Andy Prinz

Andy Prinz love for Electronic Music was born in the 1980s. Fascinated by new developments and innovations in synthesizer and sampler technologies and bands such as Depeche Mode, Andy soon also desired to make his mark in the electronic field. His musical talent already began while he took his first lessons in classical piano and on a simple keyboard when he began to create his own first melodies. Andy bought himself his first synthesizer on sale at a store in Zurich and two years later his first mono-sampler. Computer based music was still at its early stages during this period and studio equipment remained still too expensive to buy for newcomers. Along with two friends from the EBM (Electronic Body Music) scene Andy formed the synthpop-combo DELAY in the summer of 1991. With the help of a 286 PC and a cheap sequencer software the three young men were able to produce their first demo tape named Under The Bridge within 3 months. Soon afterward DELAY had its first live-gig as a supporting act of the then very successful THE YOUNG GODS (hit: "Skinflowers").

In the spring of 1992 DELAY presented Pep Pill as a limited 15 track demo CD, which sold around 500 units. As a result of Pep Pill the band had its first record contract with the German label OFF BEAT paving the way for more future releases. The CD-EP Working In The Factory advanced to be an underground hit in the EBM and Dark Wave clubs, and Underdogs the 1994 DELAY album gained resonance in the entire pan-european EBM / Darkwave scene. An Altered State of Consciousness the bands second album, resulted with a tour of the synth-pop trio across Germany. Gigs took place in cities like Cologne, Berlin, Bochum, Munich, Nurnberg, Stuttgart and Bremen.

A further CD maxi single was released in 1996 in conjunction with the apparel makers, Dr. Martens. A few months later the band released another new album named Winter Paranoia. A new milestone took place in the making of Winter Paranoia as the whole album was produced and recorded for the first time in Andy Prinzs own studio. This expermimental album became a bestseller within the Gothic and EBM scene!

In the beginning of 1996 Andy Prinz began moving his music making talent towards the Techno and Trance genre since the Dark Wave community had slowly began dissipating. Andy already had begun to move towards the Techno genre in his early production years (influenced by acts such as 808 State or Quadrophenia). In 1997 Andy Prinz would join forces with one of his friends, René Zollinger, a Techno-House DJ from Zurich. Before that he would nevertheless keep his promise and complete his final DELAY remix-album Keep in Mind.

Together with René, Andy formed the new project And-E & Mac Lane. Their first production Monologue entered the playlist of DJ Gogo, resident at OXA, the then famous club and after-hour venue of Switzerland. Tracks that followed were quickly played by all major Swiss DJs. The single How I Feel was part of nearly every DJs playlist, likewise Let Your Mind flow and finally the fourth production Swallow It Down (TBA Records), which was also available as a CD Maxisingle and even made it into the USA through the TWILO Vol.1 compilation mixed by Junior Vasquez (Virgin). During this period Andy Prinz also worked with other artists on singles such as Lethal Injection (DJ Noise) and The First Flight (Phil Green vs. Prinz). Under the alias COSMODROME Andy Prinz also produced his first solo vinyl and remixed material for numerous other artists.
The fifth production by AND-E & MAC LANE named You are Virus was released in the year 2000 on the top German label UCMG-Proton (Hardy Hellers sublabel H&G) and found its way onto the playlist of international DJs. It was soon after that Andy decided to produce his first solo-vinyl single under his own real name titled Into The Ocean. Through its atmospheric sounds, house filter loops and Dutch Trance influenced style, DJ Tatana gained interest in the track and signed Into The Ocean for her label Sirup Music. Other productions for DJ Jaro, DJ Bart and Max B. Grant also instigated further interest in Andys talents within the Techno-House scene in Switzerland.
In the summer of 2001, ANDY PRINZ decided to enter the music industry as a professional. He had previously worked for one of the biggest national CD shop chains, then in a well known music instrument house, and in his last job as Product Manager for Steinberg Media Technologies and TC Works in Switzerland. It was at this point in time that he felt that he would be ready to work as a full-time producer and run his own production company AP Pro Audio. Along with DJ Jaro he produced the track Everlast, which later became the original version of DJ Tatana's chart-breaker Words. After DJ Tandu provided the vocals for the track Andy Prinz went on to produce 5 remixes of Words, including the Radio Edit version which took the Swiss Charts by storm. No one would have expected such a success from the production: Words entered the Swiss Top 10 charts and stayed there for 15 weeks. Half a year later all involved parties received Gold Awards for over 22'000 sales of the single in Switzerland only. The DJ Tatana tracks for her album Superpop produced and composed by Andy & Tatana reached both Gold and Platinum status in Swiss sales, too. Another big success!

