question „How are you lately?“

The Adult Taucher thing demands hardcore commitment. My latest work in the studio makes an appearance on this cd in the shape of the first track in the mix. I had the pleasure of producing the track side to side with Tob-ee (Tobias Zollner) over the last few weeks. This is my most recent musical crime. A brand-new offering from me, and also featured on my upcoming LP „Progression Vol. 2“ („Progression Vol. 1“ just recently went into the stores, released on Avalanche Rec., the label of Sebastian Kruger). The 12inch „Fat Friday“ featured on the last „Eye-Trance“ made it to no. 2 on the much respected US Balance Pool Charts. We are on the right way.

Further releases appear on Earregular with Patrick Zigon (Cuba Libre), on Scuba with Martin Eyerer (Wet), on OAM with Philipp Dransfeld and Marc Vision („Fat Friday)“, on Avalanche with Glasberg and Forges („Crystal“) and on Slope with SBK and Klaus Albracht („Ich kenne“). I’m firing a broadside at you! The best is my own radio show on Sunshine Live (each sunday from 10-12 pm) where I can do and play whatever I feel like. That’s most definitely wicked Adult Music, including a bit of small talk with studio guests and some remarks on the current state of the progressive scene and portraits of some labels. The whole show is aired all over Europe via satellite. You can also tune in via most of the cable networks. Taucher comes to you once a week in digital mode.

In some weeks, „Raveline“ will publish an extensive interview with me, covering the whole ground of my music output, which makes me predict, there’s a great Taucher year coming. Fine. My radio show helped me realise that there are a great many people out there who really dig my music, an insight which made me start an e-mail pool for setting up an Adult-Music-Club. Whenever there are news to boast or downloads to provide or a party to announce, I will have enough fans to fill a small club with music freaks. What could be better?

If you want to join my music club, please contact [email protected]. Please feel free to take the opportunity to gather more information at www.adult-music.net and www.djtaucher.de. Or simply tune in at www.soundworx.tv where a monthly five-hours sound and video set is waiting for you.

By the way, this issue of „Eye-Trance“ is my personal favoutite, since I had the chance to mix it non-stop at home and felt shiver after shiver going down my spine. That gives me enough reason to believe that you will also have some great fun and feel deep joy when listening to the mix. The last track is a remix by Sasha with a broken beat. If you don’t feel tears welling up, you are definitely out of place.

Big thumbs up to Daniel Bruns who did all the background work, an effort which hardly ever is noticed. Thank you, Daniel.

History is being written, we step ahead.

Yours, Taucher.

„Ich kenne alles – bis auf Punkt und Strich. Ich kenne nur einen nicht, und der bin ich!“ (excerpt from TBS „Ich kenne ...“, taken from the 2005 album „Progression Vol. 1“; the German text translates as: „I know it all, from point to line. There is one head that I don’t know and this is mine.“)

In all his productions, Ralph Armand Beck aka Taucher searched for the sound he had long before found as a dj. After Taucher and Stenzel had made a decisive step towards the sinister, mystical, progressive direction (with „Five“ on Taucher’s label Scuba Records), Taucher soon once more impressed as part of Tantau on Great Stuff. During his musical self discovery journey he came across many sound wizards from the progressive underground, some of them from the Goa and psytrance genre. Eventually Taucher’s characteristic adult-progressive touch marked a whole series of vinyl releases in 2005, on labels such as On A Mission, Earregular, Slope and Avalanche. While the iron-hard grooves of Vita, a team project with Marc Vision and Trancefeld claimed no. 2 of the US Balance Promote Charts (initiated by Chris Fortier), Taucher at the side of Patrick Zigon expressed his rebellious attitude with his track „Cuba Libre“. The autobiographically inspired track „Ich kenne ...“ originated in a threesome combination of Taucher, Beathoven and SBK aka Sebastian Kruger, featuring Taucher’s secret favourite speaker, German actor Klaus Kinski.

Taucher’s 2005 release series found its crowning highlight in the shape of longplayer „Progression Vol.1“ on Avalanche. Facing the big chunk of already existing material, Taucher set up the „Progression“ work as multi-volume release. „Progression Vol.1“ documents his personal and musical development of the last years. Taucher seemed to have found a new homebase on Sebastian Kruger’s Avalanche label. Then he had to suffer another setback. The distribution company of Avalance went broke, and the scheduled release of „Progression Vol. 2“ couldn’t be realised. But in the global village of progressive trance, Taucher had already caused such a stir that soon afterwards the Israel label Echoes Records gave him a hearty welcome and signed the next issue. The upcoming „Progression Vol. 2“ release will shine with tracks he produced with artists like Peter Jurgens (Peter Gun), Trancefeld, Tob-E, Jaybee Trax, SBK, Cristian Paduraru and Patrick Zigon.

„Never before djing was such great fun. By way of buying brand-new tracks via download sites or promotion pools (such as the release-promo-pool) as mp3-files and present them as digital „Traktor 3 mixes“ to my audience, a whole new creative playground has opened its doors to me.“

The times when this outstanding vinyl wizard had salvaged black gold from his treasure chest for more than 15 years, with hands flying over his Technics, are long gone. Today he rather toys and fiddles with his laptop, where he amalgamates his digital delicacies with the help of professional dj software Traktor 3 into unique listening experiences. While Traktor 3 allows him to fool around at four virtual desks, he also includes additional hardware components to change the sounds he creates. When he cuts certain elements from simultaneously running tracks and loops them or changes low or high frequencies and pastes them into the next track or delays vocals or voxes, then the listener can no longer decide whether he presently listens to one, two or three tracks. More Taucher behind the mixer has never been there before.

Apart from the artistic impact and effects, his turn towards MP3 has another big advantage. While before some tracks could have been hard or almost impossible to get on the German market, you can now easily get them with just one mouse click. By taking to communicative exchange on the newest tracks, some incidents or encounters have come full circle. Not only had he come across some of the best renowned progressive producers before, during his tours in Australia, Japan, America or Brasil. When years after his world tours and his changing sides to the progressive camp he contacts some of the big names via myspace or other sites, Taucher today gets much positive feedback by heroes of the progressive universe, such as Luke Chable, Mike Hiratzka or Nick Warren. Many of the stars of today have closely followed his career from day one and keep some of his treasures in their record cases. By making use of his myspace site, Taucher finds himself closely connected to an international community of producers who suggest exciting ideas for collaborations. Just take his latest project which Taucher and Romanian artist Cristian Paduraru Rumänien produced one common track for. They kept on sending file after file over the internet, and finally contributed one remix each.

Digital Freestyle
Apart from all his production activities, Taucher also set up his new label Adult Music Digital based at Release-Records-Portal. The first release „Atmosfear/ Insect“ was celebrated as record of the month by Germany’s leading dance magazine „Raveline“.

At his farmhouse, Taucher has built in a studio in the old wash house. Equipped with all the latest software technology, he is about to make up for what has been burning under his nails for years: independent realisation of his ideas, whenever he feels like it. Independence is also key when it comes to distribute his productions. He is about to dive into the free channels of the digital world to make his adult philosophy heard.

(covers the years 2002 – 2007)

www.djtaucher.de

myspace.com/djtaucherofficial

www.soundworx.tv

www.sunshine-live.de