Klaus Waldeck
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Klaus Waldeck (born March 23, 1966) is an Austrian record producer and performer based in Vienna, Austria. In addition to the music published under his
stage name A stage name or professional name is a pseudonym used by performers, authors, and entertainers—such as actors, comedians, singers, and musicians. The equivalent concept among writers is called a ''nom de plume'' (pen name). Some performers ...
, Waldeck, his label Dope Noir Records has been releasing his music as Saint Privat, Waldeck Sextet and Soul Goodman.


Early life

Klaus Waldeck was born on March 23, 1966, in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
, Austria. His two siblings include Peter Waldeck, who is a theater, comic, and fiction writer. In 2008, the brothers collaborated on the musical ''Fantomas – das Action Musical''. Their father, Wolfgang, owned a law firm, which Klaus considered for his career before turning to music. Waldeck received lessons in classical piano from the age of six. Th
music video
for "Get Up...Carmen" is reminiscent of the young music student manipulating the alarm clock to shorten his mandatory time on the instrument. After graduating from high school, he enrolled at Vienna law school and completed his doctoral thesis on the legal implications of sampling in 1994. Waldeck subsequently passed the Austrian bar exam and briefly worked as a lawyer, but has since suspended his bar membership.


Career

Waldeck relocated to London to complete his legal studies in 1992, where he brought all the music equipment he had accumulated over years of experimenting with sampling and electronic sounds. He started going to clubs, collaborating with local artists, and producing demo tapes. Vocalist Joy Malcolm, who was working with
Moby Richard Melville Hall (September 11, 1965), known professionally as Moby, is an American musician, songwriter, record producer, disc jockey, and animal rights activist. He has sold 20 million records worldwide. AllMusic considers him to be "amo ...
and
Incognito Incognito is an English adjective meaning "in disguise", "having taken steps to conceal one's identity". Incognito may also refer to: Film and television Film * ''Incognito'', a 1915 film featuring Rae Berger * ''Incognito'' (1937 film), a Dan ...
at the time, and Brian Amos became important for many of Waldeck's early releases. After having returned to Vienna in 1996, Waldeck became a defining force for the type of dub/trip-hop-inspire
downtempo "Vienna sound"
popular throughout the nineties and noughties. ''Balance of the Force'', Waldeck's first full-length album released in 1998, was co-produced by
Kruder & Dorfmeister Kruder & Dorfmeister, named after members Peter Kruder and Richard Dorfmeister, is an Austrian duo, known for their trip hop/downtempo remixes of pop, hip hop and drum and bass songs. Career In 1993, they released their first EP '' G-Stoned'' ...
and featured many of the artists Waldeck had been working with in London. The album was published by BMG and received global attention in clubs, radio, and the advertising business. Following local trends as well as artistic necessity, Waldeck founded his own label Dope Noir in 2001, which has been publishing all his music since. In a 2024 interview, Waldeck calls himself as the "Duracell Bunny of Vienna Sound" because he has continued to publish music in contrast to his peers. ''The Night Garden'', released in the year of Dope Noir's inception, took some inspiration from
Massive Attack Massive Attack are an English trip hop collective formed in 1988 in Bristol, England, by Robert Del Naja, Robert "3D" Del Naja, Daddy G, Grant "Daddy G" Marshall, Tricky (musician), Adrian "Tricky" Thaws and Andrew Vowles, Andrew "Mushroom" ...
's iconic ''Mezzanine'' and combined electronic elements with the subtle vocal contributions of Amos and Malcolm. It became an instant critical success and helped define the signature narrative noir characteristic of Waldeck's work. Saint Privat, the musical identity created together with singer Valérie Sajdik, released its debut, ''Riviera'', in 2004 and, somewhat ironically, earned the Amadeus Austrian Music Award for newcomer of the year in 2005. The album was followed by ''Superflu'' in 2006. Its opening track, “Poisson Rouge”, was used in the official trailer for Paul Feig's 2018 movie comedy ''A Simple Favor''. '' Ballroom Stories'', which introduced vocalist Zeebee in addition to Malcolm and Amos, was released to persistent international presence in 2007. The album evolved as a defining force for the
electro swing Electro swing, or swing house, is an electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and Lis ...
genre. It sold roughly 35,000 physical copies and has been streamed over 65 million times on Spotify. Many years after their original publication, songs like “Get up...Carmen”, “Memories”, and “Make My Day” are still being played on the radio, used in TV and advertising, and get thousands of streams every month.
