Taucher

Short: German Electronical Trance Producer and Dj, by the name of Ralph Armand Beck

..His name is Taucher – the German word for Diver. When thick fog fills the room, deep, abysmal sounds start setting in and intensity & temperature are on the rise, then you know it’s Taucher time. .....

"If the night develops into something you cannot fathom nor explain, if something important happens which strikes you with almost supernatural awe, then the night is complete and the mission fulfilled."

There are not many DJs in this world who caught as much public attention as Taucher who, back in the days, entered the scene in his fantastic scuba-gear, established himself as an authentic artist and hardly missed a party ever since. In the meantime, Taucher has caused quite a stir from behind his turntables. Endowed with extraordinary flair and intuition, he selects and creates exquisite Trance tunes. Equipped with outstanding talent and skills, he knows how to lead party crowds through the night. His suspenseful DJ sets are more than intense and, after years of touring the globe, have gained him a worldwide fan base. His key to success is his ability to celebrate his gigs as performances while always staying true to himself. He embodies Trance like hardly any other artist.

"I am an actor but I don’t act."

Apart from his mixing skills and finesse, Taucher loves to communicate with his audience, entertaining them with extravagant outfits and crazy dance breaks. A night with the Taucher is an outstanding experience. The Taucher may suddenly appear hanging upside down from a pole (like he once did at the legendary Dorian Gray in Frankfurt/Germany), climb the stage scaffoldings at mega raves like Mayday or Nature One, or take to ballet-like improvisations behind his turntables. Taucher is a natural performer. But in spite of the cult status he has achieved so far, he still sees himself as being on the same level with his fans:

"I’ve always been a raver and will continue to be one!"

Taucher rose from the ranks and started at the bottom - from devoted Techno disciple to leading Techno activist. Unfatiguing, he pursued his ideals and made his own experiences in every possible way. Before he stepped on the scene as a DJ in 1992, he had been organising big parties, spreading flyers, pasting up posters and decorating the parties he initialised. He also created video animations and projections and scheduled the parties at such times of the day which no one else had done before. His love for details and surprising ideas made ravers from all over Germany take the trip to his parties, e.g. the Sunday morning "Techno breakfast" at the M in Mainz (capital of the Rhineland-Palatinate).

"We need some fantasy to live a life in harmony." (taken from: "Fantasy", 1994)

Soon after, producer Torsten Stenzel, who had stormed the European charts with his project N.U.K.E. and ran the labels Planet Love, Liquid and Crash, felt the urge to invite Taucher to his studio. They met for their first session - which immediately marked the beginning of their wonderful and amazing friendship. Entrancing and ravishing sounds, fantastic arrangements and beautiful melodies were the key elements of their common language. Their first two hymns, "Happiness" (1992) and "Atlantis" (1993) had such a tremendous impact on the underground scene, that Sony Rec. signed them in 1994. The following singles "Fantasy" (1994), "Infinity" (1995) and "Miracle" (1996) paved the way for a new level of success, each hitting the Top 100 Media Control Charts (MCC) in Germany. As a consequence, the duo produced the first Taucher album "Return to Atlantis" which was released on Sony in 1996. UK legendary DJ and producer Paul Oakenfold was so impressed by Taucher’s new track "Waters", that he licensed it to the fourth edition of his much renowned mix-compilation series "Global Underground". In its haunting intensity and diversity, "Return to Atlantis" set a benchmark which is still valid today.

His work as a producer didn’t affect Taucher’s ongoing love for Djing. His extraordinary commitment soon gained him the reputation of being one of Germany’s Top DJs. The most important clubs and organisers of the big raves are all very keen on booking him and, as a result, Taucher is on the road and rails almost every weekend.

"Life is a remix."

The Taucher remix of the single Ayla, in 1997, which was a worldwide success, marked the breakthrough for Taucher and Stenzel as a leading Trance remix duo. In the wake of the "Ayla" remix, the two of them were asked to do numerous other remix jobs for Top acts such as Faithless, Robert Miles, Cherrymoon Trax, Culture Beat and other international top notch projects. All these remixes are showcased on two Taucher 2CD-compilations titled "Life Is A Remix" (1999 and 2001 on Scuba).

