| "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.
„Be with us“
Come on and be with us!
Let us party again! Let us be pioneers once more!
Cheers
Euer Taucher
Eye-Trance 08
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 taucher@sunshine-live.de.
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.
|