Mercedes-Benz Mercedes-Benz (), commonly referred to simply as Mercedes and occasionally as Benz, is a German automotive brand that was founded in 1926. Mercedes-Benz AG (a subsidiary of the Mercedes-Benz Group, established in 2019) is based in Stuttgart, ...
used “Make My Day” for the German launch of its C class line of cars.
Versace Gianni Versace S.r.l. (), usually referred to as Versace ( ), is an Italian luxury elite fashion company founded by Gianni Versace in 1978. The company produces Italian-made ready-to-wear and accessories, as well as '' haute couture'' under it ...
has used “Why Did We Fire the Gun?” for its global TV spot with
Candice Swanepoel Candice Susan Swanepoel (; ; born 20 October 1988) is a South African model. She is known for her work with Victoria's Secret. She became a Victoria's Secret Angel in 2010. In 2016, she was listed 8th on the ''Forbes'' top-earning models list. ...
since 2013. The song can also be heard in season one of the TV legal drama ''Suits'' (episode 10). “Jerry Weintraub” was used in episode 12 of the fourth season of Fox's hospital blockbuster, ''House''. The release of Zeebee's solo project ''Be My Sailor'' in 2009 was followed by a prolonged artistic hiatus for Waldeck, during which he searched for new musical angles. At age 50, he resumed piano lessons with noted classical pianis
Maria Radutu
to keep up with the professionals in his band. Since 2015, Waldeck has published a series of narrative, cinema-themed works with singers La Heidi and Patrizia Ferrara. Sampling and electronic sounds have been largely replaced by analog instruments and human musicians, as Waldeck tried to distance himself from the overcrowded electro swing genre, which had attracted many epigones since its inception. Keeping the quintessential stylish Waldeck atmosphere and his meticulous production and engineering standards, ''Gran Paradiso'' (2016) explores Italian
canzone Literally 'song' in Italian, a canzone (; : ''canzoni''; cognate with English ''to chant'') is an Italian or Provençal song or ballad. It is also used to describe a type of lyric which resembles a madrigal. Sometimes a composition which ...
and film scores from classical
Cinecittà Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City) is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios were constru ...
lore. '' Atlantic Ballroom'' (2018) invokes an ocean liner club atmosphere with crime-fiction-inspired jazz and swing sounds. The song “Rough Landing” was used by
Ferrero Rocher Ferrero Rocher ( , , ; stylized in all caps) is a brand of chocolate and hazelnut confectionery , confection manufactured by the Italian company Ferrero SpA, Ferrero. Michele Ferrero is credited as the product's creator. Each Ferrero Rocher bal ...
in its 2019 TV spot, which animated Edward Hopper's masterpiece " Nighthawks". “Keep My Fire Burning” was used in the soundtrack of ''
Grey's Anatomy ''Grey's Anatomy'' is an American medical drama television series focusing on the personal and professional lives of surgical internship (medicine), interns, residency (medicine), residents, and attending physician, attendings at the fictional ...
'' in its 15th season (episode 10). ''Grand Casino Hotel'' (2020) was conceived as music for a fictional road movie, releasing many compositions Waldeck had developed with Carl Avory, Joy Malcolm, Patrizia Ferrara, and Zeebee over the years. In an interview, Waldeck called the album a plea for freedom in a culture restricted by algorithms and closed-circuit political debate.   Despite waning significance in the age of digital streaming, Waldeck has retained his devotion to the album format. In a 2019 interview, he recounted laboring for seven weeks over the final track listing for ''Atlantic Ballroom''. For its 20th anniversary, Waldeck's Dope Noir label released a hand-numbered vinyl collection in 2022, consisting of five mini-albums which gathered mostly unreleased work by Waldeck, Waldeck Sextet, Soul Goodman, and Saint Privat. “Boom, Boom Click!” by Saint Privat has been used in season three of Netflix's ''
Emily in Paris '' Emily in Paris'' is an American romantic comedy drama television series created by Darren Star for Netflix. The series stars Lily Collins as aspiring marketing executive Emily Cooper, an American who moves to Paris to provide an American p ...
''. In the same year, “Quando Quando”, a remix of a 2018 Waldeck release by French DJ and producer The Avener, reached top chart positions in France, Belgium and Spain. ''The Moon and the Orient'' was released in June 2024. The album's twelve songs have been described by the artist as a sentimental celebration of the power of artistic imagination and the narrative potential of human becoming and passing. It has been noted for its subtle return to electronic effects.