In the meantime, Taucher extended his sphere of influence to another important territory. His productions started to conquer the hottest UK clubs and since 1998, he has kept on spinning a whole weekend per month in the UK - in such renowned clubs as Gatecrasher (1998-2000), Slinky (2000-2002), Cream, Golden, Turnmilles and events like Homelands. In 1998, Taucher was signed to the Englisch label Additive which provided the platform for such club smashers as Red Light District "Did You Hear Me". The English music press couldn’t evade being impressed by this crazy German DJ, and numerous articles started to fill the pages of the leading Dance magazines. Taucher had stepped on the international scene.

"The most consistent factor in my life is constant change."

His long-term partner Torsten Stenzel acquired and redecorated a house in Ibiza, which also included a recording studio. This sunny island also offered the time and space for new plans and ideas and soon considerable change was about to come. After leaving Sony Rec., Taucher signed to Polydor/Zeitgeist in 1999 and, in the same year, set up his own Scuba label (distributed via Discomania). Apart from his own projects, Scuba offers a platform for talented newcomers whose ambitions come close to his own.

"C’est bizarre!"

With his first single release on Scuba "Bizarre/Child Of The Universe" (1999), he continued his success story, topped all Dance charts and maintained his place in Germany’s Top 100 (MCC) for weeks – but also displayed two completely different approaches. While "Bizarre", introduced by the striking voice of a French speaker, thunderously hammered through the sound systems, "Child Of The Universe" was of another crop. The unique vocals of Dead Can Dance, embedded in harmonic melodies and rich sound arrangements, charmed and delighted the audience. The follow-up releases "Science Fiction" and "Pictures Of A Gallery" (2000) underlined Taucher’s skills and versatility. Taucher being one of the most successful and long-standing Trance DJs and producers was drafted as one of the six Trance Allstars - a joint project of Polydor/Zeitgeist and Kontor – a project which is up to remix the most significant Techno and Trance classics.

"I want to embark on a deeper journey!"

As a DJ with extending fan bases in the UK, Switzerland, Spain (Ibiza), Israel, USA and Canada, Taucher was further honoured by being offered the job to mix the Ministry Of Sound compilation "Clubber’s Guide To (Germany)" which was also released in 2000. In the U.S.A. his residencies at Webster Hall (NYC) and Shadow Lounge (Miami) resulted in two other top class compilations: "Live@Webster Hall" and "The Rebirth – 3 Year Anniversary (of the Shadow Lounge)". Both releases were critically acclaimed and earned him further respect and success. While productionwise squatting the German charts with the sales-oriented Trance Allstars project, Taucher started to dedicate himself DJ-wise to rather underground-oriented sounds. He gradually shifted the focus on his DJ sets from ecstatic ‚hands in the air’ Trance tunes to more progressive approaches of Trance – which are still meant to shake and wiggle hips. On an international level, Taucher as a DJ explored the continents of Asia, Australia and South America and received enthusiastic feedback.

"Giving people what they need, not what they want."

Over the years, Taucher’s pager had been blowing up, but he still managed to stop on by in Torsten’s studio on Ibiza to produce the second album "Ebbe und Flut" (Scuba, Polydor/Zeitgeist 2001). The two of them worked very hard on this project employing additional artists to gain new impulses and include other sources of influence. In its combination of different styles and synthesis of electronic and acoustic sounds, "Ebbe und Flut" opened the way into a new dimension. As "High Tide and Low Tide" it was also released in the U.S. (Ultra Records, 2001). Having caught the spirit, they continued producing and had two releases in 2002: the album "Century/Decade" under the name of Diver & Ace on Alphabet City and the album "Living" on the Suisse label Sirup, under the name of Best Company. The Best Company album puts out its feelers towards the most diverse fields within the Dance sector and adds further proof of their musical excellence (e.g. in their extraordinary hit single "Millennium Bitch"). By pursuing what he started as a DJ in 2000, the end of this year sees Taucher striving for new horizons as a producer. Currently, Taucher is laying out the concept for his new project ‚Adult Trance’. This new project aims at establishing a DJ mix series providing new sounds of international newcomers and exhaling a strong underground feel. Quality tracks and innovative character are the main targets for this compilation which will be clad in exquisite artwork - for the pleasure of music connoisseurs and collectors.