In the same year Andy produced his follow-up Chaos In Motion. The vinyl was once again released on Sirup Music and entered the DDC Charts in Germany. Numerous partnerships in and outside of Switzerland took place building the name Andy Prinz in the music production scene.

In the Summer of 2002 Sony Music Switzerland signed both DJ Jaro and Andy Prinz for the album Wonder Milk. The album single Turn The Night ran in Switzerland on the A-list rotation of VIVA TV and also entered the Swiss Sales Charts and various Dance Charts.
So as to continue furthering his name and unleashing more of his creativity with a focus towards the international underground scene Andy produced the Dutch trance bomb Thru the night under the name AYION (together with Solid Slide and Mope). Thru The Night was released through Gesture Music in Holland also making it on the playlists of DJs like Ferry Corsten, Darren Tate and Armin Van Buuren. The track also entered the Dutch Dance Charts in spring 2003.

Andy Prinz latest projectunder the pseudonym ASTURAwould outpace any previous success. The track Orions Belt, a progressive trance hymn with groovy elements was released by the famous label Fundamental Recordings in Holland. The Promo release of Orions Belt realized one of Andys greatest dreams, to have some of the worlds best DJs show the appreciation of his productions during numerous sets. To name a few, Orions Belt was on DJ Tiesto, Armin Van Buuren, Ferry Corsten, Tall Paul, Darren Tate and Judge Jules and many other DJs playlists - the track was also featured on various big compilations all around the world. Darren Tate also licensed the track for the English territory on his Mondo Records label. The release managed to enter the official English Dance Charts in summer 2004.

Further international exposure was attained for productions made for DJs like Timeok (Above The Sky Records) and Greenhead (Drizzly Records). The Greenhead track Crystal made it also onto international DJs playlists and into the German Dance Charts (DDC).

Early in 2004 the ASTURA remix of Perpetuous Dreamers (AvB) Future Fun Land was released on Fundamental Recordings, sold extremely well and was also naturally featured on Armins A State Of Trance 2004 compilation.

If all these achievements were not enough, Andy came to the decision to form his own record label OFFSHORE MUSIC in January 2004. Offshore Music released its first compilation WORLD IN MOTION VOL. 1, named after the monthly radio-show that Andy and Angelo had hosted on DI.FM since January 2004. The young label quickly had artists signed for various projects and releases: for example, YORK (Stenzel bros), DIVER & ACE (Torsten Stenzel & DJ Taucher), ALY & FILA and many more. With more releases to come Offshore Music will continue drawing on the strengths of its artists and release quality sounds.

The psychedelic-trance and follow-up to Orions belt, Cassiopeia (Fundamental Recordings) was given a 5 star rating Sureplayer status in DJ magazine. .

During 2005, Andy completely focused on his own label; nevertheless he started working on his first solo-album under his real name and moved away from the previous style (dance, trance, house).
In spring 2006, Andy co-produced the official Street Parade anthem "Move your mind" for EMI Music Switzerland which entered the Swiss Top 30 instantly and he set up a distribution deal with EMI Music Switzerland (cooperation with Sonic Content) for Offshore Music. Since then, Andy also plans, compiles and mixes numerous compilations for this major company. The Street Parade CD 2006 (official compilation) was also done by Andy Prinz and his label team and their work got remunerated with a Gold Award within the Swiss territory.
Next to his job as the Managing Director of Offshore Music, Andy Prinz will continue working on his new album and provide a new insite on his production capabilities in a far range of music styles during 2007 & 2008. He's currently working with some top class vocalists and musicians from all over the world (including Raz Nitzan & Adrian Broekhuyse, both composing for the biggest names in the Dance scene).

Andy just closed a co-publishing deal with Sony ATV in Germany and he will focus much more again on his musical talent....More news coming, soon....