Studio, stage, and screen collaborators

While none of Waldeck's musical identities have been conceived as collaborative band projects, the following artists have made notable contributions to his music. Waldeck Sextet's 2020 celebratory show at Porgy & Bess Jazz Club had ten live musicians on stage while Waldeck's current live configuration features six performers. Musicians * Hermann Aigner (Drums) * Carl Avory (Vocals) * Jürger Bauer (Bass) * Darius Edlinger (Guitar) * Patrizia Ferrara (Vocals) * Josef Fuchsberger (Trumpet) * Thomas Hechenberger (Guitar) * Clemens Hofer (Trombone) * Florian Klinger (Vibraphone) * Rüdiger Kostron (Bass) * Joy Malcolm (Vocals) * Philipp Moosbrugger (Standup Bass) * Marc Osterer (Trumpet) * Alex Pohn (Drums) * Valérie Sajdik (Vocals) * Gerald Selig (Saxophone) * Martin Spitzer (Guitar) * Wolfgang Stieger (Mastering) * Georg Tomandl (Mastering, Sunshine Mastering) * Sashko Wladigeroff (Trumpet) * Zeebee (Vocals) Cover Art * Darius Edlinger * Luca Gastaldi * Bernhard Winkler Video Clips * Darius Edlinger * Luca Gastaldi * Bernhard Sordian * Mario Soldo (Mother Agency)


Genre

Waldeck's early releases explored contemporary
downtempo Downtempo (or downbeat) is a broad label for electronic music that features an atmospheric sound and slower beats than would typically be found in dance music. Closely related to ambient music but with greater emphasis on rhythm, the style may ...
and
trip hop Trip hop is a musical genre that has been described as a psychedelic music, psychedelic fusion of hip hop music, hip hop and electronica with slow tempos and an atmospheric sound. The style emerged as a more experimental music, experimental var ...
trends. ''Ballroom Stories'', his greatest commercial success, has become the prototype of
electro swing Electro swing, or swing house, is an electronic dance music Electronic dance music (EDM), also referred to as dance music or club music, is a broad range of percussive electronic music genres originally made for nightclubs, raves, and Lis ...
, while his recent releases have increasingly featured analogue sounds with a cinematographic mood. Most of Waldeck's songs convey genre ambitions and a serene attitude. Over his career, he has explored classical piano pieces, swing,
country A country is a distinct part of the world, such as a state, nation, or other political entity. When referring to a specific polity, the term "country" may refer to a sovereign state, state with limited recognition, constituent country, ...
,
jazz Jazz is a music genre that originated in the African-American communities of New Orleans, Louisiana, in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Its roots are in blues, ragtime, European harmony, African rhythmic rituals, spirituals, h ...
,
latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...
, among numerous other genres. His varied oeuvre also reflects the recruitment of diverse vocalists and collaborators like Zeebee, Joy Malcolm, Brian Amos, Valérie Sajdik, and Patrizia Ferrara.


Discography

Source:


Albums and EPs

as Waldeck *''Northern Lights – EP'' (Spray Records, 1996) *''Balance of the Force'' (BMG,1998) *''Balance of the Force Remixed'' (BMG,1998) *''The Night Garden'' (BMG, 2001) *''The Night Garden Reflowered'' (Dope Noir, 2002) *'' Ballroom Stories'' (Dope Noir, 2007) * ''Gran Paradiso'' (Dope Noir, 2016) * '' Atlantic Ballroom'' (Dope Noir, 2018) * '' Grand Casino Hotel'' (Dope Noir, 2020) * ''Waldeck presents 20 Years'' ''Dope Noir'' (Dope Noir, 2022) * ''The Moon and the Orient'' (Dope Noir, 2024) as Saint Privat * ''Riviera'' (Dope Noir, 2004) * ''Superflu'' (Dope Noir, 2006) * ''Après la Bohème'' (Dope Noir, 2023)


Singles

as Waldeck *"Aquarius" (1997) *"Wake Up" (1997) *"Children of the Ghetto" (1998) *"Defenceless" (1999) *"This Isn't Maybe" (2000) *"Tears Running Dry" (2002) *"Make My Day" (2006)


References


External links


Klaus Waldeck's official site
{{DEFAULTSORT:Waldeck, Klaus 1966 births Living people Austrian male musicians Trip hop musicians Austrian electronic musicians Ambient musicians Downtempo musicians Electro swing musicians