Alexander Hacke (also known as Alexander von Borsig, Alex Hacke, Hacke, born 11 October 1965) is a German guitarist, bass guitarist, singer, musician, record producer, writer and filmmaker. He is primarily known as a longtime member of the influential German industrial music group Einstürzende Neubauten.
Hacke during the "Blässe" ("paleness") project, ca. 1980
Early years
In the early 1980s, Hacke released a few solo tapes and mini-albums, such as Hiroshima. He became a long-time member of Einstürzende Neubauten and also was a member of several other bands, such as Sentimentale Jugend (with Christiane Vera Felscherinow, also known as Christiane F.), Sprung aus den Wolken and Mona Mur.
In 1980, at the age of fifteen, Hacke joined Einstürzende Neubauten, which had been formed earlier the same year. Hacke played guitar and worked with the band's sound until the mid 1990s. Then he changed from guitar to bass and is now a bass player and, according to band leader Blixa Bargeld, "a musical director of the band".
Solo activities
Hacke's first full-length solo album was Filmarbeiten (1992).
In the 1990s he was frontman of the band Jever Mountain Boys, who played their favorite songs, particularly country musiccover-versions.
In 2003 Alexander Hacke and his longtime partner Danielle de Picciotto (married since 2006) organized the monthly event "BadaBing" in the famous Berlin 70s Club "Big Eden", presenting new and unusual bands and in this way initiating a new wave of Berlin-oriented "Futur-electroclash" music all over Europe. They travel extensively performing multimedia shows together and presenting workshops on Berlin underground culture. In 2004, Danielle de Picciotto produced a documentary on Einstürzende Neubauten for which Alexander Hacke did the sound design.
In 2005 Hacke and de Picciotto conceived and directed "The Mountains of Madness", an audio/visual live show based on stories by H. P. Lovecraft, inviting the English Trio The Tiger Lillies to participate and perform in the successful production throughout Europe.
Hacke's first noteworthy girlfriend was Christiane F., who became famous with the internationally acclaimed movie and book Wir Kinder vom Bahnhof Zoo, a biography of her heroin addiction. They performed together in Europe and the US with their band Sentimentale Jugend and also appeared together in the movie Decoder in 1983.
On 3 October 1989, Hacke's son Joshua was born in Berlin. His mother is Angela Mettbach, a Berlin nightlife figure who had a short-lived musical career with her band Octopussy.
Hacke was briefly married to German actress and singer Meret Becker and was involved in her musical career. Becker guested on Einstürzende Neubauten's album Ende Neu. In 2006, Hacke married his longtime partner Danielle de Picciotto, an American Berlin-based multimedia artist who is known for having founded the Berlin Love Parade together with Dr Motte and for singing in the band Space Cowboys.
Solo discography
1980: Das Leben ist schön
1981: Borsig-Werke
1982: Christiane F.: Wunderbar (Mitarbeit)
1982: Hiroshima
1982: Mona Mur und die Mieter: Jeszcze Polska
1988: Crime and the City Solution: Shine
1989: Crime and the City Solution: The Bride Ship
1990: Crime and the City Solution: Paradise Discotheque
1992: Phew: Our Likeness (Musiker)
1992: Filmarbeiten
1994: Jever Mountain Boys: Bury the Bottle with Me
1994: Gianna Nannini: Dispetto (Mitarbeit)
1994: Die Haut: Sweat (Mitarbeit)
1995: Blind: Live Saver (Produzent)
1995: Miranda Sex Garden: Fairytales About Slavery (Produzent)
^Detailed information about a live concert of FM Einheit in Frankfurt / Germany, 2010 "Archived item". Archived from the original on 19 July 2011. Retrieved 3 October 2010. and video of this performance [1]
^Information about Alexander Hacke's EP "Doomed", in which a concert of Hacke with FM Einheit in 2009 in Berlin is mentioned [2]
