Helmut Schäfer

Back in the early '80s, HELMUT SCHÄFER (Austria b. 1969; d. 2007) had been inspired by the use of electronic music tools like TB 303 and DR 606, Commodore and Atari computers, first 16 bit Sampler (Casio FZ 1), different sample players and various other midi tools. So he started to study audio engineering and spend several years learning techniques to use electronic music tools and understand sound. In 1997, he had the first success as artist with realization of an earthquake simulation project IP Zentrum for Steweag Kunstpreis. This project was afterwards also shown at ARS electronica festival 1997 and at Documenta in Kassel 1997. Later on that year, he created also a four weeks long studio/lab/workshop about the recent developments in the fields of electronic and computer music and its tools. This project was presented as a part of "Technoscope Endoscape" programmed during Steirischer Herbst Festival 97. During this project he met for the first time with Zbigniew Karkowski and they started a collaboration which resulted in "don't touch me I am electric" released on compilation sampler End ID by Digital Narcis, and cd Disruptor released by OR label in London.

His sound work is characterized by the use of very intense and direct musical language which powerfully describes his personal experiences and reflections on society structures, the blindness of modern and informed masses and everyday functionalism in between civilization. These are existential terms, which Schaefer likes to abstract, by processing them with his sound language in order to stimulate the subconsciousness. From 1997 to 2007, Schäfer collaborated on various projects with the following artist: Zbigniew Karkowski, Atau Tanaka, Kasper Toeplitz, Settel Zack, Edwin van der Heide, Laurent Dailleau, Randy Yau, Scott Arford, Bob Ostertag, Graham Haynes, Will Guthrie, Zvonka Simcic, Theatre Gromki, KDES, Zenial - Palsecam, Karl Jensac, Christian F. Schiller, Geever, Elisabeth Gmeiner, Walter Kratner, Carmel Zekri, Aly Keita, Yacouba Moumouni and others.

He has performed his music in Japan, America, Africa, Europe and China. In October, 2001, 23five sponsored a West Coast tour for Helmut Schaefer that took him to Mills College in Oakland, The Knitting Factory in Los Angeles, and Cuesta College in San Luis Obispo.