Self-styled purveyor of 'percussive wet
funk'. Producer and remixer of more than 85 productions in
three years, including classics like Orinoko's 'Mama Konda'
(Top 20 UK & US club charts). DJ'd everywhere from Germany's
'Love Parade' to London's 'Turnmills' and Chicago's 'Karma'.
Not to mention a slew of forthcoming releases in Y2K, kick-started
by the wickedly minimal 'Der Schieber', out March 27th on
Perfecto Imprint 48K. Timo Maas is a man with a mission, a
man sick of the "cheesy shit" that clogs up the
clubs and the charts, stifling creativity: "I like the
idea of building up a unique sound, of working with different
sounds to create something new and fresh. I suppose I may
always be the underdog but at least I won't have sold out
like some other German acts."
Re-rewind to the early eighties: Timo, born and brought up
in Hanover, Germany, is just thirteen - but already storming
the decks: "I used to play at my friends' house parties,
whilst they were all too busy snogging each other." And
as both Timo and the crowds steadily grew over the next few
years, he soon found himself playing the biggest commercial
clubs in his hometown - yet still managed to drop the odd
credible track into the mix...
It was Timo's residency at The Tunnel in Hamburg, at the
time one of the biggest clubs in Germany, that marked his
breakthrough. Teaming up with resident Gary D, the duo produced
an "aggressive trance" record that would prove a
landmark in his career. 'Die Herdplatte' instantly won him
acclaim overseas and led to his current involvement with hope
recordings. Soon he was booked everywhere from 'Lakota' in
Bristol to 'Energy Parade' in Switzerland, Austria, and of
course his native Germany.
Lucky he'd quit his 9 year long job selling mobile phones
for German Telecom by then... After the success of 'Die Herdplatte'
Timo spent his apprenticeship at the renowned Peppermint Jam
studios, learning "everything from recording to distribution",
and hooked up with resident producers Andy and Martin to record
under the moniker Kinetic A.T.O.M. The track was the irresistibly
funky 'Borg Destroyer', which sold an amazing 8000 copies
- unaided by any marketing, press, or TV campaigns.
Yet it was the genre-defining 'Mama Konda', recorded in 1997
under the incarnation 'Orinoko,' that caused the biggest stir
in the dance fraternity. A standard in the boxes of every
DJ from Morales to Sasha, 'Mama Konda' was a Timo Maas Biog-
Page 2 percussive floorslayer that cemented Timo's reputation
as the hottest kid on the block, reaching the Top 20 in both
UK and US club charts. Every record since the mighty 'Mama
Konda' has sold around 10,000 copies, from its sequel 'Vila
Nova' to Bush releases like 'Eclipse' and 'Riding On A Storm.'
Meanwhile Timo's remixes have been garnering acclaim from
all quarters, from his mixes of Lustral's 'Everytime' (Hooj)
BT's "Never Gonna Come Back Down" (Nettwerk) to
'Dooms Night' by Azzido Da Bass - "the mix that pulls
together all the different pigeonholes in the UK scene right
now," according to one leading dance magazine. And so
if you've set foot inside a niterie recently, the chances
are you'll have boogied to one of this man's productions -
as well as Hope Recordings and current label Perfecto, he
has also recorded for Hooj Choons, FFRR and Bush.
Artist's Web Links
Timo Mass @ Glade Festival
Timo Mass @ Peppermint Club
in Dubai
Timo Mass @ The End in London
Timo Mass Interview
| Tech House, Trance &
Techno Compilations :: Timo
Mass
